‘Racism’ leaves bitter taste

I WAS having lunch by the lagoon when I commented on the police throwing out alcohol belonging to a group of indigenous people.

I made a comment to my friend: “If they were white that would have never happened.”

He said that the officer had an iPad and claimed they were previous offenders of public nuisance. But they didn’t seem to be bothering anyone.

First off, I don’t need a white person explaining racism to me, a first-generation queer Asian-American. He has no idea how racism is defined nor how it’s negatively impacted him, nor will he ever unless he seeks out knowledge for himself. He only reaps privileges.

Second, racism is systematic. They’re targeted because of their skin colour. Was his argument that they would be a public nuisance if they continued drinking? Or that drinking was not allowed in the first place? Because if that was the case, him and his mates should have also been treated equally as they sipped on their beers and (should) have been reprimanded by the cops.

Rowdy people on Friday and Saturday seem to be a nuisance to me, but I don’t see them being handled by the police. In fact, I see pub owners providing free water and being helped in order to try to drink more safely.

I left for an hour and came back to see him gleefully sipping on his own beer, not seeming to have been given the same attention by the police as the group of indigenous people. And that is exactly how racism works. Lionel Siongco, Parramatta Park