'Apology Day' or a true 'Australia Day'

[American Dream]

http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/49785


'Apology Day' or a true 'Australia Day'
by Syed Atiq ul Hassan
(Wednesday, February 13, 2008)


"Australia is a mixture of more than 160 nationalities. Now this is the responsibility of every Australian to accept every other Australian and show the unity as one nation."

January 26 is the official national day of Australia which is called ‘Australia Day’. The day commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement in Australia. On 26th of January 1788, the first British fleet was anchor in Sydney Cove, off-loaded the male convicts brought from Europe and a flag of British empire was raised on Australian soil in the name of King George III. The Captain of the ship, Arthur Philip, setup a British penal colony and the process of White Australia begun. In the process of colonialism like in other parts of the world the centuries-old native social setup and its culture was dumped by British rulers. In the process, according to the historical documents; 10 to 30 percent of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were snatched forcibly from their parents and handed over to missionary and States institutions under the then government policy between 1910 to early 1970s. The rulers claimed to assimilate these native tens of thousand of children into the Anglo-Saxon society and teach them European values and their way of life. Most of these stolen children were under the age of 5. Similarly, there are horrifying tales of mistreat, sufferings and hurt of aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders and the extinctions of indigenous culture.

Today, these indigenous Australians are the most disadvantaged people in Australia. Having a life expectancy 17 years below the rest of the Australia and with many living in third world conditions they are needed the reformation in every walk of life. According to a report of the World Health Organisation, the healthcare standards for aborigines are a century behind than the rest of Australia. In some parts of the country the life expectancy of male aborigines is just 33 years. Lack of education, job opportunities and other social facilities the crimes and gun culture have been increased in aboriginal community. Child abuse, rape and lootings are common crimes in remote areas. The law and order situation in remote areas are terrible.

Therefore, the indigenous Australians see the ‘Australia Day’ as foundation day of the demolition of their culture and generation and they observed the day as the the ‘Invasion Day’ or ‘Day of Mourning’.

In May 1995, The National inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was established which was chaired by Sir Ronald Wilson. In May 1997, a report on the Stolen Generations, Bringing Them Home, stemming from the inquiry chaired by Sir Ronald Wilson and was tabled in the Parliament. Exactly after a year, in May 1998, the first national Sorry Day was held to mark the anniversary of the stolen children report. In February 2000, John Howard abandoned the deadline on reconciliation to be achieved by the eve of federation celebration. Since then indigenous leaders, community groups and human rights organizations raised the issue on different platforms, seminars, demonstrations. Specially, the last government of John Howard and his Liberal Party totally refused to offer ‘sorry’ to indigenous Australians.

Mr. Howard’s plea was that firstly, whatever done to the indigenous people in the past was done by pasts governments and should not be liable to the present government and generation and secondly the apology or sorry could open the door to expensive compensation claims.

Kevin Rudd kicked off with great courage and daring steps during the last federal election when he promised to the nation that he would say sorry to the indigenous Australians on all the mistreatments and wrong-doings happened to them if comes into power. And the day came, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, on February 12 (2008) laid down a new tradition in the Australian Federal Parliament by ceremonial welcoming from Aborigines for the first time in its 107-year history. He was handed a message stick which told ‘the story of our coming together’. More than 100 indigenous elders, women and youth invited to start the proceeding of a new government with a new image of Australia. The ceremony combined ancient Aboriginal dances, music, song with more modern dance and performance.

Then the next day is the day for which the indigenous Australians were waiting for decades. On February 13 (2008), the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd added a new page in the Australian history. He, on behalf of all Australians and the government, said ‘Sorry’ to the first Australians (Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders) on all the mistreatments and wrong doing particularly to the stolen generation (who were forcibly removed children from their parents during) for over 200 years. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that the Australian now reflect the blemished chapter in our nation’s history with the true spirit of reconciliation. He said that he would also like to assure the first Australians that it will never happen again.

Today, the indigenous Australians must be feeling more close and equal to every other Australians. However, the word sorry is not enough but it has opened the doors for the reconciliation and work together. The aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders need confidence and faith on the government that new projects are to improve their lives and protect their culture and heritage. There is also high need of focusing on development programs for youth on priority.

