Australia Day: inclusive or exclusive?

Australia Day: inclusive or exclusive?

 Meat and Livestock Australia (MaLA) have a long history of releasing a pro-meat consumption advertisement leading up to Australia day. These advertisements  have proclaimed anything non-mainstream to be "un-australian". 

 Some common threads include, anti vegetarian, anti-health, claims of un-australianism, anti-vegan, pro-nuclear, anti-environment, anti-fruit producers, anti-animal ethics, pro-racist, pro-sexist, anti-freedom to protest, pro-excessive force, anti-refugee, pro-assault, anti-democracy, anti-trans, anti-constitution, anti-freedom of religion, anti-science, anti-LGBT, pro-climate change, the list goes on.

 Some of the worst instances being:

* Sam Kekovich secretly feeding an obviously vegan child meat.

* Sam Kekovich directing the military to break into a home, and when the victim identify as vegan they proceed to burn him and his home with flamethrowers.

* Calling the military action in the advertisement "operation boomerang" as a slap in the fact to Aboriginal Australians.

 However after years divisiveness MaLA have released an advert that is inclusive, it tries to unite Australians in a celebration of being Australian.

 Yes, not all Australians have equal rights, we know Australians treatment of refugees is a disgrace, and Australia was invaded, but there are some things to celebrate. 

 I feel we need to encourage the Australian traits of a fair go for everyone, and sticking up for the underdog. This advertisements inclusiveness is a step in the right direction, or should that be a step from the right into the middle ground.

 Of course some like One Nation*s Pauline Hanson have spoken out against the advertisement as it undermines their reliance on the politics of derision and fear of the other. She rambled on about how allowing other Australians to feel good somehow damaged what it was to be Australian or something...

 Personally i still think its a good day to try vegetarianism, and it would be a great day for the government to grant LGBT Australians their constitutional rights, to free the refugees and bring them home, and to recognize the traditional inhabitants of Australia. 

 Please take the time on Australia day to help make Australia a better place for all Australians. 

Sources and links:

 http://www.adnews.com.au/news/a-look-through-10-years-of-mla-s-australia-day

http://www.unleashed.org.au/change_the_world/go_veg/how_to_tips.php 

http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/australia-day-lamb-ad-outrages-vegans/news-story/17fce56190808536afeefaa12d67a1c3

 http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/it-really-is-pretty-sad-pauline-hanson-slams-politically-correct-australia-day-lamb-ad/news-story/c4313cd6326d129d45acd4cd9a510f8d