Good Or Shit: The Sound Of The Von Trapps Seeking Asylum

I'm not ashamed to say that one of my favourite films is The Sound of Music. I couldn't tell you how many times throughout my childhood I watched this film. It has cemented itself in my psyche, I can recite Sound of Music quotes that complement day-to-day situations, I know almost all of the lyrics to all of the songs and I would have no trouble listing all of Fraulein Maria's favourite things. You know, the ones she remembers after a dog bite or a bee sting, when she's feeling sad (she simply remembers her favourite things and then she won't feeeeeel so baaaaaaad).

I think my favourite song was always Climb Every Mountain. There's a scene towards the end of the film where Maria is having a crisis about whether or not she should marry God, or whether she should go for the handsome, solemn, I've-never-been-the-same-since-my-wife-died Captain Von Trapp who was in serious need of being rescued by a novice nun. This is what the Mother Superior advises her, through song - Climb every mountain, search high and low, follow every byway, every path you know. Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream.

Inspiring isn't it? We all have dreams. Whether they're simple or lofty, all human beings dream of things we would climb every mountain to see out, to grasp, to achieve. The Von Trapps dreamt of living in a country without Nazism, where they could raise the seven singing children in safety, where the Captain wouldn't be forced to partake in policies he had an ethical objection to. And at the end of the movie Climb Every Mountain plays as the Von Trapps ESCAPE from Nazi Austria, through the mountains, UNAUTHORISED, on their way to Switzerland to SEEK ASYLUM.

That's right, the Von Trapp Family Singers were ASYLUM SEEKERS. This musical lead me to be believe that good people escaping poor, or dangerous, or totalitarian, famine-ravaged, war-torn places had a right to seek better lives in better places and that they would be helped. But if the Von Trapps had made their way to Australia – by boat because for those who don't know, Australia is an island, there are no mountains between our borders and the borders of the nearest country for refugees like the Von Trapps to climb in order to find their dream – Kevin Rudd would send them to a poor pacific island denying them any help and Tony Abbott would sic the military on them. You would have to re-title the musical – The Sound of the Von Trapps Seeking Asylum in Australia: Fuck off We're Full.  

I used to be a patriotic Australian. Yes, our country has problems and I have always dreamed of playing a part in the positive shaping of our national identity. The day Kevin Rudd announced his policy to deny asylum to anyone seeking it from a boat, I had to throw my lunch in the bin and talk myself out of throwing up. You see, I've been travelling around the UK and Europe for over a year now and this is what people say when I tell them where I'm from – “Australian? Oh you're all racist.” I have been called a “Fucken Abbo” countless times by white people and black people, and one man even told me, sardonically, that he'd heard Australia is full. I always argue the claim Australians are racists is racist in itself, and everyone has a chuckle. But as the laughter dies, people always go on to tell me a tale of racism they, or someone they know, experienced in Australia.

This is our reputation. Yes, racism exists all over the world but as far as I can tell, we are the only country where racism is seen to be an intrinsic part of our national identity. When you meet people around the world they don't give a shit about kangaroos anymore, they think we ride Aboriginals and refugees to school.

I can no longer defend us. I tried to imagine what the political discourse would be if the refugees on the boats were white westerners like the Von Trapps and I feel sick because I think that if that were the case, the government would probably do the only thing that might put people smugglers out of business – go to Indonesia and collect the refugees themselves. There are alternatives to these policies, there are solutions that would not only benefit people who are seeking help, but would even benefit the nation. But there is little political will to implement them because there is little compassion for these refugees and I've begun to believe that's because white Australia doesn't see its own face staring back at it from the boat decks.

And rather than try to educate our people, as government should, as true leaders should, to dispel fear and ignorance – the main ingredients for racism - our leaders have taken fear and ignorance and racism, they're using it to grab votes, and they're lying about their policy-motives. I look at our country and it scares me. Enough to make me want to climb every mountain in search of a better place and seek asylum.