After weeks of ugly onfield booing and even uglier denials and defences of casual and overt racism, Adam Goodes has been left questioning why he bothers. For a man who has done much to defeat racism in Australia, he found himself on the receiving end of only increased racial attacks, feeling powerless to change the tide.
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But words have power.
And people have power.
Today the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have asked Australians to show that they have no truck with racism... that those who wish to promote racism are in the minority and that we have no tolerance for it.
It may seem like there's a steady stream of hashtag causes and punchy catch-phrases calling out for unthinking support. And to an extent offering that support may look or feel like nothing more than public posturing, empty gestures and bandwagons being jumped on.
But beneath all of that, these causes, these short phrases, can sometimes exemplify a broader problem. Succinctly, they can highlight something deeper and offer people a chance to stop sitting on the fence and be counted on one side or another.
Understanding the power of public support, today, a massive groundswell has spread across Australia, united behind Adam Goodes and against racism. Aussies from all walks of life, from all parts of Australia and from all ages have shown their support, saying #IstandwithAdam.