Tony Abbott's Indigenous affairs adviser caught wearing a Confederate Flag costume - completely unaw
32 replies, posted
[t]http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6604074-4x3-940x705.jpg[/t]
[QUOTE]An Indigenous affairs adviser to Prime Minister Tony Abbott has apologised for wearing a Confederate flag costume to an event, saying he was "unaware" of the flag's connection to racial tensions after a mass shooting in the United States.
Mark Coffey, who works for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in the Northern Territory, was photographed wearing the costume last weekend at the Central Australian Beef Breeders' Fourth of July themed dinner.
A 21-year-old white man charged with fatally shooting nine African Americans at a church in the south-eastern US city of Charleston last month posed with the Confederate flag, which is seen by some as a symbol of white supremacy, before the massacre.
In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet said Mr Coffey was sorry.
"The officer has apologised unreservedly, and regrets that offence has been taken," it said.
The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, NT Senator Nigel Scullion, said Mr Coffey's apology "should be the end of the matter".
"It was clearly in circumstance that he was unaware that it might give offence," he said.
"What I understand from a letter from the department, which apologises for his lack of judgement, is that he was simply unaware of the circumstances that recently happened in the United States.
"I don't think he can behave any better than he has; he's unreservedly apologised for any offence given and that should be end of the matter."[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-08/tony-abbott-indigenous-adviser-sorry-for-confederate-flag-shirt/6604114[/URL]
[quote]"The officer has apologised unreservedly, and regrets that offence has been taken," it said.[/quote]
Don't you love it when politicians word things in an awkward way that removes them from all responsibility?
I'm sorry, how can you [I]ever[/I] not be aware of at least the vague intention of the Confederate battle flag?
I'm also kind of confused about why the Indigenous Affairs minister is white and not... y'know, Indigenous, but if he does the job right... Which right now, I'm kind of doubting.
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48147215]I'm sorry, how can you [I]ever[/I] not be aware of at least the vague intention of the Confederate battle flag?
I'm also kind of confused about why the Indigenous Affairs minister is white and not... y'know, Indigenous, but if he does the job right... Which right now, I'm kind of doubting.[/QUOTE]
Abbott was the minister for women at one stage, Liberal and Logic don't go together
Unrelated Australian wears flag with ties to racial tensions in U.S.
Sounds pretty pathetic, someone's grasping at straws here.
[QUOTE=Tasm;48147225]Unrelated Australian wears flag with ties to racial tensions in U.S.
Sounds pretty pathetic, someone's grasping at straws here.[/QUOTE]
Not grasping at the straws, a politician, no matter where should not be anywhere near that flag right now if not ever especially if they work in the Indigenous affairs ministry
i feel this is more proof that we do not live in reality, instead a simulation with a purpose similar to grand theft auto
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;48147271]i feel this is more proof that we do not live in reality, instead a simulation with a purpose similar to grand theft auto[/QUOTE]
GTA is an easter egg put in to mock our plight.
[QUOTE=Tasm;48147225]Unrelated Australian wears flag with ties to racial tensions in U.S.
Sounds pretty pathetic, someone's grasping at straws here.[/QUOTE]
Person whose job heavily involves race relations wears symbol of racial discrimination. I'd say that's kind of a big deal.
why the fuck would you wear a confederate flag in australia
Like, I'm not offended, just confused.
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48147215]I'm sorry, how can you [I]ever[/I] not be aware of at least the vague intention of the Confederate battle flag?
I'm also kind of confused about why the Indigenous Affairs minister is white and not... y'know, Indigenous, but if he does the job right... Which right now, I'm kind of doubting.[/QUOTE]
I have seen quite a few people in Azerbaijan wearing the Confederate flag tshirts, and they dont even know what racism is. So yeah, they are people who dont know what the confederate flag is.
[QUOTE=Empty_Shadow;48147367]why the fuck would you wear a confederate flag in australia
Like, I'm not offended, just confused.[/QUOTE]
I dunno why do Yankee punks wear Union Jacks it's just the style I guess
[QUOTE=Empty_Shadow;48147367]why the fuck would you wear a confederate flag in australia
Like, I'm not offended, just confused.[/QUOTE]
Maybe he's a big Lynyrd Skynyrd fan. :v:
[QUOTE=Empty_Shadow;48147367]why the fuck would you wear a confederate flag in australia
Like, I'm not offended, just confused.[/QUOTE]
Tasmania is going to secede from the commonwealth
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;48147537]Tasmania is going to succeed from the commonwealth[/QUOTE]
You mean secede?
[QUOTE=DogGunn;48147563]You mean secede?[/QUOTE]
You can see how Queensland education benefited me
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48147215]I'm sorry, how can you [I]ever[/I] not be aware of at least the vague intention of the Confederate battle flag?
