Mass shooting at Bondi Beach

[Jerry_Atrick]

My first school was Avondale Heights primary school, and to be honest, I can't recall anything there re anti-semitism. I finished there in Grade 2. Avondale Heights was a new family area/new estate at the time. My next school, was Kew East primary schoo, which was a middle class area of Melbourne, I was there for Grade 3 only, after which my parents split up (and eventually divorced). From Grade 4 to Grade 6 I was in Hadfield Primary School, My step father was a racist, but a particulalry ardent ant-semetic. I mean, almost a daily sermon on the problems with the world were down to Jews. 

 

If it were only him, fair enough - there will always be people with their pet hates. However, the pupils at the school were definitley generally anti-semetic. I am sure we have all joked about the miserly sterotype of a Jew in the saame way over here the Scots are joked about. But there was something vicious in their "joking". There was a real hatred in the way they would call someone a fucking Jew if they saved a penny, or were talking about things going on and could use the analogy. To my knowledge, there were no Jews at the school, and I doubt if anyone had ever met one.. Maybe some of the parents worked for some Jews as a lot of parents were factory workers at the time, and yes, Jews did own some of the factories in Coburg and Brunswick. This persited at Glenroy High School for the year I was there.  Both of these schools were in a lower socio-economic area.

 

At the end of the my first year at high school, living with my stepfather became too untenable, and although it broke my mother's heart, I moved in with my dad in Glen Huntly/Ormond - a middle class area. My father managed to get me into Caulfield Grammar School. a Church of England school, bang smack in the middle of a Jewish area of Melboune. The orthodox Jews kept largely to themselves, but I got to know a few secular Jews - some that went to Caulfield Grammar, and some that we just met. They were nothing like what my step father described. They were defintiely close knit, but I suppose circumstances dictated that somewhat. They were welcoming, and pretty well like most other people I know, with the same mannerisms, culture, etc. They didn't like Four n Twenty pies, though. 

 

But even at Caulfield Grammar, which had some kids of prominent Jews attend, there was some downright hatred and at least psychological abuse wielded. The teachers, however, were quick to shut it down. I do recall, a Cadet Under Officer (highest rank a student in the cadets could attain) went a bright shade of red, and the anger in his face when someone even uttered the workd Jew in front of him. He didn't care too much for me, but he turned to be and said in a quiet rage, "I fucking hate Jews..". Wow.. For all he knew I could be one... but he could not care.. He was so angry and festering - like spitting from mouth -  I dared not ask why. 

 

I finished my schooling at McKinnon High School (now secondary college) as my father simply couldn't afford the fees in the later years of Caulfield Grammar. We used to play soccer at lunch time (as I had moved from AFL, being the shorter posterior I am). The players were mainly Greek, Cypriot, and Italian from memory. There was a Jew who also played, and he was a) quite talented, and b) a really good bloke. Actually, I think he liked Four n Twenty pies. Towards the end of our time at McKinnon, one of the Cypriots turned to him and said, "You know, I hated Jews until I met you..". I thought it was quite a candid admission... The Jewish student asked why, and it was because that is the way he was brought up.

 

Throughout my working life in Melbourne there seemed to be an undercurrent of anti-semetism when the discussion ventured that way. 

 

In the UK, I didn't really notice it.. It's not that I was looking for it. I sent my kids to the local primary school in a middle to upper socio-economic area of London until we moved to the South West, after which I sent them to the local private school - A Church of England school (grammars here are better performing state schools). I recall, not long after my son finishing, we pulled up at a servo and there were a family of orhtodox Jews pumping petrol or something. My son remarked how the students at his school hated the Jews. Again, I have no idea if a Jew went to that school or not - pronbably not, to be honest.

 

I haven't knowingly worked directly with any Jews, but have worked alongside them. Apart from the skull cap, you wouldn't know they were Jewish.. 

 

We can't demonise Muslims, either.. There are almost 2bn Muslims, and yes, there are issues, but how many out of 2bn? There are 300m Americans, and yet every day there is a mass murder it appears.. On a per capita basis, it is probnably clear many populations have their fair share of problems (and yes, there are many that don't as well). 

Edited 17 hours ago by Jerry_Atrick

[Jerry_Atrick]

1 hour ago, pmccarthy said:

I was not supposed to look at it but I did. 

I thik this is a part of the problem - not just for anti-semitism, but for cohesion. We should be embracing educating people about the great and terrible things about himanoity and hopefully we can settle on a balanced path. Hiding it does nothing. 

 

BTW, people can feel sorry for them, but still discirminate and worse. 

 

 

[gareth lacey]

But, there are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world and 10% are radical, thats 180 million who want all the bad stuff, beheadings, sharia, wolrd domination, so are we wrong to want to stamp out these cowards and scum, the Israelis have it right starting at the head exterminate the head of the cowardly terrorists,and all western countries should deport ALL muslim s preaching thier foul hate and spew

Edited 16 hours ago by gareth lacey

[Jerry_Atrick]

OK.. fair warning.. I have had Ned, my NZ mate's influence tonight - and the first time I have had such influence for some time:

 

 

Right.. playing Devil's advocate, the Bondi (and other terrorosts of any persuasion) know they are likely to die. Whilst killing innocent people (for the purpose of killing innocent people only) is cowardly, does knowing you are likely to die as a result of you comitting to the cause make you a coward? I would have thought, despite the promise of how many virgins, knowing what you have in front of you is to be snuffed out would take some guts, I would submit (knowing the coward I am). 

 

Everything else in your post, I wholly agree with, except one.. Deporting those preaching their foul hate and spew should not be limited to Muslims. There are a bunch of Nazis mobilising at the moment in Australia.. 

 

Edited 15 hours ago by Jerry_Atrick

[gareth lacey]

I agree anyone spewing hate against other groups should get the book thrown at them,but if i say make fun of the catholic, jewish.protestant,hindu ,muslim religeons should 8 be killed,i dislike all religeons for thier hipocracy,and taking the piss out of them us fair game, but not hatred and vile discourse

[red750]

The first ones that should be investigated and jailed or deported are the Imams and other clerics at the mosques, sprouting and advocating this vile propaganda.

[Grumpy Old Nasho]

 

Continuous video of shooters.

[Jerry_Atrick]

In a live feed on The Age's website, apparenlty another alleged terror plot... but thankfully it has been foiled

 

 

[onetrack]

Nah, just another gang assassination thwarted, most likely. There's one nearly every day in SW Sydney, now. But it should be treated as terrorism, and longer penalties handed out accordingly.