Look at the two faces in the picture above. They are both dead Australians. But we only care about one of them.
The picture on the left is Justine Damond, a beautiful white Australian woman who was senselessly gunned down by a Minneapolis police officer responding to her 911 call about what sounded like an assault happening in the alley behind her house. Justine was unarmed and in her pajamas at the time she was killed.
The Australian media went nuts. The story was carried by every major news source. Analysis about what happened and why it happened was everywhere.
Australian Journalists descended on Minneapolis. The subsequent street march, the resignation of the police chief, the protests against the mayor, were all reported on at length. Pictures of the blond victim appeared on TV, in newspapers and media sites for days. Reports about her family, her boyfriend, and plans to bring her body home to Australia were filed.
It was a big news story.
The picture on the right is Elijah Doughty, a 14-year-old boy from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. During exactly the same week the Justine Damond story was front and center in our newscasts, the man who chased, ran down and killed the Aboriginal teenager was given a paltry three-year sentence and the media barely reported it.
There was just no interest in the general public.
No outrage.
No distress.
No pictures of the 14-year-old victim plastered on every news broadcast.
Don’t let anyone tell you Australia is not a deeply racist country.
Even though he had been charged with manslaughter, the 56-year-old perpetrator was found guilty of the lesser charge of dangerous driving occasioning death. Because he has already served 11 months, he could be out as early as January.
What has since come to light is that Kalgoorlie is a town gripped by a culture of division, fury, hatred and out-and-out racism.
Prior to Elijah’s death, the town’s two main Facebook community pages were filled with comments about a recent spate of motorbike thefts. Those commenting were in no doubt that the thieves were all indigenous young people (referred to as “darkies” by some of those commenting). Their anger toward the Aboriginal community was palpable. Here are some of their comments:
“There is going to be revenge of some sort very soon! And all the do gooders will wonder why people are getting pissed off.”
“How many human bodies would it take to fill the mineshafts around Kalgoorlie? A: We’re one theft closer to finding out!”
“Feel free to run the oxygen thieves off the road if you see them.”
“Everyone talks about hunting down these sub human mutts, but no one ever does.”
Well, someone did. The man charged with Elijah Doughty’s murder suspected the teenager of stealing the bike he was riding and took off after him. He has admitted to driving erratically in his pursuit of the boy, although he claims he didn’t intend to hurt him. Regardless, his Nissan Navara drove over the top of Elijah, severing his spinal cord at the base of his skull, killing him instantly and crushing the bike, which it turned out was stolen.
Some of the townsfolk of Kalgoorlie weren’t shocked by this. They were delighted. One commented on the town’s Facebook page, “Good job you thieving bastard. Don’t think you’ll be touching another bike anytime soon ahaha. About time someone took it into their own hands hope it happens again.”
Why are we shocked and outraged about the senseless killing of a white woman, but not similarly disturbed by the equally senseless death of a black kid?
And why is there not widespread revulsion at the deep-seated racism in a town like Kalgoorlie that it appears was bound to result in the death of an indigenous person?
It seems Australians know so much more about the deaths of black men in the USA and the subsequent riots in Ferguson and other places than they do about the unguarded racism in their own country. We can pontificate about the pros and cons of the Black Lives Matter movement in America, while remaining almost completely ignorant about racism in our backyard.
I received a phone call from an indigenous leader this morning. She was angry. She wonders why white Australians have so little interest in what’s happening to the original inhabitants of this land. She’s an older woman now and I guess she’s wondering whether all her agitation and activism all these years have changed things very much at all.
If the issue was only the need for justice for Elijah Doughty, she would have every right to be despondent. But the fact that there has been so little interest in the case by mainstream society must be absolutely crushing to her and other First Nations people of this land.
by Impressum
201 thoughts on “Two dead Australians, but we only care about one of them”
Mike,
thanks for the post. I am wondering if the number of responses to date is an indication of how close to the mark you are in your comments.
I live and work in an among a community that has a fairly high proportion of indigenous kids. In fact I have just spent a wonderful weekend away with 12 kids, all of whom I suspect are indigenous. That fact that I don’t know for sure indicates that for myself and the people I work with kids are kids, indigenous or not.
Some of these kids can be real little bastards. But then so can some of the other kids in my neighbourhood. The only difference is that some of the indigenous kids they be readily identified. Once their ‘otherness’ is recognised then they, as a group, tend to get the blame for just about everything that goes bad in the ‘hood.
Yes, we are a racist nation. We look for the soft target, the scapegoat, the ‘other’ who is somehow different from up, be it through skin colour, race, religion, or even football team – so long as they are in the minority. If any of your readers don’t believe all they need to do is stick up for the ‘minority’ in a public conversation!
yet here is an opportunity for the church that is the visible presence of the Christ to be Christlike and take the risk to do just that; to align ourselves with least, the lost, the last, and a lonely.
God help us be more godly.
Agreed. Great comment. Thanks.
Michael Frost….Shame on this post. There is a Big Difference….One was a thief and criminal, while the other was a well respected and educated person asking police for help and got shot. There is a big difference. Black or white…. honestly no one really cares……… when a criminal is killed it stops crime,but when an educated person which only does good for the community is innocently killed then ofcourse respects are given to honour her. If he wasnt such a scum bag then he would also get this respect from social media etc etc.
Brent – That was a child! I want to scrub my eyeballs after reading your abhorrent comment. You are the problem
RG I too was appalled at Brent’s comment. How does one have these thoughts about children? The hatred he exhibits for this child is unfathomable.
2 unrelated events – one an innocent woman and one a thieving bastard. Fuck Elijah, and fuck you too, Mike Frost.
If some stone age, apelike critter stole from me, I’d chase it too
Lol. I’m sure he didn’t realise at the time it was a child. Crime pays.
Now or later what does it matter.
The problem is you supporting criminals.
Me too. . Omg .. what a disgusting comment..
Agree, so what if he stole the bike or the bike he may have borrowed of someone else who stole it. Who knows how he got the bike. No human specially a child should be killed over it. I mean to say there are murderers, pedophiles much worse crime then stealing a bike but do they get killed sorry murdered cause that’s what’s happened to this poor child. What if it was ur child who stole the bike would u expect this un humane person to run over and kill ur child instantly. No. Think of this poor boys family and how they would be feeling reading all this crap. R.i.p young man, fly high and look down and protect all your loved one. Hope the guy lives with guilt and gets haunted for the rest of his heartless life.
agree totally
A child who held up a school canteen with a knife not long before this incident. The people of Kalgoorlie are not all racist. We feel not enough is being done to intervene with these problem children. This is a tragedy for all involved but being a resident of Kalgoorlie, we all knew it was only a matter of time before someone snapped & took the law into their own hands.
Omg I cannot believe your arrogance. He was a child! You’re attitude is disgraceful and you should hang your head in shame.
Yes he was still a baby and he didn’t deserve his life to be stolen so young because he stole a bloody motor bike
He’s life was worth more than that bike
And all these bloody comments saying that he deserved it wake up you putrid dogs
What if it was your child it would be a different story
JUSTICE FOR ELIJAH
Tolerance is limited when you are living this day in and day out. It is not racism…it is called losing your shit. There is a big difference.
When you are continually harassed, broken into, stolen from and abused, there is a breaking point.
When you steal , abuse, harass etc there is always a consequence, unfortunately this was an unforeseen consequence. If he wasnt riding a stolen bike etc he would not have been in that situation and the driver would not be driving.
Learning about Donnelly from media and killing a boy is not a practice of human being in fact mainstream is killing our learning
My god Brett, you are talking about a child, a child who has died a terrible death, shame on you. It apears the post is right, scarily though, you don’t recognise yourself.
Holy crap brent did i just read that..no 14year old deserves to be murdered for stealing a bike, or anything else for that matter, he lost any chance to grow into a super hero that people can look up too..which is all a 14yr old wants to become..Elijah’s life is no less important than that of Justine’s..
Brent, you’re a douche bag. He was a kid and he was riding a stolen bike, so run him down and kill him so undignified. I pity you when you be judged by the same ignorant measure you judge this deceased child. No, you are below fouche bag!
