No end to Indigenous violence while good people do nothing

Last week’s powerful address at the National Press Club, by Jacinta Price, Marcia Langton and Josephine Cashman on the epidemic of violence in Indigenous communities (see video below), highlighted not only the appalling statistics and personal experiences of victims, but the equally appalling apathy of government.

For over a year Marcia and Josephine have been trying to get the Prime Minister to agree to a public demonstration of support for the No More campaign — a movement started by ABC sports presenter Charlie King in 2006 to address the scourge of family violence in Indigenous communities.

The idea for the name of the campaign came from the men Charlie King talked to when he visited Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory who said ‘all men should link up’ and say ‘no more.’ The campaign not only seeks to eradicate Indigenous family violence, but all family violence.

Following the National Press Club address and a personal plea from Charlie King, Malcom Turnbull has agreed to link arms with Labor leader Bill Shorten and other parliamentarians next week in what Indigenous leaders hope will be a ‘watershed’ moment in uniting the country to fight the epidemic of violence plaguing Indigenous communities.

Let’s hope that Turnbull doesn’t stop at symbolic gestures, and does more for the cause than just linking arms.  Let’s also hope the PC brigade doesn’t derail the important points made by the three women at the Press Club.

Already there have been disturbing signs on ABC’s Q and A show and the Guardian that some people are seeking to deny the role political correctness has played in perpetuating the violence.

While there are many Indigenous people working ‘invisibly’ to tackle violence in their communities many non-Indigenous people have been afraid to speak out about this issue for fear of being labelled a racist. As Edmund Burke said: “evil triumphs when good people do nothing.”

What has been tolerated in Aboriginal communities would never have been tolerated in the major cities and towns of Australia. It is not racist to expect that Aboriginal people should be afforded the same rights and responsibilities as all Australians. It is time to say No More.