interventions

Several experimental thoughts on intervening in public displays of racist aggression. Lessons learned from recent Darlinghurst cafe situ (Google if u don't know what I'm referring to), to be applied to public transport.

Heroism:
Simply encouraging the calling out or telling off the perpetrator may not be a battle we could win. They generally will have made it clear that they are not willing to be educated. It may help to role model heroism, but will likely just lead to an escalating yelling match.

A Proposal for building an Alternative Intervention:
I admit it - in this cultural climate of generally avoidant politeness and averted gazes, I find myself cowardly, hard to imagine myself able to step up so publicly to intervene, for fear of breaching the norms of quiet, multiculturalist propriety, fear of direct violence in just a sea of silent, terrified witnesses.

I would, however, like to experiment with turning to the person sitting next to me, to solicit verbal agreement around the horror of the situation.

"Oh my God, don't you think this is fucked up and racist?" I could say. They might nod, "Yes."

Then turn to the person sitting in the other side of me, "hey, what do u think? Isn't this awful?"

"Yes," they might, hopefully, respond.

Gathering, gathering consent, "buy-in" for more public intervention.

Keep bringing other passengers to account for their own feelings. Invite them to identify with their better selves. Appeal directly, personally, to their sense of justice. We will all witness this happening. Attention has been brought away from the fear of racist monopoly, into our confidence in collective righteousness.

"don't u think this is fucked up?" 
more witnesses, to a cabin, a carriage, a tram full of "Yes".

Heroism, here, becomes much more likely, a choir has been built, a visible groundswell of support, the perfect place to precipitate more public preaching.

Someone, here will more likely publicly intervene.

Maybe you?
Maybe me.