COME OFF THE GRASS – LEADERS DON’T COMPARE
Lawn confrontations depict a world of difference between heads of state, our wealthy elite and the common man in Australia and the US
IT’S a tale of two lawns.
Nothing better describes the nature of Australian versus American politics than how we guard our grass.
Let’s start this story one month ago when Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the NSW suburb of Queanbeyan to promote the Government’s HomeBuilder program.
As ScoMo was speaking, an under-dressed resident appeared at his front door to address both the media scrum and our national leader, who apparently were standing on his freshly seeded property.
“Can everyone get off the grass, please?” the man said from his front door.
“Come on,” he pleaded. “Hey guys, I’ve just reseeded that.”
An abashed Morrison asked the gathering to step back, then exchanged a thumbs-up with the homeowner, who replied “Sorry, mate” and went back inside.
Contrast that to scenes in St Louis, Missouri, this week where wild footage emerged of a couple pointing a pistol and an assault rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters in an angry confrontation outside their huge mansion.
Holding the semiautomatic weapon in two hands while his wife waved a silver hand gun, the man gesticulated and could be heard warning hundreds of protesters off his property.
The couple could be seen standing on the forecourt of their massive mansion yelling at protesters to get off their perfectly manicured lawns.
The large throng of BLM protesters passed by the mansion on their way to St Louis mayor Lyda Krewson’s house, taking them through one of the city’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, as part of a backlash against the mayor for broadcasting on Facebook Live the names and addresses of advocates for “defunding’’ the police department.
Local media later identified the gun-wielding pair as Mark and Patricia McCloskey. Both lawyers, the pair run one of St
Louis’s premier personal injury law firms and the faux Renaissance-style home they were videoed defending was featured two years ago in St Louis Magazine after they invited photographers in for a photo shoot.
So, let’s just compare the pair once more and see whose lawn looks better.
In Australia we have an average man – donning trakky daks, no less – living in an average suburban neighbourhood telling the most powerful man in the country to step off his personal property. To which his leader apologetically agrees, replying “all good, all good’’ while smiling and shuffling away.
It’s the “master’’ serving the people.
Meanwhile in America, we have two obscenely rich lawyers, part of the professional elite, not just yelling but pointing guns at those who are peacefully protesting against discrimination.
It is the privileged abusing the oppressed.
The actions of the McCloskeys only proves the point of BLM activists – without reason and without provocation, they can too easily become the victims of violence.
The fact President Donald Trump tweeted footage of the encounter to support the guntoting millionaires only highlights the growing divide between the haves and havenots. In American politics, it seems that serving the people is simply an excuse to serve yourself and those who look and think like you.
Not to be overly patriotic or jingoistic, or to overlook the social and cultural problems we face in Australia, but the fact that any resident feels comfortable to tell the
PM to get off their lawn shows that our nation is very firmly grounded, from grassroots to the very top of the political ladder.
Just try to imagine for a moment a scenario in which Trump could be glimpsed near any average voter’s grass, let alone accosted by the same. My guess is that the person would soon be gazing down the barrel of a McCloskeyesque assault rifle.
True leadership is about placing your own needs below the greater good. When it comes to that measure, there is no question that Australia’s grass is greenest of them all.