As Seen From Afar 09/14/2018

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS WITH NATIONAL ANTHEMS ABOUT?

We all are familiar on Politics Plus with the controversial kneeling protests of NFL players during the national anthem in the US, initiated by quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016. Kaepernick and his fellow players kneeled while the American anthem played as a silent protest against police brutality and racism.

Now new headlines are made by someone who refuses to stand when an anthem is played, but this time it’s a nine-year-old girl in Australia who protests against the content of the anthem itself. The schoolgirl was given detention last week for “blatant disrespect” over her failure to participate with classmates during assembly when the song was rendered at Kenmore South State School in Brisbane.

Harper Nielsen has stirred controversy after refusing to stand for Australia’s national anthem in protest to “institutional racism”; she claimed the song “Advance Australia Fair” ignored the nation’s indigenous people, taking issue with the opening lyrics to the anthem, which read: “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free. “When it says ‘we are young’ it completely disregards the Indigenous Australians who were here before us for over 50,000 years,” she said. “When it was originally written, Advance Australia Fair meant advance the white people of Australia,” she added.

Harper’s parents, father Mark Nielsen, Associate Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland and mother, Yvette Miller, Associate Professor in Public Health at Queensland University of Technology, both said they were “proud” of her for showing “incredible bravery”, when she felt it was time to “raise awareness and get people thinking”. The Year 4 student said the decision to take a stand was made “mostly” by herself but the subject had been discussed with her parents.

The fact that this very intelligent girl had discussed her actions with her obviously very well-educated parents led controversial right-wing senator and One Nation Party leader Pauline Hanson to posted a video response on Facebook labeling Harper a “brat” and “disgraceful”.
“Here we have a kid that has been brainwashed and I tell you what, I would give her a kick up the backside,” the 64-year-old said. “We’re talking about a child who has no idea,” she says, adding: “This kid is headed down the wrong path, and I blame the parents for it for encouraging this — no, take her out of the school.”

Jarrod Bleijie, Queensland’s shadow minister for education from the center-right Liberal National Party, also felt obliged to criticized Harper’s parents and called their daughter’s actions a “silly protest”.

But others, such as Australian journalist and television host Georgie Gardner, praised Harper for her “strength and character”.
“I do applaud her for considering the words of the national anthem, a lot of people just rattle it off and don’t consider the meaning,” she said.

Perhaps more importantly, Brisbane Aboriginal community elder Sam Watson said Harper’s parents should be congratulated. “They’ve obviously raised a very bright and vivacious young woman and this one is going to grow up and do big things in her life,” he said.

Mr Watson further praised Harper, calling her “wise and courageous” for rightfully pointing out the nation is not young and free. “Here’s a young girl who could have simply mouthed the words … but she pointed out that she didn’t believe in the lyrics, she didn’t accept the contradiction, so she’s going to make a statement in her own way so I say congratulations to that young girl,” Mr Watson said.

On Twitter, users posted messages of support using the hashtag #HarperNielsen, calling the schoolgirl “Australia’s most fantastic and brilliant brat” and “the hero Australia doesn’t realize it needs”.

Perhaps at this point in the story it is fitting to point out that Australia is the only Commonwealth country that does not have a treaty with its indigenous populations and that it had a somewhat lukewarm relationship with its anthem. Most Australians feel “fairly apathetic” towards the anthem, with people often accusing it of having dated language. Which isn’t so strange considering the anthem’s history. Until 19 April 1984, Australia never had its own national anthem; it was Britain’s “God Save the Queen” until then. Advance Australia Fair – written and composed by Peter Dodds McCormick in 1878 won a 1977 referendum to select a new anthem with only 43% of the vote. It took seven more years for the Australian government to proclaim it as Australia’s official national anthem.

Since then voices were raised to replace this anthem by “I am Australian” (or “We are Australians”) written in 1987 by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers. Its lyrics are filled with many historic and cultural references, such as to the “digger”, Albert Namatjira and Ned Kelly, among others, incorporating everything that is Australian to all Australians. The song was sung in federal parliament when last year’s plebiscite on same-sex marriage resulted in a resounding “yes”, and the national broadcasting company ABC has adopted the version below as its signature song.

I’m sure Harper would be proud to stand and sing it, and so would I, but the Pauline Hansons and Jarrod Bleijies of Australia will certainly prevent that from happening for some time to come.

Sources:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-12/national-anthem-protest-school-brisbane/10235792

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-45495675

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/year-4-student-harper-nielsens-advance-australia-fair-boycott-leads-to-detention/news-story/4368e8e72309376d9e6ae0eee994c06f

Cross-referenced at Care2