Stolen Generation Poll

[Guest Aldo]

shame on me for ridiculing the "thong" but for me a thong is, and always will be an ugly (IMO) piece of clothing. And as long as the Aussies, sorry i mean Australians want to speak English they should speak it rightly like wot i does.

[Quoll]

shame on me for ridiculing the "thong" but for me a thong is, and always will be an ugly (IMO) piece of clothing. And as long as the Aussies, sorry i mean Australians want to speak English they should speak it rightly like wot i does.

 

Yer mean the Oztrayans?

[calNgary]

Im with you on that Aldo ,,thongs are knickers ,flip flops go on your feet!lol,,and an ice pop is an ice pop not an icey pole!lol,,and a grafter in my book is someone who works hard ,not someone who avoids work!!,its like starting school all over again ,lol

Cal x

[Guest Aldo]

and lollies have sticks

[Guest Aldo]

I came across this doing the rounds on the internet>

I doubt the accuracy of most of the of the content but thought i would share it

 

AUSTRALIAN APOLOGY TO THE ABORIGINAL POPULATION

.

We apologise for giving you doctors and free medical care, which allows you to survive and multiply so that you can demand apologies.

We apologise for helping you to read and teaching you the English language and thus we opened up to you the entire European civilisation, thought and enterprise.

We feel that we must apologise for building hundreds of homes for you, which you have vandalised and destroyed.

We apologise for giving you law and order which has helped prevent you from slaughtering one another and using the unfortunate for food purposes.

We apologise for developing large farms and properties, which today feed you people, where before, you had the benefits of living off the land and starving during droughts.

We apologise for providing you with warm clothing made of fabric to replace that animal skins/dogs you used before.

We apologise for building roads and railway tracks between cities and building cars so that you no longer have to walk over harsh terrain.

We apologise for paying off your vehicle when you fail to pay the instalments.

We apologise for giving you free travel anywhere, whenever.

We apologise for giving each and every member of your family $100.00 and free travel to attend an aboriginal funeral.

We apologise for not charging you rent on any lands when white people have to pay.

We apologise for giving you interest free loans.

We apologise for developing oil wells and minerals, including gold and diamonds which you never used and had no idea of their value.

We apologise for developing Ayers Rock and Kakadu, and handing them over to you so that you get all the money.

We apologise for allowing taxpayers money paid towards daughters' wedding ($8,000.00 each daughter)

We apologise for giving you $1.7 billion per year for your 250,000 people, which is $48,000.00 per aboriginal man, woman and child.

We apologise for working hard to pay taxes that finance your welfare, medical care, education, etc to the tune of $1.2 billion each year.

We apologise for you having to approach the aboriginal affairs department to verify the above figures, for the trouble you will have identifying the "uncle toms" in your own community who are getting richer and leaving some of you living in squalor and poverty.

We do apologise. We really do. We humbly beg your forgiveness for all the above sins.

We are only too happy to take back all the above and return you to the paradise of the "outback", whenever you are ready!

[calNgary]

I recieved that too Aldo ,so it must be doing the rounds,,your a braver man than me for posting it on here thou,lol!!

Cal x

[Quoll]

I recieved that too Aldo ,so it must be doing the rounds,,your a braver man than me for posting it on here thou,lol!!

Cal x

 

Yes probably not really appropriate in the scheme of things but if you want to see a real apology which brought tears to my eyes at least, see the speech in parliament yesterday of Dr Dennis Jensen.

[Lazy Cow]

My son has taken History here in the UK as part of his GCSE's, can anyone tell me is this topic i.e. Aborginies, covered in the Australian History classes?

[ quote]

 

You're right...this is interesting reading! In answer to the above question, yes. Both my kids -one at primary, the other high school, have studied Indigenous history. They cover pretty much all aspects, from European settlement and conflict, through the Dreaming and culture, to land rights and the Stolen Generation finishing off by looking towards reconciliation.

 

As for the debate, I have to say that I believe an apology was needed. I wouldn't class myself as one of the more intelligent members of this site, but IMHO I think that the argument is split - between the way some indigenous people (IP..cos I'm lazy!) are seen as outlined in Aldo's 'apology' -which contains a fair amount of truth- and the terrible way they were treated, not just upon settlement but up to the recent past, and the public acknowledgement of that fact. For example Aboriginal people only got the right to choose their employment in the 1950’s and to vote in 1962. :no:

 

To treat people so differently because of the colour of their skin must be indefensible. Children have the right to a secure and loving life. Neglected or abused kids are probably better off (don't want to generalise) away from their birth family. Unfortunately simple child protection wasn't always the case, or the intention. In the report 'Bringing Them Home' they classed some of the actions as genocide. How scary is that? I feel it is reasonable for the indigenous people to want everyone in the country to think about what happened, to perhaps empathise with them, and understand perhaps why they feel so wounded as a people.

 

I do think that the positive discrimination that exists is hard to understand. It is easy to expect a level playing field for everyone -for everyone to work, take responsibility for their own life, their family, taxes etc. There are members of the IP who do seem to abuse/misunderstand the extra rights given to them. In an attempt to encourage home ownership, there are (was told this by a friend whose son-in-law is part Aborigine) 1% interest rates. IP members get preferential rates and treatment, but many still live a shorter life, have a poorer education (despite good educators) etc. In Whyalla some homes were prepared for some indigenous people to live in. After being flooded out (hoses indoors are only good if the house is on fire! Or perhaps, washing the dog!) and burnt (obv. brought the hoses in at the wrong time!), the houses needed refurbishing. At public expense, and some public resentment. And in Adelaide we have the infamous Gang of 40-something. Not good role models! I was watching NITV (National Indigenous TV) where one of the gang (sorry 'family' he called it) said that if they were given jobs, they wouldn't need to steal etc. Unfortunately for many of the IP, the jobs they could expect to get would not provide as high an income.

