Novak:Scene
A plea to cancel #CancelCulture
I have to be among the laziest writers having written almost nothing in the pandemic, and so it surprised me that my first attempt to knock off an oft-procrastinated new year resolution had to do with Novak Djokovic. I respect the man’s talent and his doggedness is so shocking, it’s inspiring, in much the same way Monica Seles was/is. They being so similar in their tennis is barely surprising once you know they both come from Serbia and were both coached in their formative years by Jelena Genčić. Novak has in fact stated that Jelena pushed him to hit the ball as hard, with both hands and grunt, as Monica! What no one imagined was how an innocuous flight to Australia to bid for a record 10th Australian Open title [and 21st Grand slam] would land Novak in a life altering situation and bind him to Monica in a manner neither could have imagined! She was at the top of her sport, stepped onto a court in Hamburg and was stabbed by a deranged Steffi fan. He is on the top of his sport, stepped off the tarmac in Melbourne and was stabbed [figuratively] by a cauldron of anti-vaccine voices and a government that reeked of opportunism!
Anti anti-vacciners vehemently argued that if Novak had simply vaccinated all this drama would never have happened and by virtue of being a legend of the sport he should have led by example! Please remember, no matter all the arguments and science in favour of vaccination, it remains a very personal choice. One is free to disagree and even dislike those who are not vaccinated but you need not translate your displeasure into a witch hunt! Novak has gone on record to state that he is against vaccination in general, so Australia, what were you thinking?!!! Being an average nobody, I feel immense pressure to declare I am vaccinated and a believer in science, lest I be incarcerated for your perception that I support those opposed to vaccination. I support one’s right to choose!
Duplicity doesn’t even begin to describe the hotch-potch that appears to be Australia’s exemption policy whose rules allow those not vaccinated to enter the country after passing a seemingly rigorous, multi-panel and supposedly unbiased evaluation process. Craig Tiley, head of Tennis Australia has vehemently defended this process as has his Australian PM, Scott Morrison until there was an anti-Novak cacophony so loud, he flip-flopped! This being a federal election year in Australia and Mr. Morrison being heavily criticised for his handling of the pandemic, his belated awakening is barely surprising.
Were it not for this Novak:scene, we might never have heard of someone named Renata Veracova, a WTA player who had already been granted an exemption on grounds similar to Novak’s application. Just like that, there was one more fall guy [girl] whose visa was revoked. Being diametrically the opposite of Novak’s superstar status helped Renata to quietly enter Australia but then quickly and as quietly shunted her out. She’s back in the Czech Republic for no fault of hers, unless you count not being vaccinated a crime.
Cancel culture reared its’ ugly head yet again. The pandemic saw leaders and followers across the human spectrum call for kindness, but when it came to putting words into action, our collective memory fell short. Acutely short. Reading some of the venom spewed on social media, it is clear Novak was going to have it tough; just not this level of public shaming one imagined. Our ability to no longer hold dialogue, to pass opinions & snap judgments on everything and anything, to vehemently defend our point of view no matter what, takes confirmation bias to a dangerous low level. This is frightening because it creates a culture where the ones who shout loudest win; not because they are right but because they shout! Prashant Bhushan, one of the most visible anti-vaccine voices in India deserves much respect for just speaking out even if he’s a tiny handful of people with such a viewpoint.
The one ray of light in this dark abyss of Novak:scene is the Australian judiciary who must have been under intense pressure to do the popular thing rather than the right thing. Instead they followed the facts and embodied “justice is free from passion”, thereby being that one needed voice of reason. #MuchRespect. Craig Tiley and Scott Morrison have as much reflection to do as do all those voices who failed to see this was never about Novak’s vaccination status nor his stance, but so much more.
I’m joined at the hip to millions who suffered from this pandemic so I get the frustration that comes from the pain (https://ashbytes.medium.com/until-it-happens-to-you-607b55e4eab6), but hanging someone out to dry never was and never will be the answer. Let’s really be Kind. Let’s truly ask the right Questions. Let’s try and Listen.
It remains to be seen how much resolve does Novak have left in him to stick it out in Melbourne and still try to win the Aussie Open, by blocking the noise out. History would reckon we bet on him wanting to win this more now than ever before.
Views are my own
