I don't know what the path forward is but imo it doesn't change that the wrongs of the past should be acknowledged.
If in 1955 the government had blasted private fred bloggins the third with nuclear radiation as part of experiments, and his offspring were now suffering the horror of living without eyeballs, I have no doubt that john howard wouldn't have hesitated to offer an apology for the governments actions and accept any compensation award that was handed down via the judicial system.
Or maybe he would have just expressed 'regret' that this occured and blamed his predecessors.
I've logged on this evening to this thread expecting to see heaps of comments on the actual content of the "Sorry Statement" as detailed on the 7.30 Report this evening and also included in ABC Radio News.
Nothing from anyone!!
After all the anticipation and anxiety?
Why?
Hasn't anyone heard it? Or is it just so great that it doesn't require comment?
Or so awful that those who don't want it can't bring themselves to contemplate it?
I won't waste my time in speculating about what he would have done in relation to the nuclear radiation issue.
You said that the wrongs of the past should be acknowledged. I'm telling you that John Howard did just that. He acknowledged them and he expressed regret that they occurred.
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 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 installments . 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.
Please tell you wrote that, its a very good job
And I apologise to anyone who reads the above post.
I believe that the primary reason for removing those kids was to get them out of an environment which the government, rightly or wrongly, considered unsuitable for the upbringing of children. And to get them into an environment that the government considered, again rightly or wrongly, was more suitable for giving those kids the sort of upbringing and education and life skills that would best equip them to lead fulfilling and worthwhile lives in Australian society.
One thing for sure is that all this arguing about the right or wrong or the benefit or lack of benefit of the governments actions in regard to the stolen generation, isn't going to do a damn thing towards helping aboriginal people.
Prospector, you said you're sorry. Could you elaborate? Are you sorry in as much as you regret what happened to aboriginals? Or are you actually apologising for what somebody else did before your time?
Another thing I'd like to ask you, if you care to answer, is what you thought of the sorry message that my friend sent to me, and which I passed on for the interest and discussion of this forum. I'm talking about the one which apologised for all the help we give aboriginals.
I respect your opinions more than I respect most other views on this forum....even though I don't always agree with you..
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 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 installments . 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.
Do you even know the infant mortality rate of Aboriginals?We apologise for giving you doctors and free medical care, which allows you to survive and multiply so that you can demand apologies..
Aboriginal society had its own language and society that had survived thousands of years longer than European culture. Also, English was inflicted on most European cultures too; most of the Continent prefers to speak either French, German, Spanish or whatever!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...
Prior to white arrival, aboriginals led a nomadic existence and didnt need houses. They followed the law of the land rather than impose the law of man on the land.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. ...
agro said:We apologise for giving you ... etc
you missed the bit at the bottom agro that read "we apologise for treating you like a piece of **** on our shoes, then giving you handouts so that we could feel better about it & blame you for your current situation"
agro, well done, that was probably one of the most offensive posts i have seen on this forum. i wont quote it as it offends me so much i think it should never be repeated..
I am of the belief you that you would never have the courage to drive into an aboriginal comminity and read that statement to the people of that community.. imho your delivering a message that you yourself know to be offensive.
We can always hope, can't we!Therefore it stands to reason that all the Vietnam conscripts will get their apology next week!!! Yeah right!
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