31/10/2022
I've been very quiet about this, but it's actually been eating at me. Cassius was a local kid. He lived and died minutes away from our home. He attended our local public school, and I catch the bus every day with his schoolmates. Cassius was a 15 year old CHILD leaving school, still in his school uniform, when he was stalked and attacked by a bunch of white men full of racial hatred. He was beaten with metal poles and he eventually died later that night.
Hearing the Police Commissioner - the supreme model of authority, who is supposed to keep us all safe - say that Cassius was "at the wrong place at the wrong time" is particularly infuriating and shocking. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time is being run over by a tired driver who hasn't seen us, or being eaten by a shark during a morning swim. It's, by essence, the definition of an accident. Being stalked and beaten to death by armed « vigilantes » shouting racial slurs with each hit is not an accident: it's the definition of MURDER. The fact that the Police Commissioner doesn't see this shows the extent of casual racism in our society, and within the Police department (let's not forget the outrageous number of Aboriginal deaths in custody each year in Australia, which the media don't talk about that much, because, you know, who cares about Aboriginal people...)
Tonight, there is a candlelight vigil at Midland Oval for Cassius. Regardless of your skin colour or political orientation, please come. If you can't, please light up a candle at your house, and reflect on this. I hope you see how wrong and unacceptable this is, at all levels. And hug your children tight too. If they are white, I hope you realise how lucky you and they are, for their chances at life are already much, much greater than for kids like Cassius.
🖤💛❤️
