As everyone knows, federal member for the Victorian seat of Indi, Dr Helen Haines was attacked by a person driving a Toyota Landcruiser. It has been reported that she was standing at the boot of her vehicle when she was rammed by the Landcruiser, pinning her between the two vehicles. The Landcruiser reportedly reversed away from her and rammed her again. She was airlifted to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne, where both of her legs had to be amputated, because they were too badly crushed to be saved. There have been many statements from politicians and others maintaining their horror at the attack, and sending all the support they can to Haines and her family1,2.
One of those people was Prue MacSween, who said on Xitter (pronounced ‘shitter’) on October 19th:
“After this shocking [Helen Haines] (alleged) attack, some commentators are saying this is the time for Albanese to step up. That it is his John Howard Port Arthur moment & he now has to lead the nation. Given he is the man who cannot speak the words “Islamic Extremism” & who I believe is responsible for the growing intolerance & hatred & rise of anti_semitism, I think that is virtually impossible. We cannot forgive or foget what he has created in this country. He is no leader. Never was. Never will be.”3
Many of the replies are very pointed and hilarious. The much respected Paul Bongiorno was restrained in replying “You pathetic small person”. Jansant was less restrained with “just fuck off Prue.”3
Sebastian Marchmain Reborn made me giggle with “It’s not ‘alleged’ you stupid gin soaked pitiful excuse of a person. It’s fact [Helen Haines] is in HOSPITAL. You wouldn’t remember what you did last week. You are a despicable caricature of a sentient human being. This has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with “Islamic Extremism”3.
Teresab hit the nail on the head with: “Absolutely appalling. You truly are a horrible person. You are an example of everything that is wrong in this country. Like Hanson, you constantly spread misinformation, hate and division and when that rhetoric leads to horrible outcomes, you pretend it’s someone else’s fault.”3
Prue MacSween is a television and radio presented and commentator and is a right wing nutjob4.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a Sudanese-Australian engineer, who made comments about Anzac Day (for which she apologised) was the subject of a comment by MacSween. In 2017, during an appearance on right wing radio station 2GB with host Chris Smith, MacSween said: “She has fled the country and is blaming all of us. “She says she’s been betrayed by Australia and didn’t feel safe in her own country. Well actually she might have been right there, because if I had seen her I would have been tempted to run her over, mate.”5
She was criticised for this and defended her comments as simply a joke, and attacked critics with: ”To all you festering, humourless Twitter ferals. Go tell someone who cares. Last time I looked this was a country of free speech. Get a life.6
So, if I said “someone should drown Prue MacSween, by stuffing her in a chaff bag and dropping her out at sea”, MacSween would realise it was a joke and would defend my right to suggest such an end to her malignance.
Sources
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmgr8q88r5eqo
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm5ynk1g88kwo
- https://x.com/macsween_prue/status/2112101168025595981
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prue_MacSween
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jul/12/conservative-commentator-run-over-yassmin-abdel-magied
- https://x.com/macsween_prue/status/885002070935445507