And Flabba Wabba, your name sounds like a whale, but you’re thoughts are like the garbage they often find in their guts. You are a piece of trash bro and you gonna burn. You see the sliver in your neighbors eye but you don’t see the enormous plank in your own eye. Remove the plank from your own eye and you will know how better to treat others with slivers.
Turn the tables what if it was your child
Oh I get it. So no “presumption of innocence until proven guilty”, the punishment for petty theft is death- but only if your skin is black! The bike was stolen, but by whom? Brent, look in the mirror and you will see a racist.
Oh so the motorbike was his? I’m sorry but we all know what type of adult he was most likely going to end up as.
Stop making excuses for criminals.
And another thing. These things are totally different. Someone being charged with something opposed to someone being killed. How can you make a comparison.
He didn’t steal the bike! Police tipped off the 56 year old man that stolen bikes were dumped in a particular part of town – so he drove there and waited in his truck til he heard a bike, then followed Elijah and ran him down. How dare you. How can you look at yourself in the mirror? How do you defend the murder of an Aboriginal kid? SHAME!
While I don’t agree with what happened I have read multiple sources say that the bike was stolen and it was owned by the man who murdered the boy. It’s still no excuse. I would be angry too seeing my stolen property being used but it’s up to the police to recover it. He should have called them.
Hey fucking stole it, the aboriginal community need to sort their shit out, Australia has to put up with a lot of BS from others saying we (White Australians) are racist, when everyone else here is just as/if not more racist… get fucked cunts.
How many of the folks who applaud the death of this child for allegedly being a criminal, also take ownership for the theft of land from the indigenous folks? The indigenous folks who have been marginalized in their own country? Whose children were placed into government schools and stripped of their culture and heritage? This situation is systemic, much like what goes on in America.
Isn’t it interesting that the WHITE AUSTRALIANS most of whom had ancestors shipped to Australian from being THIEVES seem to think killing a child because he MIGHT be a thief is acceptable. Very hypocritical and wow… what AWFUL people you are.
Yes, thieves should die. Australia was inhabited by dark people before whites took it, so go kill yourself.
That criminal you describe is a child
Wow a child makes a mistake and steals a bike and we have people ready to excuse their murder
Who is the criminal?
The child, if the grubby little prick didnt steal it/if his community encouraged good behavior rather than bad behavior, we wouldn’t be in this mess… retard
jeff, there’s no suggestion he stole the bike. Maybe he did but it will be impossible to determine now because he was run down like a dog. The fact that you don’t give a shit, have no sense of compassion and think anyone that thinks otherwise is a retard is contemptible.
Yes there is.
Sheesh buddy! Get a grip! He was 14!!!!!!!!! A kid. If only I had access to something that could erase those sentences you had the low class to write down. I am now hoping and preying that you are just a child as well…so you might still have years and years to grow the hell up!
Are you f**king kidding me brent???? He was a kid indigenous or not both stories deseved equal respect both innocent human beings.. neither of them deseved to die.. and that child didnt deserve to die in such a horrid way
You totally disgust me with your assumptions You know nothing of the young Aboriginal boy who took a bike for a joyride You are one of the many racist creeps who damage this country and if you can sit on you computer and blatantly say that a young boy deserves to be murdered for that you are no better than the murderer who got off with a tap in the wrist and has now set a precedent for more black deaths at the hands of civilians and coppers in this country SHAME ON YOU Thank you Michael Frost
Aussie, just a correction. More white people die in custody than black people. The figures are available at the Australian Bjreau of Statistics.
People don’t know this because apparently no one cares about white deaths in custody
Stfu Suzie, you are what is wrong with this country, trying to get the thieves and murdering racists (the aboriginals) off anything and everything they do… oh they were treated poorly in the past, get the fuck over it cunts, grow up and educate these little shits and abos that they need to evolve and act like normal humans
If you are reading this, take a look at the comments here made by Brent and Jeff. Now imagine over half a nation of Brents, Jeffs and Donnellys. That is our reality, Aboriginal people face these monsters everyday. If you aren’t terrified for the lives of our indigenous children here, it’s highly likely you’re part of the problem. Go ahead now, say something racist.
No jeff, you are what’s wrong with this country you inbred redneck fuckstick
Mark and Bryte are what is wrong with this PC world, bunch of pussys too SCARED to say the truth, little bitches the both of you.
Grow up and act like men. Call it how it is, Aboriginal communities have a fucking problem that needs to be sorted and it starts there… the elders need to educate these kids and not promote RACISM, they are racist too! if they can be racist to whites, I can be racist to them with no second thought, this is real life stop living in a fantasy world you beta cucks.
Walk into an Aboriginal community by yourself as a white man and see what happens, you fucking autistic dickheads.
hell Brent lets just do away with all our laws and take matters into our own hands. first its the known criminals, they have already been convicted so throw them to the mob follow this with suspected criminals/wrong-doers, let the mob have them and finally whomever is unlucky enough to have pissed you, your neighbour or your community off. Let the mob have them, punishment to be dictated at the mobs pleasure. I love the comments from the self righteous and then the self pity when they fall on the otherside of the fence. Bottom line is the kid was run down for stealing a bike, no matter what the driver of the car thought he was trying to achieve. The bike was replaceable the childs life wasn’t. It shows how sad society has become when a life is less important than an object. Glass houses my friend
Ur a tosser. In the end the police found out the bike wasn’t stolen. It actually belong to Elijah. Stjlid dickhead. Hope someone runs over ur kid n dies.
Where did the police say it wasn’t stolen?
where is compassion and understanding He was a child and didn’t have a chance. Some of you need to remember ‘He who is without sin, cast the first stone.’
Should a kid die at the hands of a grown man? Never. Yes he must have got frustrated about his bike going but the media aren’t reporting that the bike Elijah was on wasn’t his! Media are playing ppl big time on this one against the other. I hope if you have a child or have children they know never to be accused of something they didn’t do and be taken down for it at any level. Ppl in this country need to stop taking things into their own hands, he never thought of the pain and suffering his own kids will now endure because of his one grown ass actions!
Crap! A life is a life no matter the background.
We don’t know that kid was a thief, we can’t judge him because of his skin colour, there are many white kids who are much worse and everyone just looks at anyone who is different, they might turn out different if treated the same, it’s sad that both people died.
If a respected and educated man runs down a boy riding a bicycle then I wonder why he is respected at all. An educated person is not automatically a good person. We are all human beings and should live as Australians not black or white.
Was it proved that all the thefts are by indigenous. I lived in Port Hedland for 7 years. There was outrage and blame cast upon the indigenous community due to empty rentals and new builds being trashed inside. The perpetrators were eventually caught and it was 3 white teenagers and they were caught on camera smashing everything in the house. That was just one example. There are criminals in this country yes but they are black and white.
Appalled by the press the arrogant comment towards this child and the justice system.
So you think people who steal deserve death?
The bike wasn’t stolen dickhead. I wonder what you would be saying if it was one of your loved ones. Shame on you, so called human being
The punishment for theft is not death. Elijah needed guidance, not hatred.
I am an expat Aussie. What happened to Justine resonated because I too am blond, middle class, educated. Until now, I have never been afraid to call 911.
When police shootings – or murders – occur…people are so quick to demonize. If there is a taint…drugs, theft, a freaking parking ticket, we hear “Oh, must have deserved it! They must have done something!”
This is magnified exponentially for people of color..here and in Australia. Maybe Elijah was a thief…is that a death penalty crime? No.
My own children are biracial…and (rightfully) terrified of being pulled over by the police. Will they see nice, middle class, college-educated young women, or will they see a POC, a threat, who must be up to no good?
I don’t want to find out. They will try and demonize Justine’s death too to try and get this cop off. It’s just a lot harder to do when the victim is white, pretty and middle class.
It should not be that way. All lives matter.
My goodness where is your compassion there is a huge difference to a teenage mistake of property theft to a grown mans reckless endangerment/downright murder of a child.
You should be ashamed of your comments.
no your info before you say he was a thief. he was 14 and the man killed a child!!! so he shall pay. dick
A criminal….The teenager has just as much intrinsic value as the educated advantaged white girl. I think?
a kid stealing a Bike?
