I feel ashamed of the racist attitude

As a 46 year old Australian, I am writing to you with the greatest sense of shame at calling myself Australian. Today, nearly 25 percent of the Australians living in the State of Queensland, voted for Pauline Hanson's One Nation political party.

All my life, I have been extremely proud to call myself Australian and more importantly, to be Australian! No country is perfect and I concede Australians have not been perfect in our short history but there has always been an Australian way of doing things that was based on being fair to everybody regardless of their race, religion or color.

Today, Australians failed the test of racism! Pauline Hanson and her supporters have been voted into government on their policies of hate for anybody who is not of white, Anglo-Saxon heritage. Being a white Australian of Anglo-Saxon heritage, I am ashamed of the un-Australian attitude that is pervading this once egalitarian country.

I do not know why I have written this letter to you because it certainly has not eased my sense of shame. Perhaps this is my plea for you to understand that over 75 percent of people in this country abhor racism and Pauline Hanson's political agenda. Hopefully, in the very near future, this country will return to "a fair chance for everyone."

Until the day when I feel proud in being Australian again, I will maintain the dream of a world of equality and love for our fellow human beings.

ROBIN WALSH

Palm Beach

Queensland

Australia