I'm also kind of confused about why the Indigenous Affairs minister is white and not... y'know, Indigenous, but if he does the job right... Which right now, I'm kind of doubting.[/QUOTE]
You think ministers know their shit? Heh.. We had a education&culture minister here who said that "I like cat paintings."
I dont see a problem with this, it just shows the U.S. isnt the center of the universe and a lot of people dont follow the news from here.
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48147215]I'm sorry, how can you [I]ever[/I] not be aware of at least the vague intention of the Confederate battle flag?
I'm also kind of confused about why the Indigenous Affairs minister is white and not... y'know, Indigenous, but if he does the job right... Which right now, I'm kind of doubting.[/QUOTE]
To be honest, having been through our public school system, it's entirely possible his knowledge of the American Civil War and what the Confederate flag represents could simply be "Some Americans fought each other at one point, some people still use the losers' flag though because heritage I guess?".
I know in my mandatory classes that dealt with history, we were taught more about how we'd fucked over Indigenous Australians than America's slavery.
Why isn't anyone thinking of their feelings? Will someone please think about their feelings!
They actually have those at costume rental shops.
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;48147574]You can see how Queensland education benefited me[/QUOTE]
It's OK, nobody can be the suppository of all wisdom after all.
Australia why...that flag has no meaning or history there, it literally cannot represent anything but oppression, the whole "remember the south" thing means nothing when you have absolutely no connection to the south or america
[QUOTE=Sableye;48154053]Australia why...that flag has no meaning or history there, it literally cannot represent anything but oppression, the whole "remember the south" thing means nothing when you have absolutely no connection to the south or america[/QUOTE]
Second paragraph of the OP:
[quote]Mark Coffey, who works for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in the Northern Territory, was photographed wearing the costume last weekend at the Central Australian Beef Breeders' [b]Fourth of July themed dinner[/b].[/quote]
Come on this is getting really pathetic with how many people don't read the threads they post in
To pretty much all people outside america it's just the flag on the car in dukes of hazard.
[QUOTE=CyrusTehSage;48154780]To pretty much all people outside america it's just the flag on the car in dukes of hazard.[/QUOTE]
He probably should have payed attention to the American news. This would not have been even cared about otherwise.
Doesn't that flag represent racism and oppression to the aboriginals? Should that be allowed?
[QUOTE=Rangergxi;48154822]He probably should have payed attention to the American news. This would not have been even cared about otherwise.
Doesn't that flag represent racism and oppression to the aboriginals? Should that be allowed?[/QUOTE]
You can't pay attention to all the news everywhere. Just because we're freaking out over some dumb little controversy doesn't mean Australian Politicians need to get involved. They're literally on the other side of the world, why [I]should[/I] they give a fuck?
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;48155480]You can't pay attention to all the news everywhere. Just because we're freaking out over some dumb little controversy doesn't mean Australian Politicians need to get involved. They're literally on the other side of the world, why [I]should[/I] they give a fuck?[/QUOTE]
Because an indigenous affairs adviser, somebody whose specific goal is to help build relations between the government and an Australian indigenous minority is [B]wearing a flag with symbolizes a state that existed for the [I]sole purpose of continuing slavery.[/I] [/B]
What's so hard to understand about this? Even on top of that we have the recent controversy about the flag in the US, it's pretty big news too. It's incredibly ignorant.
[QUOTE=Streecer;48155503]Because an indigenous affairs adviser, somebody whose specific goal is to help build relations between the government and an Australian indigenous minority is [B]wearing a flag with symbolizes a state that existed for the [I]sole purpose of continuing slavery.[/I] [/B]
What's so hard to understand about this? Even on top of that we have the recent controversy about the flag in the US, it's pretty big news too. It's incredibly ignorant.[/QUOTE]
This is all true and all and I agree with what you've just said, and he should have known because there was news coverage of the incident here, however context is relevant because he was seen wearing this at a themed event celebrating the Forth of July hosted by Central Australian Beef Breeders. Not like some posh event held in the middle of Sydney. That's not excusing what he wore especially given his position, but the confederate flag would be seen by outback bogans, the same kind who put southern cross stickers on their cars and fly the Eureka flag, as symbolising rebellion.
Symbolising slavery wasn't the intention, however it was kinda the result and was quite tasteless for him to wear that especially after what's just happened in the U.S. (I don't think this would have hit the news if it weren't for that massacre).
[QUOTE=Antdawg;48154198]Second paragraph of the OP:
Come on this is getting really pathetic with how many people don't read the threads they post in[/QUOTE]
Fourth of July means drape everything in stars n bars not the Confederate flag
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