About 400 people watched and applauded as a social conundrum was unveiled recently in Tatura.
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| Tatura's bronze statue of World War One Victoria Cross winner, Private Robert Mactier. |
However, the unveiling of the two metre high bronze statue
of World War One Victoria Cross winner, Private Robert Mactier, was more of a
contradiction than a conundrum.
Whatever, it defies logic in a society troubled by violence
from that which is domestic through to war mongering on a national and
international level.
From now on the people of Tatura, along with most other
communities throughout Australia are forced to confront each day what is the
societal acceptance of violence.
Victoria’s Deputy Premier, Peter Walsh, told those watching
the unveiling at the refurbished Tatura war memorial precinct, that the bronze
image of Robert Mactier was not about celebrating war rather, simply
recognizing his courage and sacrifice.
That may be so, but the subliminal message is rather
different.
Taturians are repeatedly told, and inherently know, that a
successful community, state or nation is one that is collaborative and
compassionate, and one in which firearms, of any sort, are irrelevant to those
aims.
In passing the Hogan St life-size image of a pistol
brandishing Private Mactier, who received sweeping social recognition for
exploits that in other circumstances that would have been less than admirable,
they are forced into mental gymnastics to remind themselves that was then and
this is now.
That sounds fine except there is still a man with a gun in a
public place (true, it’s only a statue) whose killing of others was feted and
recognized in bronze.
The complications are manifest for few of us truly
understand the context of “then” and beyond that even fewer of us can make a
meaningful connection between what was and “now”, and the malleable minds of
many become ensnared in the perverse intricacies of violence, subduing the
other and the indecency of war.
Private Mactier was obviously a brave, daring and decent man
who played his part in what was then a perceived need, but surely a century of
maturity is sufficient for us to judge our mistakes and understand that the
liberty we seek is not to be found in humbling our fellows and have them adhere
to our behaviours.
Australia’s relatively peaceful history is credited almost
without fail to the actions of those such as Private Mactier, but considered
practically Australia’s physical remoteness has been its greatest ally.
Beyond a few incursions in World War Two, and the arrival of
the first fleet in 1788, modern Australians have, without fail, travelled
beyond their borders in pursuit of war.
Like a gang of thugs, or a street hoodlum we have gone
looking for trouble and Private Mactier was integral to that dynamic and his
“presence” in Hogan St ensures its preservation
