THE MIDWEEK MULL
The minimum read for the maximum knowledge.
1. Australian Men's Cricket Team Ball Tampering
I have lots of feels about this because ball tampering - or cheating, as it is known - is dumb and embarrassing and 'un-Australian'. But also, as many of you know, I am a passionate advocate for changing the way that Australia treats asylum seekers, and if anything is 'un-Australian' it is locking up innocent people in sub-human conditions for extended periods of time. Just because our bipartisan offshore processing policies are horrific, I am not convinced that it lessens the ball tampering crime. And although some of the coverage of the latter has been hyperbolic, it does not mean that it is not still cheating and that those responsible should be held accountable. Felt I had to get that off my chest before presenting the below points. Thanks for helping me work through it.
What you need to know about Cricket
Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland has come out and admitted it was cheating (he did not, initially)
Steve Smith (Captain & cheat), David Warner (Vice Captain, conspirator & cheat) have been given 12-month bans from domestic and international cricket. This costs them millions, as their appearances in the Indian Premier League was bringing them both ~$2.5M, along with sponsorship opportunities. Cameron Bancroft (sacrificial lamb, ball tamperer & cheat) has been handed down a 9-month ban.
This Guardian article provides a great timeline of the whole saga.
This fantastic article from the ABC talks about the scandal in the context of 'worshipping the individual'. Very interesting.
And a great read from Titus O'Reily, Talking to Your Child About the Australian Cricket Team
Meanwhile, Megan Schutt became the first Australian woman to score at hat-trick in T20 cricket overnight, and the Southern Stars are through to the Tri-Series T20 Final vs England in India. So - do not despair. Cricket is not ruined. But the men's team is full of jerks.
What you need to know about Offshore Processing
There are still 1,287 asylum seekers in detention in Australia
That includes 41 children - including a 10-year-old boy who wants to kill himself - this is a must watch clip from Barry Cassidy of Insiders fame talking about that young boy
A photo essay of the resistance on Manus Island by Behrouz Boochani
And a personal story by Behrouz Boochani that is well worth the read
2. Elijah Doughty killer being released on parole
Elijah Doughty was a 14-year-old Indigenous boy who was killed in 2016 when a man purposely hit him with his ute on an outback strip of road in Kalgoorlie. Elijah was on a motorbike, which the man suspected was stolen. It was never confirmed whether Elijah stole the bike. The man was initially charged with manslaughter, not murder, and then convicted of dangerous driving causing death. The man, whose identity has not been shared, has just been released on parole, serving a total of 19 months. Is 19 months a fair sentence for killing a young boy? And would it be different if that boy were white? Those are the questions at the heart of this story.
Read more about the parole in this Guardian article
This ABC article discusses the wider race relations in Kalgoorlie
3. March for our Lives
On March 24th, millions of people took to the streets of Washington DC to protest gun control. The march was organised by survivors from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and had over 800 sister marches around the world. The group are not calling for an end to the second amendment, but for tighter restrictions to prevent school shootings.There were some fantastic speeches on the day, but I definitely recommend you watch Naomi Wadler, an 11-year-old from Virginia who spoke on behalf of all young black girls affected by gun crime. She speaks with eloquence and maturity well beyond her years and is an absolute inspiration. Do yourself a favour. Also, a beautiful article from Isabelle Robinson in the NYT about the dangers of thinking that these school shooters would not have been such if their colleagues had cared more.
Things To Keep You Busy Over the Long Weekend
I've dropped the Amusing Things segment this week, in favour of a laundry list of items for you to enjoy over the Easter long weekend. You're welcome.
you must listen to this song that I found in my old files. There's something about the restrained piano chords at that higher octave that leaves me devastated.
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Five different people talking about periods for a total of five minutes. As a 33-year-old woman, I do not talk about periods enough, even with my female friends. The taboo that surrounds periods is exhausting. Get on the period train.
Here is a fantastic visual essay from the New York Times that responds to the male dominance of their obituary pages by adding stories of remarkable women. It is being constantly updated and makes for some interesting reading.
Finally, a very interesting read about Ape Trafficking, again from the NYT.
As of March 28th 2018, 15 women in Australia have been killed due to domestic violence.
That is one death every five and a half days.