A grown man taking a LIFE for a stolen Bike? REEEELLLYYYYYYYYYYYY?
Unbelievable!!!
Brent, sounds like your condoning what happened to Elijah, shame on you.
What pigs you people are. This young boy is human too. So say it was your white brother and he stole, it would be ok for someone to mow him down with a car and kill him. No big deal hey.
I live in an area that is predominantly Aboriginal African and Polynesian. Down at the local 24/7 Local Supermarket they have a window plastered with pictures of people who have “Thieved” from the supermarket. The message board asks if anyone knows or can Identify the thieving stealing shoplifters. It is interesting that of the 30 plus fotos. Not one person of color is on that notice board. Again. Predominantly an area of Color! Alot of the bigotted haters on this forum would give licence to me and or any to seek out these “thieves’ run down kill and murder these nice white kids for their crimes against humanity and the local Logan Community.
I pity the peoples whose justification for murder of a child as something to be applauded and glorified. Ironic that these gutter trash are calling other’s, Gutter trash.
Some people are just filled with pure hate. The same pure hate that slaughtered millions of Jews simply bcos they were Jews. Or the slaughter of Gays simply bcos they were Gay. Or the slaughter of JW’s bcos Hitler hated JW’s. Shameful. A boys LIFE taken over a piece of metal and rubber. Amazing!
Shame on you Brent. Your comment is ignorant and inexcusable.
Brent, you need help or go back in the boat you or your grandparents arrived here. You are the type of person we don’t need or want in Australia. Sad
Thief or not, he was a child. Elijah Doughty did not deserve to be hunted down like an animal
You abbo supporters here saying the young thief didn’t steal the bike. Of course he did. You lot of grubs never admit the truth. He got what was coming to him WHITE MANS JUSTICE.
One less black thief to worry about now. Steal my motorbike and you cunts will end up like him.
What is the moral status of Australians living on the stolen land and dead bodies of this 14 year old boy. Even if the land was stolen hundreds of years ago, its still stolen until you give it back. I don’t think any of you or many of you are feeling moved to do that simple act of justice. This is were alternative facts and history come in handy.
Would be a different story if it was your child who stole something and was murded for it but wouldnt it, wouldn’t be so supportive of it would you. Disgusting animal
So bicycle theft should not be punishable by brutal death? WTF wrong with you? You’d fit in nicely with all of the people in the US who think “if only” black people would do this or not do that they wouldn’t get shot by police. You make me sick
You racist dreadful creature Brent!!! Your comments are disgusting! Shame on you! Some ppl should be Culled!
Wow I mean really just wow. What ever happened to punishment fits the crime yes he stole a bike ok catch him and punish him but fucking kill him are you mental.. can you imagine what society will deteriorate to if that was how we valued life. Break a law you die, better not speed anymore …. I wish obviously thick as shit base, ape like people eg Brent who’s parents are probably cousins would keep their hatred to themselves. “When a criminal is killed it stops crime” you sure are showing your iq here mate cause obviously that’s true… I mean look at the war on Crack in the states clearly they solved that problem by killing pepole oh wait ….
Elijah was riding his OWN bike. He did NOT steal it. Some piece of shit ran him down and went on to stab his little cousin but it didn’t even make Australian news because of racist bigoted ideals like yours. Elijah’s death deserves worldwide media attention and care because it demonstrates a systematic violence in Australia and because he was of the most innocent group within our society, a child. There is something so wrong with what you are saying, it doesn’t really deserve any reaction but for the sake of the family it is important to speak up.
What about the cunts burning down the victim (the guy whose bike got stolen) house, what did his family do to deserve that? huh!?
You faggot cunt.
Brent, SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME! Are you this dence or purpose? Or are really that much of a racist bigot! I did not read that the said 14year old boy was actually criminal- only that it was suspected! Oh yes that’s right, only aboriginals are crims eh?! I couldn’t give two shits about a woman gunned down now after reading this! What concerns me is that a child was murdered and the world closed its eyes and turned away.
Well lest for arguments sake say he wasn’t killed then 5 mins down the road kills an innocent kid who is in the wrong?
You gotta ask yourself though… why was he a thief and as you put it a scumbag ?? He fourteen probably his family are poor and all hes ever known is how ‘whites’ treat his race his culture and him…. poor boy was just a teenager… so you did nothing wrong as a teenager i guess?
All the aboriginal people need is to be a strong nation but poverty and no work has led to alcoholism and crime … hardly surprising when they are treated like second rate citizens is it?
The woman who was shot was horrific and i feel for her families loss but also this houng boy whose life was taken his future the family he might have had will now never be realised
Its a very very sad world we live in ……
The kid stole a bike and he deserves to die?? Brent you sir are a fuck head, I hope you never breed but if you do find some unfortunate partner to raise a family with I hope you never go through what those parents have to deal.
brent! ahahah only in white Australia you have a name like brent, sounds like a piece of bread…maybe damper…maybe convict damper…here have some vegemite on some brent! brent has a slight point but he was a kid & he died for stealing a motorbike….manslaughter charge for sure. fuck this cracker state & country.
Did that kid have any chance to get educated? How much is invested in those indigenous kids? It is so shamefull that the original peoples of this great country are not looked up as equals.
Thank you, Brian, you’ve articulated the ‘what must we do’ that flows from Mike’s trenchant comment. after all – apart from the shameful disparity in media coverage – as Australians we can’t do anything directly about trigger-happy American police – but we can look to ourselves and address the roots not only of racism and fear of the ‘other’, but also of plain, hateful inhumanity when it infests our community. I read with horror the accounts of the trial – I don’t presume to judge the driver, nor his state of mind, but it is difficult to avoid a sense that he still felt entitled to run the bike off the road, and sought to blame the biker for not understanding his role and instead riding unpredictably as he rapidly closed in on him. Where is the contrition? I suspect that we white Australians are increasingly unwilling to take responsibility for our own actions; there is always another to blame. Where is the sense of proportion? The ‘sentimental value’ of a cheap 50cc bike justifies risking a human life? How about the ‘sentimental value’ of one’s neighbour’s life, in a grossly inequitable society? We are all building walls, fencing ourselves in. Elijah’s own two legitimately owned bikes had been impounded by the police, presumably under pressure from the community to take action. In my teens, nicking bikes and joyriding was a kind of sport for some in my white middle class world; the consequences, on being caught, were a stern caution from the police -. these people grew up and found their way, with community guidance and support. If we’re now more passionate about our playtime possessions than about the indignities suffered by our neighbours, we’re truly lost. If the church is there in the community for anything, surely…
I agree that there is an unjust inequality on the basis of race here, but I disagree that we are deeply racist. I just don’t ever see the kind of rabid bigotry that is characteristic of the US, or even the UK. We do need to address and eliminate inequality and injustice, and must never relax, simply because we are less overtly racist than Americans. However, I think that the characterisation of Australia as deeply racist is wildly inaccurate. The racism here is quite systemic and needs to be eliminated, though.
Sorry, I did not mean to post this as a reply to you, I meant to submit it as a stand alone comment.
What is your definition of “Deep” when it comes to racism ?
Are you OK with a “substantial” or “moderate” level of racism ?
What woukd you say is the “optimal” level of racism ?
What is your opinion of the observation of outrage being inversely related to culpability? Ozzies are completely impotent at dealing with the problem of Amerikkkan Blue-Priviledge-Killers hence get their knickers in a knot.
Yet when it comes to Ozzies committing murder by vigilantism rising out of simmering racist-hatred, “meh, no worries”
I’m not okay with any racism. I just think this article is a distortionate view in an attempt to say “Your backyard is as messy as ours” and quite frankly it’s not. America’s racism is much deeper and much more overt. Australia isn’t perfect, but we are saints compared to the US.
i tend to disagree…… the world remembers in horror the persecution of the jews by nazi germany and the final solution….. genocide….. yet that is the basis of our country. if u racism in australia isnt as bad you are wrong. it seems worse in america…. but there are over 250 000 000 in america and only 22 000 000 here in aus…. our statistics are horrendous and until all eyes are opened to see we are NO better than other racist countries we can NOT move forward. our racism is very loud you just havecto readcthis article….. grown women gets shot by an american cop is terrible but how is her life worth more than a man who deliberately chased a 14yr old down to run him over…..
