Question: There’s been a lot of debate in my family over the Voice referendum, much of it unproductive and often descending into arguments. How do you convince your baby boomer parents not to be racist?
Answer: I once watched an elderly lady drive her Daihatsu across two lanes of oncoming traffic, straight through a hedge, because she accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake. If it had been 2023 instead of 2007, I would have put it on the Gram with the caption “Should’ve gone to Specsavers”. My point is, with examples like these, it can be tempting to write off our ageing population, but do we risk overlooking years of lived experience?
Journalists will tell us that the generation gap is wider than it’s ever been, and I tend to agree. Which is why the family dinner table is a breeding ground for arguments and name calling. Millennials and Gen Zers have grown up in the age of information, who needs life experience and wisdom when we have statistics and Instagram!? The problem is, calling someone racist because they haven’t memorised the latest research, is often just a fancy-pants way of gaslighting someone, which never results in a productive conversation. Remember COVID-19?
So, what to do? My suggestion is to start the conversation with something you can both agree on. It’s easy to talk about racism as binary, but let’s be real, racism is a spectrum and we’re all on it. So, put those pointed fingers away. Chances are you agree on more things than you realise, and by asking questions and being curious about their experience, you may just discover they show you the same courtesy. The next step, go to Google together. Collaborate on building your knowledge, rather than using it as a weapon.
*Are you in need of A Little Advice? Email mail@thetawnyfrogmouth.com.au with important questions to contentious topics.
Candace is an award-winning screenwriter and copywriter who works with CEO’s and industry leaders to elevate their social profiles. Find out more on Instagram @candacelittlewriter and visit candacelittlewriter.com