Some interesting opinions here. I'll add mine to the pile;
What absolutely disappoints me is a proper lack of sympathy for Goodes. Hate him when he takes the field for the less than sportsman-like tactics he has employed more recently, but for gods sake, he's one of the games modern champions. There is a clear and undeniable racial undercurrent to the 'booing'; and whilst I would think most of it legitimately stands as unrest for his tactics, there would be some who simply boo because they're racist pricks. The manner in which he is booed contains a large element of this, and those that do wish to boo him need to understand they're lending their voice, and giving an amount of legitimacy to racism.
Some of the posters here also accused him of having no right to raise Aboriginal issues, which really is disastrously ill-informed and unfair. Because he grew up in a "white" part of Australia he is not entitled to associate with his Aboriginality? Seriously?
Here's some fun facts regarding indigenous peoples in Australia and around the world:
There is no such thing as Race; which is to say there is no actual biological basis for the notion of Race. During the height of imperial colonization (anywhere from 1500 - 1800) social theorism took prominence with ideas of 'social darwinism' which is to say there existed a hierarchy of peoples from around the world; and that of course the most cultivated sat at the top of this ladder; that being white Europeans. These theories; and they still exist as nothing more than antiquated theories, gave justification and rationale for the obvious inhuman treatment of indigenous inhabitants from various new world countries. In other words, "we're better than you, therefore we deserve your land and you have no rights in our world'. Aboriginal Australians suffered relatively fiercely (although admittedly not as bad as South Americans or Calypso inhabitants) from this method of thinking.
The killing of Tasmanian aboriginals ranks as the 6th greatest genocide in contemporary history. The 6th biggest!
And we call Adam Goodes a flog simply for raising these facts in a public forum. He was awarded Australian of the year, he didn't nominate for it. He was given the award for being a high-achieving and excellent role model for aboriginal Australians, and when he used that forum to raise issues that gripe with the general white Australia, we cringe.
After all, its easier to blame someone else and call them a flog than own up to our own errors of the past.
I dont' like the way he goes about his football at the moment, but I adore the bloke for standing up for what he believes in; speaking obvious unpleasant truths to a public and KNOWING he would receive backlash for it; for the greater good of society and his people. What have you done in your life?
