Destroy the Joint, schmoozing and the hypocrites

The announcement of a Royal Commission into child abuse by clergy is as big an issue as was the Wood Royal Commission into police corruption, if not bigger. This is no ordinary review of process or legality, but a direct attack on the primacy of religious and canon law over that of the state. Such a thing would never have happened a century ago, because the place of the church in society was central to the European ethos, the foundations of Western democracy. Thus commences the modern Inquisition, tables turned but fear no less palpable.

It’s not that the foundations of belief have altered, but rather that in fighting to bring mankind to an equal playing field whether by choice or coercion, the various churches have been forced into a partial enlightenment. Whether they want to or not, the efforts of the various churches to seek the rights of others has forced them to acknowledge that the human rights of children are no less important than those of any adult.

The terms of reference for this inquiry could tear the various churches apart, or they could allow a continued cover-up of ongoing denial and abuse; it all depends on whether the government has the guts to really dig deep on this issue so that real answers, real resolutions can be found.

This is such a huge undertaking, that it makes me wonder why the heck one individual such as the Inquisitor can hold back any investigation into his actions in the ACT Department of Treasury. If the actions of this one person and his cronies in the Australian Federal Police are subject to less scrutiny than that of any church of religion, what does that say about the state of politics in this country, let alone the Australian Capital Territory?

Julia Gillard has, on the face of it, done the moral thing in calling an inquiry into the abuses and cover-ups that have plagued religious institutions. It’s also politically quite clever, reinforcing her position in staking out her authority against the dominance of the patriarchy. Many of the victims of abuse at the hands of clergy have been young males and there’s little more than the harm of children to raise the ire of the community. Those young boys grow up, but no-one denies the harms that they suffered or the burdens they carry for the rest of their adult lives. The Commission itself reinforces Gillard’s claim to be a woman of stature and ethics, and yet all the while she and her ACT Chief Minister counterpart Katy Gallagher refuse to acknowledge the traumas foisted upon Ms. King, Australia’s most senior female Indigenous bank executive.

Katy Gallagher has embraced Destroy the Joint. She’s made numerous tweets along this line, such as this one:

Well Katy, how about YOU Destroying the Joint by making sure Ms. King gets justice. And Julia, if you are really so against the demoralization of women by misogynistic and sadistic men, then it is also YOUR responsibility to see that Ms. King, who was racially and physically assaulted in the heart of Canberra in broad daylight is allowed to seek her justice.

The polity at the heart of this Royal Commission conveniently allows the Prime Minister to continue to ignore the abuses of the Australia’s Indigenous women in Canberra, marginalized by a hegemony that values mediocrity and manipulation over diligence and honesty.

Katy Gallagher, Julia Gillard, I am calling you both hypocrites. Did you sign the DtJ pledge, Katy? What about you, Julia? And did you note that the pledge not only calls for an end to sexism and misogyny (yes, I still differentiate between the two, because what Ms. King has suffered is far worse than anything either of you in your leadership roles ever have experienced) but also racism?

Hypocrites. You pick and choose the causes to suit popular vote rather than the issues that truly need addressing. There is one way to get to the bottom the whole sordid mess in Canberra and you both should have a damn good idea of where to start by now. Continue with the inquiry into child abuse and make sure it’s done properly. And while you’re at it, root out the liars and self-serving misogynistic and racist turds that are a blight ofnlaw enforcement in Canberra. Give Ms. King her justice.