Unleashing the Reptile

“The freedom had two sides to it. Sometimes a heavy, reptile hostility came off the sombre land, something gruesome & infinitely repulsive.”
– DH Lawrence, ‘Kangaroo’

At what point did Australia’s light on the hill become a rising stink from the basement?

Of course, there’s always been a whiff of bigotry and intolerance here. No country is immune from that. And few of us can claim to have never prejudged another on the basis of race. But recent events are genuinely disquieting for many people, particularly those from minority ethnic groups. (more…)