Racism is behind the shameful booing of Adam Goodes
Given his superlative gifts of athletic power and grace, it is possible to forget Adam Goodes is simply a man. Superhuman on the footy field, he is also a role model for young people, an energetic campaigner for indigenous people and an indomitable optimist on reconciliation. Put aside the courage, spirit and joy that imbue his play and charitable works: this 35-year-old, whose body must ache after 365 AFL games and 17 seasons for the Sydney Swans is mere flesh and bones, a mortal with feelings and flaws. Goodes uses his prestige and eloquence to enter the political fray, time and again, like few others in the indigenous game. That speaks of duty, bravery and passion, not temper or poor judgment. Now Goodes is entangled in a political contest that is febrile, violent and unsparing. Racism demeans us all and is at the heart of this fight. Sadly, this scourge of fear and hate is seeping into other unrelated aspects of our society, from property sales to trade and jobs. 
Although Goodes won't be playing against the Adelaide Crows today, we call on the wisdom and fair spirit of the many to peaceably see off the racist behaviour of the few. Consider what it must be like for Goodes to be booed every time he gathers the ball, but with a twist. As indigenous broadcaster Charlie King put it to Andrew Bolt on ABC's 7.30 the other night, picture a game where all the fans are indigenous and you are the only white player on the field. You want to play well for your people, to show you can compete at the top level; you score a goal and celebrate with a dance and you are called "ape" or "King Kong". To our ears, what some of his critics object to is Goodes's basic humanity; they oppose the fact he has feelings at all. Get over it, they say.
A new jibe from broadcaster Alan Jones is Goodes is "too big for his boots", as if the former Australian of the Year should slink away to obscurity rather than use platforms available to him to advance causes that are at the core of his identity. The corollary is black men can only be tolerated if they keep their thoughts to themselves, know their place and are grateful for the things that have come their way. Again, this is outrageous and deeply offensive on every level. Goodes is a proud indigenous man whose dignity and forbearance in the face of these onslaughts shame his critics. To not like Goodes, to criticise his onfield behaviour, to be opposed to his political beliefs are to be expected in a pluralist society. But decent people must recognise the booing is corrosive, mindless and dehumanising.
The victim tag may not sit easily on one so physically immense, but Goodes has been wronged - by ignorant, cowardly and racist people, sitting in the outer during AFL games and by a miserable parade of media populists, footy has-beens and fools. To his credit, Bolt claims he despises the booing of Goodes. Yet he, like Jones, persists in feeding the fury of the mob and airing the distortions that have settled into the broader debate. It's clear some activists are using this issue to attack customary foes. But simply trying to shut down the boors, as other political debates have shown, may be counterproductive to social harmony. Nuance, honesty and facts are the key to a resolution here.
So it is worth unpacking the fabrications and half-truths swirling about. Rival fans argue Goodes is booed because he "stages" for free kicks, yet the statistics disprove this assertion. Others contend the footballer's war dance against Carlton was an incitement to race war. It looked to us like pride and exuberance, a welcome dose of authenticity during the AFL's indigenous round. Some claim Goodes was an unworthy choice as Australian of the Year because he called for Australia Day to be known as "Invasion Day". Wrong again. Even the most jaundiced reading of his speech on   January 26 last year would not find an anti-patriotic murmur; instead, it was a celebration of indigenous culture and the Australian achievement.
The easiest myth to slay, ironically, is the one that has become endemic - that Goodes mistreated the 13-year-old girl who called him an ape during a game at the MCG in 2013. His accusers, with Jones and Bolt in the vanguard of this slur, claim Goodes bullied and publicly shamed the wrongdoer; like the girl's mother, they demand Goodes apologise to her. This is ludicrous and creepily Orwellian. Conservatives normally admonish parents for the transgressions of their children. Yet the populist pack has sharpened its fangs for the one who sought to immediately right a wrong. After speaking on the phone to the girl, who apologised to him, Goodes tweeted: "Let's support her please." At a press conference after the incident, Goodes said: "The person who needs the most support now is that little girl." At every stage, his conduct was exemplary, measured, pure of heart, forgiving. It's all on the public record. The booing started after that episode. While Goodes has called out racist behaviour in the past, the mob will not tolerate his aversion to it.We welcome the move by club captains this weekend to show their support for an ailing comrade. AFL officials, who have encouraged Goodes to be the face of anti-racism in their sport, are obliged to do more for him and other indigenous players. At heart, reconciliation requires respect, a basic acknowledgment that a person's feelings, regardless of our position, are legitimate. Those who ignore what's behind the booing of Goodes must examine their consciences. A gross slander has been perpetrated on him. Goodes should be seen as a heroic figure in an imperfect world; indigenous men face so many challenges we should resist lumbering them with more. As a newspaper we celebrated his role in transforming indigenous opportunity by proudly naming him our 2013 Australian of the Year. We look forward to his speedy return to the field so he can again dazzle fans with his brilliance and reassert his sporting and moral leadership.