More On Cronulla Violence: Why It Matters To Me

Put simply, I grew up in “The Shire” and spent a lot of my spare time as a youth on the beaches of Cronulla. To me those years were a very mixed experience and whilst there is a lot to be said for the quality of life in that part of Sydney, insularity, bigotry and small-mindedness were also very much a part of the cultural mix there (moreso that most parts of Sydney). So the events of the weekend whilst shocking, were not a total surprise. If you are interested in following more on this story, here is a list of blogposts on the issue (please note not all views are my views, some views are expressed in strong language, etc, etc, etc).

Interbreeding Blog (Lots of comment and images).
Closer (Good summary of views on race, religion and culture).
AUSTRALIANS – A bunch of Racist…? (Racism fuelled by cultural mimicry).
Don’t poke the hornets nest… (Violence will beget violence).
What is happening in Cronulla? (Considers some class issues and generalisations).
Disturbios en Cronulla.
¬øEs Australia la nueva Francia? (Lots of questions from a European perspective).
Whats happening to the country? (Seems to express the sentiment of many in Australia).
The events of the weekend have completely and utterly floored me (A former Shire-ite reflects on the culture of the area).
Left, Right, Wrong.
Frodo starts a lynch-mob (Another former Shire-ite reflects on the idiocy of the violence and the term un-Australian).
ShireWars (Name says it all).
Cronulla: Only people can stop John Howard’s mob (Race-baiting in Australian politics).

Technorati Tags: Racism, Australia, Sutherland Shire, Cronulla, Theology and Culture, Australian Diaspora