Sophistry: the use of clever but false arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving.
After writing a big ‘Yes’ on my voting form last Saturday, my heart sank as I walked outside and passed three people walking in who were all about to vote ‘No’, because they sincerely believed a ‘Yes’ vote would mean the United Nations would take over Australia!
Others believed a ‘Yes’ vote would mean Aborigines will come for their house and land. Others were confused by high-profile First Nations people supporting the ‘No’ case. Others claimed a ‘Yes’ vote would racially divide Australia? And of course there was a large dose of old fashioned colonial racism – all of which determined the outcome of this referendum.
In the 1967 referendum, which was simply to count First Australians as people in the census, there was bipartisan political support. Not a single politician opposed the idea and the nation got behind it with a 90 per cent ‘Yes’ vote. With [ITAL]this[ITAL] referendum, the moment Dutton and the Coalition came out in opposition to ‘Yes’, it was the kiss of death for the outcome.
Deliberately creating confusion and sowing doubt and fear, the naysayers played on the minds of people who didn’t know or even want to understand the issues. And all the while the ‘No’ side accused the ‘Yes’ side of dividing the nation.
So after all the sophistry, it’s good to remind ourselves what this referendum was about. recognising First Australians in the Constitution, while enshrining a First Nations advisory body to advise on matters directly affecting the lives of First Nations people. After losing an entire continent, it didn’t seem much to ask.
How such a simple idea gets mashed up into a frightening monstrosity, says heaps about the times we are living in. I think we are all diminished by the outcome of this referendum and I feel ashamed that a majority of we privileged people living in this great southern land, could not find it in our hearts to say ‘Yes’ to such a simple request. We live in a post-truth world where misinformation and clickbait fills the internet. We may never be able to have a well-informed civil conversation again!
In 1919, in the aftershock of WWI, WB Yeats wrote his famous poem The second coming. I think this opening verse captures the spirit of our times:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