By saying sorry to the indigenous Australians, Prime Minister Kevin has also delivered a message to every Australian - a message of openness, acceptance and respect for everyone. Australia is a mixture of more than 160 nationalities. Now this is the responsibility of every Australian to accept every other Australian and show the unity as one nation. For me this is the true Australia Day and the Australian nation should observe this day in every coming years as a National Day.

[Joe Hillshoist]

Its about fooking time, although 10 years too late is better than never.

Whatever else there is s real feeling of relief in the country, like something has lifted. Even cynical blackfellas seem a little heartened by that public acknowledgement. What happens next is up to all of us I spose, but for the first time in 10 years, possibly alot more we can look forward and focus on what needs to be done instead of looking back in anger.

Of course some people are a bit unhappy about the whole thing, but they would prefer to look back in anger for the rest of their lives. They are a bunh of divisive wankers anyway and only see Australia as an exclusive place, not an inclusive one. Blackfellas, Muslims, leftists, whatever - some people would rather Australia didn't have any of them.

[Uncle $cam]

Its about fooking time, although 10 years too late is better than never.

I wouldn't be as WOWed as I have seen many across the blog world being with regards to this, this reeks of the vivacious ploy of a classic Rovian type meme-reversal. Instead of attacking strength you defend your weaknesses. The machine can't help itself etc...

The leviathan didn't know better, but will make things right, sorry about the mess.

In other words, these type things have become institutional and structural tools of crime cover up; acknowledge the abuse on one hand while simultaneously increasing the abuse on the other. It's methodically meant to take the pressure off the oppressor and a side benefit is to create useful cognitive dissonance. If I am correct, this is no apology as much as a reminder of who's in charge. In other words, this isn't armistice, more like aesopian in it's acknowledgment. It reinforces dominance. It reinforces their so posed omnipotence. The giver and receiver, rewarder and punisher, if you will. All things Just and unjust. The God State or the State of God. This is a strategic result and very useful by product of the psychological and ideological warfare apparatus's of the global 'full spectrum dominance' (TM) trend that has spread across the globe. The full on gaze of the Magus.

It reinforces dominance by co-opting it, for example sorta like how our own (American) government took control of and over the word, 'organic' and now uses it to label things 'organic' that never ever were to begin with, for instance naming toxic sludge as healthy. It's the next level, it's prop-agenda.

Does that at all make sense?

Speaking of meme-reversal, I'd love to hear HMW develop and unpack this idea of 'meme-reversal' a bit more.

[Joe Hillshoist]

I get what you are saying, but in the context of Australia it isn't accurate in this case. It was government policy that led to genocide, and to the Stolen Generations. The report into the stolen generations - Bringing Them Home recommended an apology from government for all its genocidal policies.

The refusal of the government to make this apology for the last 10 years has had a horrible effect on the psyche of indigenous people, especially members of the Stolen generation. Saying "Sorry" is simply an acknowledgement of the harm done in the past.

Millions of Australians said sorry during the 90s and expressed ther horror at what was done. The government is finally responding to the desire of most Australians to express that sorrow. And acknowledge the wrong doing. What happens next is up to us as a people. We can let things take their own course or make them follow ours.

If anything acknowledging the abuse will possibly open the door to legal remedies against the abuse, tho how that plays out remains to be seen.

The leviathan is doing its thing tho as the NT invasion has shown.
But I don't think "meme reversal" is appropriate in regards saying sorry.

[American Dream]

J. Clancy


Aborigines in Australia


In Australia we have had a meeting of great white minds in the form of our Highest Court, which decided (after 200 years of not noticing the inhuman sufferings of Aborigines) that before the British soldiers arrived in 1788 with a mass of petty convicts to make us part of the British Empire, there were people living here. Those people were a race of intelligent humans with black skin -Aborigines- who had resided here for a known 60,000 years.