 

I think another aspect of the apology that I think concerns people, is compensation. One Aboriginal activist stated that compo is the next step, and in fact this has been discussed in 'Bringing Them Home'. I understand the logic behind the request, but it does seem like cashing in to me and I think it could lead to some resentment as the IP get money, some for treatment suffered as a community, or by grandparents.

 

I think the land-theft thing should be forgotten. Surely invasions have happened throughout history; cultures change and grow, $hit happens! That said, I wholly agree with the apology. We should be appalled and ashamed that such treatment ever happened.

 

I'll fetch my coat...

:wub:LC...rambling on....:err:

[Guest kdal]

Thank you LC for your reply, once again made for interesting reading! Didnt know about the voting and YES how wrong was that. I was only discussing this thread with my OH last night and talking about how Yes land did get taking away/claimed from people in the past, so yes maybe that should be left now.

The trouble 'these days' is that Sorry becomes loaded!! When we were all kids Sorry came with a hug and makeup situation, not anymore Sorry means 'what can I have from you now', I wonder what this apology will bring?

 

It's good to know that the children cover this subject in their History classes.

 

Kimx

[Guest Aldo]

Good post LC that's pretty much the way i see it too. It just annoys me that when ever there is an opportunity to bash the white man (especially the Brits) so many people want to wade in encouraged by the MSM. How about the British going around demanding "thank yous" for all the good it has done all over the world?

Stealing still going on today

[Guest fatpom]

It just annoys me that when ever there is an opportunity to bash the white man (especially the Brits) so many people want to wade in encouraged by the MSM.?

 

My heart bleeds for yer.... you poor little thing. Ahhhh!!! :biglaugh:

 

How about the British going around demanding "thank yous" for all the good it has done all over the world?

 

Ahh Yes! the lack of grace and gratitude these savages showed when we turned up to civilise their heathen savage ways... and that today their complaint is that we indulged in a little "quid pro quo" for our noble services?

[connaust]

Being an Ozzie, from the bush, yes the word Abo is not supposed to be used and not sure it is that offensive to many "blackfellas" which is more acceptable, yet sexist......

 

Agree with sorry, not just because of stolen generations, compo etc. but to acknowledge that many aboriginals had a horrid time in Oz history, both intentional and unintentional.

 

Examples are 100 years ago arsenic in flour etc., forced off prime agricultural land onto missions, assumtpion that aboriginals would "disappear" through mixed marriage, not even acknowledged as citizens of Australia till 1967!!! etc. but still to this day there are Ozzies of part aboriginal background who will not admit this as it may limit job opportunities.

 

PS My own aunt is Maori and arrived in country Victoria late 50s as a nurse......had a pretty rough time but once married, living southern NSW totally accepted.

[Guest Aldo]

sorry

but i can't help wondering what would of happened to these "stolen generation" if they where left to fend for themselves.

 

fat pom surly someone who punctuates his posts with Latin phrases is wise enough to answer my previous post.

1. Is an "apology" the same as being "sorry" ? for example, if I spill a mans beer i usually apologise by saying sorry and i am admitting responsibility for spilling his beer.

2. I see an old friend whose mother recently passed away, I say "sorry to hear of your loss" Although I have said sorry, in no way was i responsible for the death of his mother.

 

Lets say the apology IS justified then surly so is compensation and with 500,000 Aboriginals that adds up to a lot of wonga.

[ali]

Wow, what a debate ... I've only just come across the post and it made interesting reading. Regarding the origional post - I'm a bit on the fence too. I do believe quite strongly that there should have been an apology for what happened to the stolen generation but also believe from what I've read locally (and from what some Aborigional people tell me), not all children were stolen and as Quol suggested there were genuine cases of children who were being neglected and abused and in my opinion it is alway right to remove a child at risk and put them into a safer enviornmnet. I believe lawyers are now looking at the 600 'stolen generation' clients to see who will be the best test case for compensation. Additionally an article in the West Australian this week suggested that there would be calls for the British Government to also apologise.

 

From some of my conversations with white australians (not migrants), who are are uni/college - there is a feeling that the indigenous population are afforded more opportunities - e.g.fast tracked into medical school. Priority on housing lists etc., One of my students recently told me that a Uni payed for a group of aborigional students to go to a conference in Alice Springs - when another (white) student complained that all students hadn't been offerred the opportunity and treated equally she was made to make a public apology. This seems to be a debate that will roll on and on

 

Ali

[Guest zambezi15]

It happened to many nations..even british kids amongst other nations etc were shipped across on boats to Australia and Africa, alone, young and bewildered. One needs to know one's history to realise its not a unique situation. Very sad all around, but nations need to apologize and people who want to progress need to move on. Jews are no longer holding grudges against the Germans, the British against the Japs, the Afrikaaner against the British...the Africans against their Chief who sold them to the Arab slave traders, and so forth....years have passed, we now need to look forward, and see ourselves as what we personally have achieved, one cannot erase the past only learn from it.