Great article in SMH by Richard Hinds.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/tahu-must-not-be-cowed-20100623-yz4w.html
In the old redneck south, some would have had a name for Timana Tahu after he walked out of the NSW State of Origin team. Same name they gave Muhammad Ali after he refused to fight what he believed was a white man's war. Same name they gave Rosa Parks after she took a seat at the front of the bus.
They would have called Tahu an ''uppity n****r''.
Even now, just writing the n-word sends a bit of a shiver down the spine. Can you imagine what it would have been like to wear the label in the face of an angry mob?
Except, in somewhat more enlightened times, Tahu did not cop that label or any local variations. Not to his face. Instead, all but a few apologists and knuckle-draggers turned the heat on the man who used a vile, racist description of Greg Inglis in Tahu's presence.
Correctly - not politically correctly - Andrew Johns was castigated. Shamed. Even by his own brother, who knows what it is like to have dirty laundry aired in public.
There were, inevitably, apologists. Some ignorant of the politics of power suggested that Tahu should have had it out with Johns ''man to man''. Of course, had Tahu made his protest a matter of negotiation with a senior team official, his power would have been eroded. Just as it often has been for black people who are forced to negotiate how they are described by whites, rather than being able to make that judgment themselves. Instead, by taking a very public stand, Tahu created the type of shockwaves that can lead to change - think Ali throwing his Olympic medal into the river, Parks refusing to give up her seat.
But, as Tahu has discovered, one heroic deed is not enough. To be a race hero, you have to continue to act heroically. Day in, day out.
Partly, it's about credibility. To believe the act, people must also have faith in its perpetrator and his motives. Otherwise we call them politicians, not heroes.
Partly, it is because there will always be plenty willing you to fail. Death-riding Tahu are the Mates of Joey fraternity, who were outraged their man was made to blush; The Just Get On With The Game crew, who squirm when matters more controversial than a new grapple-tackle ruling enter their cosy, blokey, win 'em and wear 'em world; even self-interested teammates.
The example of Michael Long, who helped change the AFL's outlook on racism by refusing to quietly accept the usual handshake agreement after being vilified by an opponent, was oft-cited after the Tahu walk-out. But it was not simply that Long forced the AFL to confront racism that made him a hero; it was that he continued to provide leadership on the issue and thus became a respected voice across the community.
Tahu still has the opportunity to parlay a spontaneous act of protest into a more lasting statement. But, after his brutal and injudicious hit on Newcastle's James McManus, he learnt the first lesson about life as a race-relations role model. He will be held to a much higher standard by those discomfited by his stand.
Before McManus had even hit the ground, some were questioning Tahu's credibility. The race warrior was now an ill-disciplined thug. A loose cannon. Could a man who lands such a cheap shot really be trusted?
The subtext of such criticism is mischievous and self-serving. But, even allowing for the pressure Tahu had been under, he has only himself to blame. He says he was able to confront Johns's racist remarks because he is now ''man enough''. If the message he sent by walking out of the Origin camp is to retain its potency, he must now be man enough to avoid giving ammunition to those willing him to fail. Not to be cowed. To retain his dignity.
Because Tahu lost his head at a time he needed to show more grace than ever, he will miss Origin III. A pity. There have not been many things for Blues fans to be proud of this year. He should have been one.