What followed was a mass murder of those residents, especially by white police, graziers, army and business-men. Many were killed in weekly turkey shoots for sport, particularly if they were brave enough to defend their families. This continued till even 1950. Since then, our racist ‘Police’ have continued with normal murders, generally in secret deaths in custody, but the secrecy has now been exposed into common-knowledge. After so many years of survival on this harsh continent, no genes had developed to make Blacks immune from diseases like measles and also alcohol poisoning. Black people cannot absorb alcohol. Thus our jails have a very large percentage of Aborigines, mainly for being drunk and disorderly, insulting the police, swearing, fighting while intoxicated and generally being unable to understand white-man’s laws.

The police preferred method is to hang Blacks with football sox or strips of blankets and claim that they had suicided while drunk. Commonsense suggests that two men must have lifted the victim and arranged the other details. The evidence has been clear that tribal people must not be separated from their culture and family members. It is imperative that they not be jailed for minor offences, rather taken to their families and elders to be judged by Aborigine Laws, or, for drunkenness, driven a few miles out of town and left under a tree to sober-up to find their way home next day. Or the police could treat them like drunk white politicians and deliver them home? Some States have laws forbidding whites to sell liquor to them, but the whites have their own laws including making profits from the delivery of booze to an arranged transfer area.

Our Politicians hide behind this new High Court judgment, which specifically prevents Aborigines from claiming ownership of land, unless they have had continuous occupancy or association. As most tribes were decimated, few are left to make the claims. Appeals to the Court have to be paid by the Aborigines. The Court also declared that if any Lease of a section of land had been registered to a grazier or miner, the Aborigines could not claim that land either, whether in use or not. Two hundred years of loud-mouthed windbag politicians have achieved nothing except to overlook white crimes of kidnap, murder and family separations of children from their parents. Australia’s outback is generally used as cattle leases, previously or still ‘owned’ by British, Foreign interests or large local family businesses. Some tribal groups have bought the failed ranching efforts of white graziers and have often succeeded, having much more respect for and affinity with the land.

Those forced to live in our main cities are subjected to yuppie young police guided by untrained sergeants better known as wallopers but with much less intelligence than the normal, quiet, thoughtful, happy objects of their mistreatment and repression. Those who live in most tribal areas live mainly in squalor, with little health care and a visit from politicians near each election time for more speeches and promises. The greedier the white person is, the more he seems to hate these beautiful people.

Americans would be correct in realising that Australian treatment of indigenous peoples closely follows the US example, or for that matter the example of all colonialist powers. But US Law still allows a principle of police guesswork to defeat correct justice as in the case of Sioux leader Leonard Peltier, due for release at his age of about 130 years. As most police in most countries are poorly trained with only average or less intelligence, Justice should be meticulous in its findings, not using vengeance against people who are different and whose land Justice has stolen.

In the case of our Aborigines, they have very specialised talents including almost a genius spatial ability (time and distance) in the top football grades, yet being lightly-boned slim people. They have long almost eagle-quality sight and ability to track missing persons through deserts for a thousand miles if necessary. Their specialised Art form and landscapes are selling through white agents world-wide. Many have obtained degrees in business, law, medicine and anthropology, etc, through Harvard Uni. Their young men joined the Army during the 1939–45 war, but like the men from Papua who also volunteered, they received no pay for their services. They were ‘only Blacks’. Yet vindictive politicians in both our countries would rather build hundreds of jails rather than ensuring fair and just life-styles for the differing races. After all, your slaves were indigenous African peoples before the great slave trade days.

There is a Government body formed to control their finance and make the financial decisions that only whites can do. To make sure they have little input the politicians ensure a ratio of 60% white. Overheads like salaries dissipate the funds advanced to them. Sometimes these funds come from the share of land taxes or meager Federal grants. Like the fate of the painted-white remnants of the Plains Indians they have become generally dispirited by the men who speak with forked tongues -politicians and other strange, noisy upstarts that experience such joy in inflicting misery on the lives of others. Even Churches are beginning to understand the harm they did in taking these ‘savage’ children away from their families. Presently much time is spent by devoted elders in tracing the tribal families from whence they were abducted.

One Leader, on the question of gun-control, has recently written, “We unequivocally support government’s efforts to remove automatic and semi-automatic guns from our land. Having been the victims of massacres in the past, we well know the meaning of “wanton destruction of life”. We demand a safer environment for ourselves and our children; and we consider the removal of the most rapid weapons-of-death is one step in the right direction.”