Totally agree Felishia The more people like Sheryl make excuses for our so called ‘soft racism’ the more chance we have of sinking deeper into ignorance. However I do think that the mainstream news needs to stop guessing about what they think we want to hear and start giving us the news! I for one do want to find out more about our indigenous people and I rely on our journalists to report honestly and respectfully and fairly. I would like to hear some ideas on how we can take more action to let our indigenous brothers and sisters know that we do care!
Julie journalists are not stopping you from finding out more about our Indigenous Australian people or the reality of our history. Everyone has an opportunity to form friendships, turn off the television, close your laptop and get out there in your community. The ONLY way to find out more about our Indigenous Australian people is by meeting them.
PS “Indigenous” is always spelt with a capital “I” when you are referring to people. Getting that right would be a nice start.
Well thank you Melitta for you language lesson, how condescending of you. And as far as closing our laptops how was your message put on this post? Personally I also don’t need a lesson on how to befriend people. As an artist I have made some inroads but unfortunately because of the mistrust that white folks as a whole have left our Aboriginal peoples with, it is not surprising that sometimes doors close. I am surprised at your attitude towards me about my post as it was meant as a call out to us all as a community but mainly to those who lead this country to create more opportunities for coming together,, that’s all.
My guess is you are obviously from a white family background to make that uninformed comment Sheryl.
Hi Sheryl,
I’m guessing your not of first nation decent? due to the fact that I’ve never met another first nation person who hasn’t been racially abused. I’m 35 years old, my first day of school I was not allowed on the school bus due to the colour of my skin. I’ve worked in the education to try to make a difference for the psst 17 years, unfortunately I haven’t seen any improvement. 99.9% of the first nation children and youth I’ve worked with are kicked out or leave school due to racism. I had a comment from a youth case manager who told me he knew inwasnt married because my teeth haven’t been knocked out! I wish you could walk a day in our shoes. Deep seeded! Institutional racism! If you ever see a few first nation kids when you go shopping next I will bet they have a security guard following them. I still get followed around in the shops, shameful.
so sorry that you had to endure those terrible things Asta. Perhaps you could help us to know what we can do to help make connections with our indigenous brothers and sisters.
As an indigenous Australian I am afforded a vast range of assistance at university, and my greatest honour to accept. upon my completion ALL my community will benefit and be proud.
My mental and physical health is maintained free of charge, although I do struggle and the cost would be high.
It is my responsibility to ensure my children are suitably behaved and conduct themselves in a manner that makes dad proud. I am proud. Their education is also offered free, and we recognise it as the greatest gift that may be given and apply ourselves as such.
Are you truely relying on media for justice? I’m pretty sure they are all about profit.
Education, moderation and just a touch of forgiveness
Me and mine will do just fine, as we forgive you, will you please forgive us?
May the souls of the nameless sore with the swallows.
I grew up in West Gippsland, and there was a number of the local muuries that attended school with me. I never denied that there is racism here, but while it’s not right, attitudes have changed and continue to do so. I know what goes on, and our history is rife with terrible injustice done to indigenous Australians. My point is that no Americans have any business pointing at us and saying we are “deeply” racist. That’s an affront to everyone of all Australian heritage. Please don’t misconstrue my words.
The fact that there are posts in this thread that are championing the death of Elijah says a lot. I see posts like that happen whenever there’s an article about an indigenous person, regardless of whether it’s negative or positive. There are always going to be trolls, but it feels like there’s something deeply rooted in a lot of people.
I’m not really concerned about how we compare to the US and UK when it comes to racial issues. Yeah, it’s different, but defining whether it’s better or worse seems kind of pointless. Ultimately, I think a lot of people have preconceived views on indigenous (and “certain” immigrants) people that are very toxic. I used to think Australia was a pretty open and accepting country, and a lot of people are, but there’s a hatred that brews bellow the surface.
Try reading the comments on this article by some of your fellow Australians – you’ll see our mob described as “stone-age critters” and more. If you don’t see your home as deeply racist, chances are it’s because you don’t live the reality that non-white Australians do.
Did you read Brent’s comment? I think that is an example of deep racism right there, and unfortunately there are many who think like him. Racism is also what allows the situation that exists now where the reaction to what has happened is so accepting.
It was murder, but it was in Western Australia! Almost every time I hear of an incident like this, deaths in custody, etc., it is in Western Australia. Language used by some of the quoted comments earlier, I have heard in the Northern Territory. They disgust me!
Yip that’s right. Stick up for our friends who are Black Fullas, Asian, African, Polynesian and any type of person who is being made to feel like they are being judged for being who they are and made to feel they don’t belong. Pick up your balls ladies and gentlemen and be a voice for your friends who you may or not know yet. It will change yours, theirs and others course of the day and maybe even life. And it will definitely open up opportunities for everyone. Those racist and judgemental peoples life can change too because they can learn that racism is limiting their social circle and knowledge of the world and of themselves. It’s limiting their life opportunities. And racism traps the racist in a life of constant fear and anxiety. And often they are socially awkward and limited in social skills hence loneliness is a big problem amongst them. They can’t be themselves. They always think that “if only I could impress people, then they would like me and when I’m in strife, grief, disaster, I could have a friend to be there for me, someone who I could open up to and feel completely safe that they won’t judge me.”
But you can only receive what you’re giving. You give racism, you get judgement and lack of true community where you can call a safe place to call home.
If you are a good person, stand up for people when there is injustice. It will empower you and you will be stronger every time you put your friend or potential friend first. Be brave, Get the fire in you. It’s time for change.
Oh I stick up for our indigenous Australians a more than anyone should have to. I always have and I always will.
I have been unfriended, removed from groups and hated on.
As it turns out, my investigations on partners adoption proved to me, he didn’t think I was right, that he is a part of the stolen generation.
It seems to me as country we should be coming together, we have much more in common, than that which divides us as a nation.
2 unrelated events – one an innocent woman and one a thieving bastard. Fuck Elijah, and fuck you too, Mike Frost.
You don’t have the balls to talk your trash under your own name lol. Go away troll, your views are insignificant and uncalled for 🙂
Flabba wabba, he didn’t thieve u dickhead. Police said he own two bikes in the end. Get ur facts right. Where I am we r “white ppl hunting” with spears for racist white maggots like u.
Charming person that you are flabba wanker, grow up and shut up
Mike, we have had a fear based and divisive leadership for many years now, and their policies reflect and support division. This does not mean that Australia and Aussies are any more racist than any other nation (doesn’t make it good either). I find it interesting that a person such as yourself will have a commentary on Australian racism when your nation itself ignores its First Peoples (excluding them to reserves and insisting that they carry citizenship papers). I haven’t been to the US but i am informed that most people have “never met a real live Indian”, and they don’t know any Indian names or words etc. We in Australia, have indigenous TV station, we have the dream time story telling programmes and educational programmes in the schools – many of our towns are named in Aboriginal words as are the plants. I have spoken with a lot of people (as part of my studies) and I am informed that there is a pocket of racists but they are mostly new australians (not the longer term ones) however, in light of the election of Trump and his Aussie counter part (Pauline Hansen), Muslim fear breeding seems to have escalated and we are having more racists nut jobs appearing. However, All said and done, the racism we have in Australia is structural, and in our constitution and their are risks with changing it that the new laws that might be created on this divisive and extreme right (corporate greed type government) will actually exploit the Indigenous more from a financial and land perspective. Bottom line though.. with all our problems including racism i would rather live here than with the social injustice of the US . We have health care too, and the Indigenous get theirs for free through Aboriginal medical services.. can you say the same?
Evil prevails when good people do nothing.
The media and the church has to take some blame for racism in this country. Two wrongs don’t make a right. A life should be worth more than motor bike. A motor bike can be replaced but not someone’s life.
Amen
Can you make a case for me as to how Australia can be a racist nation when racists do not intermarry and we have the highest and fastest rate of immigrant intermarriage of any nation, and an even higher rate of indigenous intermarriage/
Most indigenous are in mixed marriages. How can that happen if you are correct?
