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PARTY ‘POPER’
Most of us are particular about who we let inside our homes (dragging in a bit of trade when in a drunk or drugged-fucked state aside). Travelling salespeople are not welcome in mine, for example.
Neither are Jehova’s Witnesses, Liberal Party touts or maintenance people whose bum cracks are in plain view. If any guests start spouting racist, sexist or homophobic claptrap, they’ll be thrown out on their ear. I don’t want them doing that in my house. And I’m certainly not going to pay them to come and do it.
What a pity then that the Australian government sees fit not only to invite a homophobic, sexist, former Hitler Youth member to our shores, but expects the taxpayer to fork out $100 million for the ‘privilege’. I’m talking of course about World Youth Day (a misleading title for the event – ‘Catholic World Youth Day’ would be far more accurate). If the estimations of barricades and numbers of police on the streets are to be believed, WYD will make the APEC summit – you know, the time they invited a war-mongering terrorist called Bush into the country – seem like a kid’s tea party.
According to the WYD website, the event has become “the largest single mobilisation of young people in the world”. How sad is that. Never mind world hunger, destruction of the planet and the small stuff like human and animal abuse, the thing that can bring together the largest numbers of youth in a single sitting is a religion that preaches homosexuality, condom use and abortion are a sin. Nice.
If I’m coming across as anti-religion, that’s probably because I am. As an institution it’s responsible for more bigotry and wars than anything else. It’s not that I can’t see why gay people would be drawn to it: plenty of singalongs, drama and men in frocks, and no need to book tickets in advance, but seriously people, go see Billy Elliott instead.
As if it’s not bad enough that we have to fork out money for the event to take place, draconian laws being implemented mean anyone doing anything considered ‘annoying’ to WYD participants – whether wearing an anti-Catholic t-shirt or handing out condoms to pilgrims – can be arrested and fined $5,500, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Excuse me, but is this Australia or have I woken up to find myself in Zimbabwe? Shame on the Iemma government for approving these oppressive and thoroughly undemocratic measures.
Oh, and The Age reports that plastic portaloos aren’t good enough for the young pilgrims – they’ll be getting 3,500 high-end bogs with ceramic seats. “They’re going to be holy,” says Ken Talbot, the man in charge of installing them. Ken can spin it how he likes, but truth is, at the end of the day, the young Catholics’ shit will still stink.
Join me in the planned peaceful protests against Pope Benedictator on Saturday July 19 – they promise to be a whole lot camper than a high mass – even if we do get arrested in what’s supposed to be a free country.
www.notopope.com
Katrina Fox
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