Opinion Piece: Do we have racism
in our government?
Imagine a young person of colour is thrown
to the ground by a policeman after being
yelled at for resisting arrest. The officer
reveals that they received a tip about
someone who “looks like them” doing some
shifty behaviour and before you know it they
were thrown to the ground and she got
charged for no reason. Charged with
something she didn’t do, even though they
appealed their case she still had a criminal
history . This is the challenge faced by
individuals of colour. Is our government, the
decision-makers we have chosen, also
plagued by racism? It's a question worth
pondering. To begin, let's define racism: it
involves discriminating against individuals
or groups due to their association with a
racial or ethnic community.
Why do I think our government is racist?
Did you know 41% of African Americans
have been randomly stopped by the police
for their race? Half of those people have
reported police brutality.
Image from C.A.P (Center for American
Progress)
Australia's ethnocracy is characterised by
the dominance of specific ethnic groups over
others, rather than being a true democracy.
The government, media, and courts are
dominated and run by white people, despite
an estimated 24% of Australians being
Indigenous or non-European. The Labor
Party is doing better than the Coalition, but
only marginally. Australia's Labor Party has
decided to force white candidates into some
of the most multicultural seats in the country
and elbow local, diverse candidates out of
the way.Are they scared?Did you know that
since the 1870’s they have been trying to
trap African Americans in the middle class?
The government, media, and courts are
dominated and run by white people, despite
an estimated 24% of Australians being
Indigenous or non-European.
Image of police brutality in australia
The Labor Party is doing better than the
Coalition, but only marginally. Australia's
Labor Party has decided to parachute white
candidates into some of the most
multicultural seats in the country and elbow
local, diverse candidates out of the way. In
France, they had the infamous bill banning
hijabs and veils. It said you must be over the
age of 18 to wear a hijab because, according
to the French government, it “would signify
the inferiority of women over men." The
audacity of the government to try to ban a
significant part of a thousand-year old
religion! African Americans accounted for
35% of patients and 40% of COVID cases. Do
you want to hear a story? In 2021, American
prosecutors brought charges against a
record-breaking 21 police officers for either
murder or manslaughter due to the use of
deadly force.
So, what are the implications of these
concerning rates for our society?
Well, we can already see what it has done to
our society. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor.
Ahmaud Arbery. Brianna Ghey. All murders
for being themselves, not only by the public
but also by our government. Our so-called
protectors. How can I feel safe if I risk
assault based on my skin colour or identity
with no consequences for the perpetrators?
“I hate the practice of race
discrimination, and in my
hatred, I am sustained by the fact
that the overwhelming majority
of mankind hates it equally, "
said Nelson Mandela. This is
noticeable in our future services. 29% of
white first-year medicine students in the US
National Academy of Sciences thought that
those of African descent had their blood
clots faster, and 21% of students thought that
they also had better immune systems. So
smart. These stereotypes lead to less priority
to those without fair skin.
What steps can be taken to confront and
eliminate racism within governmental
institutions?
Implementing stricter punishments is one
way to ensure accountability. For instance,
an arrest made solely based on race should
result in a six-month suspension for the
responsible individual. However, the
delayed implementation of these actions is

disheartening. We must prioritise swift and

decisive action to eradicate racism from our

systems and institutions. For example,

establishing mandatory anti-bias training

programs for all employees can help address

incidents of racial bias and discrimination.

This information was sourced from non-

profit agencies and law journals. It is not the

government itself, even though it is

responsible. How can we expect future

generations to learn accountability if our

leaders continue to evade responsibility for

their errors? Taking responsibility and

fostering a transparent and trustworthy

government is a fundamental stride towards

creating a more ideal society. It starts in one

country and will have a ripple effect

throughout the entirety of the world; it will

create a stronger society. Why do they have

a government if they can’t own up like little

kids? We need action; we need change. Our

government needs to own up, step up, and

trade up