This is so wrong there should be justice for all be they r black,white or any other colour, we r Australian and we should all be treated as such.
Wow! Nothing like ending a day and reading about people celebrating the death of a child. Really? Whatever comfort life affords you all, I just hope that one day you never have to experience the depth and sadness of losing a child. If for some reason you do, I only hope that in that moment, you also remember the face of Elijah.
Your delusion serves no one.
Oh look at the white Australians whose ancestors were shipped to Australia for being thieves thinking it is acceptable to kill a child for possibly being a thief. What a nasty bunch of hypocrites. Repulsive and ugly.. NOT the sort of people I want to associate with!
Don’t blame the Australian community for racism if it was not reported. How can they know otherwise?
The media are expert in determining what stories the public want to hear. While the death of Elijah Doughty and the subsequent verdict were reported they didn’t touch off the kind of media storm that the Justine Damond case did, presumably because the Australian public didn’t care much about it.
Michael, the east coast didnt even know about the murder or any thing on the news about the trial. Absolute disgrace by the media hiding whats going on on our westcoast.
I agree with every thing that Michael Frost is saying but I feel I should clarify that the Elijah’s case was reported in the east. I live in Orange NSW and it was reported on the local triple M radio and on the local WIN and GWN news. Perhaps it is because Orange is Rural so I can’t comment about the Sydney News.
I disagree that the media are experts in determining what we want to hear- there is too much control by big parties and vested interests. It’s all about dumbing down what we are fed and not putting anything too contraversial out there!
I totally agree Sarah,
We are brainwashed into thinking that these ‘experts’ know better. Well they don’t and I think what our politicians and media don’t realise is that Australians are very patient and will stay quiet for a long time but one day the dam will burst and the people will be heard. I feel that day coming!
Not racist sexist
If you look at the two cases, one is scarier as a woman in her pjs contacted the police to assist stop what the woman thought was a crime taking place and ended up losing her life by the very people who are supposed to protect the public. It’s crazy that two men in a car could feel so threatened that a shot through a door is taken. It takes away a sense of your safety and being protected by those that are there to protect the community. The other is a story of a community who have racial problems and issues with theft and a guy who just experience this goes on a single episode of self justice against a person he potentially felt had done him wrong. It’s not necessarily about the victims but rather the people that did it as how safe can you feel if you ring the police for help but have the risk of dying because of it?
The Minneapolis story IS scary, I agree. But scarier than the residents of a town declaring open season on indigenous kids???
Because one criminal racist murdered an innocent boy does not make all Australians racist as implied. The Media make the stories, not the public.
I can only repeat what I’ve already told you: the media respond to clicks and eyes on screen. If there’s no interest in a dead kid in Kalgoorlie they’ll hardly report it. Aussies showed way more interest in Justine Damond than Elijah Doughty. What’s difficult to understand about that?
One incident you think? Cameron Doomadgee, Julieka Dhu, this list long but clearly you don’t know so I won’t judge you. But know this: Elijah’s death is in a long line of black deaths where the perpretrator has received a manifestly unjust light sentence (if at at all Chris Hurley). So no its not just one death.
Not addressing the issue – ‘Elephant in the Room’
on -going …. soft racism, learnt behaviour, injustices- stereotypes, distinguishment between races we all are human with hearts, souls ego’s.
Preach it loud and proud.
As Communities across the many countries a united and loud voice is needed.
1 death was too many, continued misjustice in all its forms is a national disgrace.
Mainstream media feed the masses mash.
Stronger together
Racism is alive and living the high life in Western Australia. Walk into the public bar of almost any pub and you will hear the hatred and vitriol spewing from their mouths.
Sadly true – experience it first hand even today.
Lol. It doesn’t work that way. Australian’s are known for their racism towards indigenous people much like America is know for its racism towards people of color. So get the fuck out of here with that stupid comment. Stop trying to use the excuse of Australia being “less racist.”
Agree with you wholeheartedly Michael. And I’m betting that the coverage would be different if a white youth had been chased and run down by an Indigenous man.
Kat your kidding me, we have australians taking the law into their own hands and murdering a child. In our country. And you feel this is okay as opposed to what happens in aamerica which doesnt affect us directly.
you have got to kidding me. This attitude in itself speaks racist to me, that a child being murdered doesnt get a look in. There can only be one reason for this. Racism.
Yes Kat…if that was your child would you feel the same. I notice that often people who think like this cry the loudest when their lives are affected in this way. He was fourteen for goodness sake! Wake up to yourself!
Thank you for writing this article Mike. Thank you for being an ally to Aboriginal peoples. What you have written is spot on. Australia is one of the most racist countries on earth, and demonstrates a savage kind of racism towards it’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. When in fact, our Indigenous peoples are the beauty, strength, wisdom, pride and leaders of this country. Oh the irony of whitefellas crying about stolen motorbikes on the land they stole from Aboriginal peoples! We will never forget you Elijah, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friends in the struggle for justice in this country.
I agree that there is an unjust inequality on the basis of race here, but I disagree that we are deeply racist. I just don’t ever see the kind of rabid bigotry that is characteristic of the US, or even the UK. We do need to address and eliminate inequality and injustice, and must never relax, simply because we are less overtly racist than Americans. However, I think that the characterisation of Australia as deeply racist is wildly inaccurate. The racism here is quite systemic and needs to be eliminated, though.
You don’t think those comments on the Kalgoorlie Facebook page are as racist as anything you’ve heard of in the US??
Well, I can’t see a link, but it’s not unlikely that trolls will say some really repugnant things, but yes, I’ve seen far worse from Americans. You seem to have blinkers on, my friend. There is no longer any overt segregation here, and we have robust laws against discrimination that the US wouldn’t even consider. I’m not denying the racist tendencies here, but they aren’t deep, and are gradually changing. I have been utterly surprised and disgusted by the racism I am seeing on the rise in the US. What was it that someone famous once said about splinters and logs in the eye?
I think if anyone in this conversation has blinkers on it’s not me.
You know how you grow up seeing things that are bad as a kid and later in life think its normal. this is how cheryl is. ” Nah its not that racist, ive heard worse. ” hahaha. Its people like you who are undecuated on things like this. I have a shit load of white mates who can tell you Australia is racist Cheryl. Your the one whos been blinking. Open yours eyes lady.
Good on you mate, the first thought that crossed my mind upon reading your posts was how one eyed you are.
You are simply wrong Sheryl. Please stop writing about what you can’t understand. Has racism in Australia changed so much that a young aboriginal boy won’t lose his life? You have people saying “it’s deeply racist” and you are denying it? Why? Just because YOU don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Sheryl, Australia is deeply racist, this country had a white australia only policy up until 1969. That is well after i was born, it will take generations for these attitudes to change, Anyone 48 years or older grew up with the belief Whites are superior.
How can anyone ever for the australias OWN legal policies. This country was built on racism and bigotry.
Yeah and as a man I should get to judge the level of sexism in the workplace? I think not. Australia is rife with racism but you wouldn’t know the true extent unless you are subjected to it.
I believe that we are not a deeply racist country but we are not far from it, I live in Karratha and because kids were throwing rocks on the roof of a guys house he wanted to hurt the kids then other people were putting up to get their dogs to chase the kids actually someone did let his dog out and it chased the kids caught up to the kid and had the kid scared senseless and the guy just laughed are the lives of our kids that worthless that this grown man laughed while his dog bailed this kid up?
Oh that’s right, scare the little fuckers (the words written) and they won’t do it again. Also telling them to get a popgun and shoot them wtf? No Australia u are not racist are u?
Thanks for bringing this to our attention Mike. The racism in our country needs to be brought into the light.
On the topic that was mentioned above of sexism, I am always aghast at media who always feel the need to mention if a woman is beautiful or not. As though a beautiful woman’s life matters more. Although her death was shocking, many other women died that night that we don’t know about – but their faces don’t get “clicks” either so we never hear about them.
Good point. I thought carefully about whether to use that word, Tara.
i am open to correction, but this is the way i read it …
elijah was a well cared for boy, nurtured by a large family, including his grandfather, who he was living with … he was good at school, motivated, and held strong values …… good kid … … //// donnelly was a drug dealer with a backhoe licence .. his clientele was lowlife mining town rednecks, and transients in town looking for work or drawn to kalgoolie by its notoriety as a cashed up party town … they were stealing stuff, from houses of people they delivered to… scoping, getting to know ya, and stealing … and they were blaming aboriginal kids for all this unsolved crime …… /// some of you are barking up the wrong tree …
this milieu of donnellys, were , on social media, calling for ‘action’ .. against aboriginal youth , due to the inaction of the police, and the old ‘slap on the wrst’ thing that rednecks go on about …. a lynch mob to dish out a bit of mining town blood justice .. or// the cry went out … bash the maggots … bury them .. shoot them .. but teach them once and for all not to fuck with our property or face swift justice …. straight up … and worse ….. on social media …// .. donnelly was bragging on those sites that he would do it ….// . and he set it up .. and he did it …
elijah was murdered by a community …. a closed creepy community of 20 dollar bags of weed and sachets of ice …… of jim bean whiskey in pre-mixed six packs, and shadowy connections with criminal bike gangs, brothels and police .. of predatory men like mark donnelly and the people who support him .. of the people who shift the blame for their crimes onto the shoulders of a broken child ….
Open to correction – Elijah was NOT a good kid. He was due in court for armed robbery. If he was “good at school” he would have BEEN at school instead of riding a stolen motorbike halfway across town.
He did not deserve to die and this was a horrible tragedy but there is WAY more to this story than people know.
Danelle the police said in the end.the bikes.were.not stolen. Omg.
You keep saying the bikes weren’t stolen but you are wrong! Read the court proceedings, it’s available on line.
It was testified in court that the bikes were stolen!
Read the court proceedings. And ask Mike why he wrote this story without doing the same.
http://decisions.justice.wa.gov.au/supreme/supSR.nsf/%24%24OpenDominoDocument.xsp?documentId=5BF479958033727E48258164002DE878&action=openDocument&SessionID=ES0H8OCGDS
That is a frightening scenario…rascist AND organised criminal activity
I know it is radical but perhaps a little objectivity and perspective here.
The Australian in the US was killed while reporting a crime, and died because of police incompetence in a heavily armed society.
The poor kid in Kalgoorlie died while committing a crime and reflects the tragic face of dysfunction in too many Aboriginal communities.
I doubt most Australians thought much about the woman killed in the US. Just because the media gets hysterical about it, that does not mean it reflects how most people feel or react.
As to the Kalgoorlie incident, such circumstances and tragedies are constant.
And in terms of racism, Australia has the highest and fastest immigrant intermarriage rate of any country and a higher rate of Indigenous intermarriage. One thing is certain, racists do not intermarry and the other thing which is certain is that neither Indigenous or non-Indigenous Australians are particularly racist.
Go back to sleep Roslyn, sorry for waking you. Bad dream. Sleep. Ssh!
Go back to sleep Pat, sorry for waking you. Bad dream. Sleep. Ssh!
I will put you to sleep Patrick
And while facts seem trivialities in this day and age, did you even read the reports of the case, Mike Frost?
The man was charged with manslaughter. He was not charged with murder nor convicted of murder so your claim is without substance. Sure it might be what you think but that does not make it so.
The public will generally under take what is known as ‘fetishistic disavowal’ of things they dont want to admit happen so they can go on feigning ignorance so they dont have to face up to what is wrong in society. Australia was founded under a racist settler-colonialism that sought to eliminate the original inhabitants because they wanted to possess the land. A biopolitical position was used to dominate, eliminate and depopulate and then it moved to a necropolotical position where the ‘sovereignty decided who mattered and who did not, who was disposable and who was not. This necropolitical system still operates in Australia today and its structural derivatives place Indigenous Australian peoples in ‘death worlds’ where they are essentially seen as socially and politically dead. They are homo sacer – that is, person who can be killed but not murdered because it seems the law is always in a state of exception for them i.e. it is temporarily suspended or reduced when they are harmed (Cameron Doomadgee, Ms Dhu, Elijah…the list goes on for far too long).
ALL of white society MUST wake up to the disgusting levels of inequality, marginalization, racism, and violence that is an almost daily occurrence in the lives of most Indigenous Australian peoples. The national media perpetuates the ‘great Australian silence’ as well as the fetishistic disavowal and collective amnesia many white Australians deny exists.
I feel very strongly that Australia is a deeply racist country, but we cannot change this if the structural institutions refuse to see there is a problem. Also we need to start educating our children about Australia’s true history so they can understand, learn, find compassionand help to make the changes happen.
Thanks for reading.
It is only a few years ago that a senior member of the governing party in Australia proposed the contamination of the indigenous populations drinking water in order to render them sterile and bring about their extinction – that was advocating genocide! I believe that until 1972 it was also policy to remove half-caste children, often the result of rape by white males, from their families and put them in institutions to brainwash them into being “white” citizens! Remember that excellent film ” Rabbit-proof Fence” based on a true story. I know that the two girls who escaped were still alive just a few years ago, living in their traditional homeland. Both of the policies l have mentioned are extremely racist. It also needs to be said that racism, prejudice, deprivation, treatment of people as lesser beings and all the disadvantages minority groups are subjected to anywhere in the world creates the climate for stealing and other petty crimes – cause and effect!
How long is a few years ago? Come into 2017 and stop judging the past by today’s standards.
It also needs to be said that the constant excuse making and denial creates the climate for stealing and other petty crimes – cause and effect!
Mike, if you are so concerned about the reporting of innocent murder victims perhaps you could start with the non publicising of murdered aboriginal women and children by aboriginal men.
Where in the national news was the coverage of the appalling death of the 10 month old aboriginal baby who was abducted by his aboriginal step father and over the next 36 hours, was burnt, tortured,sodomised and beaten to death?
Where was the national reporting of the horrific case of the beautiful little 12 year old aboriginal girl in foster care with her aboriginal aunts who was so neglected and abused by those aunts that she died an agonising death alone, in the dirt of her back yard and the aunts werent convicted of anything!
What national coverage was given to the court case in Perth last week, a murder case that involved Australia’s youngest murderer, an 11 year old aboriginal boy?
These are just the tip of th iceberg of crime in this country, crimes that get little coverage because the media don’t wish to be seen as racist towards aboriginal people.
Yes racism exists in the media here, but it is the lack of reporting of aboriginal offenders
Great point Mary. Most often violence inflicted upon Indigenous people is from other Indigenous people. A point that Mike knows but will not acknowledge because the racism angle is so much more popular.
Well said by both Mary and Paul
Yes, in a world gone mad with political correctness it seems Aboriginal on Aboriginal or Aboriginal on non-Aboriginal violence is accepted, if not encouraged, and any violence involving a non-Aboriginal with a part-Aboriginal is to be condemned.
What hypocrisy. What a disgrace.
Well said Mary. If we are to counter the endemic racism from the Aboriginal industry and its craven supporters, we need to hear the truth.
Thanks for the article. Im not going to disagree that there are significant racial prejudices in Australia but the two examples are quite different in the mind of the public. One person called police to try to help someone and was murdered, the other was murdered whilst committing a crime, something the public has less tolerance in. I’m not arguing at all against the general point of your article, just that I feel people’s perceptions of the two cases referenced are the major differentiating factor here.
What we should be doing is having a go at the justice system. Ive read that the driver had reported the bike stolen but the police responded to be too busy to go after the bike. So hes gona and delt with it in his own hands and the end result is a life gone all this hate and in australia. Media only wanna show what will sell. Where are they showing the brother from WA walking for Justice to NSW ? Thats a positive story but no one wants to see that. Austalia is racist..
The Facts of the Case were, He reported it Stolen, the police officer said, “Take a look down the Gribble creek bushland area, often then bikes are ridden and then Dumped in the scrub there.”
He went for a drive to see if he could find his bikes, saw Elijah riding one, and chased after him with the intent of following him to find out where the other bike was, which had sentimental Value, or force him to ditch the bike so he could get it back.
Nobody disputes the kid stole the bike, nobody disputes they guy drove too close, and when Elijah cut back in front. he hit him and ran him over.
It is a terrible thing, but i feel it was a careless accident, not an intent to run over and kill, nobody, least of all a family man with his own kids, is that stupid and ill informed.
i was young once, i messed around with farmers fences and was chased around paddocks and scrub, and if something had gone wrong, it very well could have been me being run over by a farmers carelessness. Its a Terrible accident, made by a man who was not thinking clearly.
And yes, i live in Kalgoorlie. My friend lives across the road from where the death happened, and has had issues with theft and break ins as well, and so have I. There may be an element of racism in the stereotyping of thieves in this town as being mostly aboriginal, and but the sad fact is, there is a reason for this. there is precedent. i’m not saying every theft in this town is by a black person, far from it, i know heaps of occasions where it was a white guy, one held up the local cinema a couple of weeks ago with a kitchen knife, while i was in watching a movie.
But its the system that’s broken, people have a right to own their own possessions without fear of theft, or break ins, or violence. but these days more protection and leeway goes to the Person breaking the law, than the person defending their rights to not have their things stolen. this community, where offenders get slaps on the wrist, and nobody at home seems to care, which leads to repeat offending, frustrates honest people, black and white, who are constantly being victimized by those who break the law.
I have a lot of respect for the Aboriginal people, i grew up in a town in FNQ with a community 5kms up the road, went to school, was best mates with, and played football with many aboriginal people. top blokes all of them. but its the justice system, the community, the thefts, the lack of punishment and deterrent on those that do steal, that has driven the rage, and as a byproduct, the racism and calls of racism in this town. I get called a White C*&t and many other things when walking into woolworths, for not having 2 bucks on me to give to an indigenous person asking for money for smokes.
my boss at work had his house robbed twice by an indigenous group of people, who he caught on Camera, Faces clearly shown, and knew for a fact lived 2 houses down. He reported to the police, gave them the address of the offenders and showed them the footage. the second they saw that they were aborginal, they asked him if he had insurance, and suggested he just claim it and move on, no follow up, no raid on the house to get his possessions back.
and this is not an uncommon thing, i have heard dozens of conversations like this. Police turn a blind eye, because nothing gets done, its a slap on the wrist and cya next time. this in turn frustrates the victims, which feeds the hate and racism.
the community is broken, the system is broken, and that leads to terrible occasions like this.
this boy did not deserve to die, and the man will live with his mistake for the rest of his life. nobody wins here.
This is so wrong and so sad. I wish the media would not “edit” the news for us. I would love to see much more local content, good or bad.
Michael, it’s interesting that you claim the media to cherry pick what they report on yet manage to use “suspected the teenager of stealing the bike he was riding and took off after him” in your article. He didn’t suspect him of anything, he caught him. He did steal the bike and your article should reflect such facts. This in effect is you choosing what you report to suit your agenda. I’ve sat in a Kalgoorlie court room and watched as an aboriginal man who stabbed his partner with a screwdriver and bashed another with a shovel was merely handed community service. There is a reason people are fed up with the justice system and for once this case is actually aligned with the people. Too long has there been one law for blacks and another for whites. You can’t even walk down the Main Street without either being abused by aboriginal people or seeing aboriginal people abuse each other. Is that the future you want for your children and theirs? There is something seriously wrong in Kalgoorlie and I suggest you focus on real issues that create change rather than this nonsense that breeds insanity.
Every time I read about this case I get very angry. This was a young boy regardless of his color and he was run down by someone over a trail bike. Some of the comments about him are disgusting. Have a look at our detention centers and our prisons they are full of white people to. Murderers, Paedephiles, Rapests and what ever other criminals there are. They are not all Aboriginals . There is good and bad in every race so why do people single out the Aboriginals when it comes to crime. The remarks I have read on face book are racist. He was a young boy that didn’t deserve to die and the family has had to be exposed to all the bad publicity while trying to grieve. By the way I am white . The people of Kalgoorlie gave this case so much bad publicity.
Please read the court case so you know the facts.
http://decisions.justice.wa.gov.au/supreme/supSR.nsf/%24%24OpenDominoDocument.xsp?documentId=5BF479958033727E48258164002DE878&action=openDocument&SessionID=ES0H8OCGDS
And if it was a white boy on a stolen bike killed by a white man it wouldn’t even get a mention. Once again ‘activists’ are just using this case to push their agenda and hatred towards Australia. It was a very sad incident and the boy certainly didn’t deserve to die, but turning this into another race debate is ridiculous
Michael Frost I think your article only promotes racism rather than it does anything positive to curb it….
Calling Australia a racist country is only driving a wedge between people and creating a divide…
Are you aware that more than 1000 Australians die overseas each year??
That’s approx. 20 Australians die overseas each week, on average….
The reason behind so much media coverage with Justine Damond’s murder is the circumstance, she called the police for help and was subsequently murdered by the policeman who was suppose to aid her….
and the media haven’t exactly covered Elijah Doughty murder is because unfortunately so many Australians die overseas each year…. it’s a rather common occurrence.
Covering the murder of Elijah Doughty over any other death of an Australian overseas would have been favoring the story because he was aboriginal.
Isn’t it all about equality?
And Mike is apparently doing the work of Jesus. Not the Jesus I know however. Jesus would be horrified at this racist, lying diatribe.
I’m pretty sure if it was a 14 year old lower income white kid in Kalgoorie who was stealing and riding dirt bikes around, nobody would care either. When I was in school, I saw some kid in my area break his neck from being kicked off a dirt bike by another person on a dirt bike and I watched him be taken away in a body bag. No media coverage.
Kids in my neighbourhood overdose on drugs and violent shit happens all the time. Nobody cares because they aren’t important in the grand scheme of things. None of us are, really. If you are in a low-income area not a single middle or upper class person gives a shit, especially the police. Because low income workers and centrelink recipients don’t matter. They are the hated part of this country.
I know. It’s life. No matter how hard you work, you get kicked down like scum.
Not everything is based on race.
Race is irrelevant if you have money.
I dont know, there was a lot of media coverage about the incident with Elijah when it actually happened almost 1yr ago. The man was sentenced to 3yrs, it doesn’t seem a lot but there just wasn’t enough evidence to suggest it was purposely done or with intent in order to get a lengthier sentence.
The media covered Justine’s death so indepthly because it has just occurred and the situations surrounding her death are really unknown and fresh. That is all.
Australia is a racist country but what country isn’t?? We just need to stand up to racism when we see it happening, but i don’t think that the recent amount of media coverage of these 2 incidents are because of a racial issue, more just the fact that one is fresher than the other.
The Kalgoorlie incident was and has been main stream news ‘here in the West’ for the last year. When the incident occurred last year, it’s news worthiness lasted quite some time (locally) and we’ve had constant updates for the last year. Last week it was mainstream news and got as much coverage ‘here in the West’ once again, and was in my view pretty much on par with the coverage of the American Incident. Yes, we had hourly coverage and even live crosses to both the court and the streets of Kalgoorlie.
Sorry Mike, but it seems that this little bit of ‘forgetting about your poor cousins’ here in WA seems to suit your blog in this instance, hence your blog. Where is your blog from when the Kalgoorlie incident happened last year? Or did it not suit you back then?
Two completely unrelated incidents, with the result of each incident being caused by completely different circumstances, so why use it as a smokescreen to highlight the media bias and racism that you are trying to pedal. Media bias… that’s right, that is what you were on about…
Being from the West and having lived on the East coast for much or my adult life, you are so right. The media bias is astounding as to what your East coasters see about WA. So, this is no different to the norm of the lack of reporting on West coast happenings on a daily basis. So Mike, if you want to see it balanced up a little, move over here to the West and watch our local news, then you can start a few more blogs about the inconsistencies that exist between the East the West coast. On that note, can you next blog be about the appalling situation of the GST distribution… or has your ‘media’ not been showing you any of that ‘news’?
Rant over!
Then they reminded Jesus that adultery was punishable by stoning under Mosaic law and challenged him to judge the woman so that they might then accuse him of disobeying the law. Jesus thought for a moment and then replied, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.”
It should be clarified that it has absolutely NOTHING to do with colour. no one feels less for the family of the boy or happy because he was taken far too soon; just because of his colour.
The boy made a simple mistake of stealing.
I mean the kid getting killed was a bit extreme, should have atleast had a hand cut off though
That poor boy ,targeted run down and killed for a bike , fuck that white trash waste of oxygen maggot whore that got what she deserved in America . She should’ve followed the rules of there land . All white ozzies are maggot shit scum criminals.
He says in maggot shit scum criminal english, likely while wearing maggot shit scum criminal clothing and spending maggot shit scum criminal money. Go sharpen a stick or something.
Author is a moron, we heard plenty about both murders and there was disgust over both of them. Public outcry over both of them, media attention over both of them.
This is just the worst kind of journalism, using a tragedy to push an agenda which is totally unrelated.
Go away with your bullshit.
The way i see it white n black people are all the same its not there fault white people are rasicm everyone is the same people but different colour so how bout people actually look and put themselves in there shoes before they judge a black people cause in the inside white n black are all the same people in the end
Don’t begin to imply that we have a lesser attitude to the death of an Aboriginal. That infuriates me. As a prior worker in the justice industry, I’ve seen first hand the disproportionate attention given to Aboriginals.
There’s big difference in the two stories.
Firstly. The boy stole a bike, was chased by the owner and got run over during. There’s no reason to disbelieve the owner that he didn’t mean to run him over. But that’s right, the owner is white therefore he must be a murdering liar.
Secondly. The lady did not steal anything and was running away to avoid being caught. She rang emergency to get assistance for someone else and got shot. Oh that’s right. The shooter was a black muslim so, as we know, they can only be a victim so the lady must have been an aggressive racist. She probably wore the pyjamas to disrespect him.
Realistically, don’t be too hard on the Australian public. Australia is not a racist nation, at least no worse than any other nation you can name. I would match our attitude with anyone else on the planet. The reason myself and 20,000,000 other Australians didn’t show an interest in the Elijah story is that we simply didn’t know about it. We, as a public, didn’t decide to show more interest in one story over another.
Yes Australia has SOME racists, and yes we even have Pauline Hanson sitting in our federal parliament as an example that racism and xenophobia aren’t obstacles to “progressing” a prominent career, but to characterize Australia as “Don’t let anyone tell you Australia is not a deeply racist country”, is somewhat unfair.
One only has to look at the number of people attending equality rallies, or read the comments in the national media, or even listen to other politicians as they condemn Pauline for her racism and xenophobia.
In my experience, having traveled to every state and territory, I have met many wonderful caring Australians – and very very few racists.
If you retards think Australia is an overly racist place, go to other countries… especially the ones where women have no rights, literally no rights. Where people are robbed and murdered EVERY day because of religion or skin color. You sheep just believe everything you hear, because some stupid hipster writer writes an Article about racists Australians… the problem with Australia is everything gets published, other places they are smarter and control the information more… even though it is much worse elsewhere, the media make it seem like Australia is one of the most racist countries, but that is just not true, we just do not take crap
So being called a racist gets under your skin. But the actual facts of the case dont bother you at all? And by “we just dont take crap” you approve of an adults right to run over a minor.
Got it.
Plenty of young white kids get unto similar problems with the law. So you’d be ok if some one ran them over too?
Did you read the facts of the case?
http://decisions.justice.wa.gov.au/supreme/supSR.nsf/%24%24OpenDominoDocument.xsp?documentId=5BF479958033727E48258164002DE878&action=openDocument&SessionID=ES0H8OCGDS
If you commit a crime, you are a criminal… you deserve what you get regardless of color. If you don’t think we have a massive problem with aboriginal people and crime, you are a pc cunt and need to get your head out of the sand.
If this was a white person there wouldnt be so much media attention and you fucking know that.
These days i rely on my social media to highlight news in my feed. And i am horrified that this poor boys treatment and subsequent laxs sentencing never made it to my feed until today. Why is it that media outlets are not pushing it to the fore in the first instance.
And why have the facebook commenters in the town not been charged with appropriate encitement to murder charges?
My thoughts are with this young mans family.
I”m tired of reading what everyone has to say just to prove their point…I’m so sad this Tragedy has happened and the arguement will continue, no matter what, action speaks louder than words, what goes around comes around, you don’t tell the truth, life suddenly change and the sad thing about it is, you can’t turn back time, I for one don’t agree on taking sides, I feeling so much sorrow for the family of this 14yr old boy, but put yourself in the man shoes who took his life, what he has to live with, what his family has to go thru in years, maybe decade for the rest of his life so if you think has he gotten of lightly think again, for you to be so jugdemental about this issue and argue about the crime this boy did, and what color he was, we are all human being here, and what’s happened has happened arguing is not going solve anything, so have a bit of Compassion because I know life is so Precious.
Sorry but that article is largely bollocks.
Both deaths have been all over the media – Elijah Doughty’s when it happened and after the trial verdict last week and Justine Diamond from the day it happened.
Looks like your were in need of some space to fill and had some axes to grind.
The only accurate statement is “don’t let anyone tell you Australia is not a deeply racist country.”
But if combating racism comes down to ill informed commentary on the news then we are done for.
Racists do not intermarry. Australia has the highest and fastest immigrant intermarriage rate of any nation and a higher rate of indigenous intermarriage.
With 62% overall indigenous in mixed marriages, with figures as high as 90% in urban areas, pretty clearly, neither indigenous or non-indigenous Australians are particularly racist.
This man will be hunted for the rest of his life, a spear in each leg and buried alive in an anthill. #JusticeForElijah
Oh we so need Aboriginal values from past centuries don’t we?
I thought Jesus taught honesty and integrity. My comment was deleted.
How about all those, including Mike, raging about this read the court case:
http://decisions.justice.wa.gov.au/supreme/supSR.nsf/%24%24OpenDominoDocument.xsp?documentId=5BF479958033727E48258164002DE878&action=openDocument&SessionID=ES0H8OCGDS
The man was acquitted of manslaughter but still went to gaol for three years. Hi house was burned down and his wife and children fled interstate in fear for their lives.
As a follower of Jesus, Mike, can I ask how your words help people to live together in compassion and harmony as Jesus would want?
You have written misinformed words of hate, which foment ignorance and hate and which destroy social harmony, not built it.
These are both tragic losses of life. I believe the American story got more coverage due to the fact of where it happened and the fact she was shot by a cop. However Its far fetched to compare these two issues and wrong to use it as a stage for a racism debate. The question raised should be why the “media” didn’t want to cover the story. I think a tragic loss, of any child under these circumstances especially is outrageous. I for one would have liked to see the story aired. But again the true question is why wasn’t it?
Australians must be crazy, that guy doesn’t look aboriginal or indigenous at all, he is obviously mixed between white and other race, just like many other people in the world! I guess some countries live in their own bubble. Both are tragic losses. Greetings from Latin America!
I’m deeply ashamed to say I hadn’t even heard of this poor boy until now. And I doubt I’m the only one. That just highlights the importance of articles like these. Thank you for making me aware.
I actually don’t think that we are as racist as you claim and that no one cared about Elijah . The replies to your story mostly are horrified about what happened to this poor boy. The problem was the media choose to go with another story. The main reason for this was the claim that the police in America are violent towards civilians. Soooo a police man shooting a white Australian woman is an epic news story.. Much bigger than our poor boy Elijah. The sad thing is that it happened at the same time. The Australian media couldn’t give up the opportunity to get world press. Racism is all over this planet.. It’s not just Australia.. It’s all very sad but that’s the media for you
Well y don’t you fuck off out of Australia
Black Americans are well aware of the racism brothas and sistas have to endure in Australia. I find it to be a paradox from what I’ve read about these kids stealing and those complaining. Europeans stole the land in force, the natives couldn’t complain and if they did they were told to get over it. Today’s descendants of the original terrorist live in privilege at the expense of the original owners. Idiotic patriotism and exceptionalism is very familiar to me. Your cousins display the same inhuman traits.
[…] a 14-year-old boy from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. But as professor and Australian blogger Mike Frost wrote, in the case of the death of that aboriginal boy, “there wasn’t interest in the […]
[…] https://mikefrost.net/two-dead-australians-care-one/ […]
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