Why are we saying 'sorry' to the aboriginals?!

[Trembling Hand]

This mentality isn't human(e).

Argo goes way below reasonable, rational arguement, probably below racism even to just plain idiotic suggesting the possibility of psycholigical or psychiatric disorder.

Sociopath is the word you are looking for I think.

 

[IFocus]

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.

Agro you forgot to add and we have done such a great job you should be very happy that the average life span is 57 years for an Aboriginal male and 62 years for an Aboriginal female. Life expectancy is not uniform across populations within Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a much lower life expectancy than the general Australian population. Indigenous Australians born in the period 1996-2001 are expected to live nearly 20 years less than the rest of the population. (ABS 2005. Deaths Australia, 2004. ABS Cat. No. 3302.0. Canberra: ABS).

Focus

 

[Sandman]

Without doubt the stupidest thing any Australian Government has done.

And this is the first day of Rudd's government. Heaven help us.

I am a member of a "stolen generation". I can identify with what happened to the Abo kids, but wait I am white not black.

 

[bunyip]

Agro you forgot to add and we have done such a great job you should be very happy that the average life span is 57 years for an Aboriginal male and 62 years for an Aboriginal female. Life expectancy is not uniform across populations within Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a much lower life expectancy than the general Australian population. Indigenous Australians born in the period 1996-2001 are expected to live nearly 20 years less than the rest of the population. (ABS 2005. Deaths Australia, 2004. ABS Cat. No. 3302.0. Canberra: ABS).

Focus

Should those of us who take responsibility for our health and wellbeing feel guilt or responsibility for the health problems and shorter lifespan of those who abuse themselves?
There are white people in our society who drink heavily and smoke heavily, eat junk food, don't exercise, and generally knock themselves around. Consequently their health is generally poorer and their life expectancy is significantly shorter than that of folks who take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.

Black or white, it doesn't matter, if you abuse and neglect your health, you suffer abnormally poor health and abnormally short lifespan. That's how it works.
It's not someone else's fault.

 

[robert toms]

Life is short...not enough time for hate,denigration and derision.
What about me,me,me !
Get over your own circumstances and grow up,you haters !
Nelson said sorry to the hateful whites for having to say sorry to the aboriginals....pathetic Nelson !
But thats politics, I suppose....you have to look after your core electoral supporters.

 

[doctorj]

Nelson said sorry to the hateful whites for having to say sorry to the aboriginals....pathetic Nelson !

I agree his speech was a disgrace.

Clearly the Liberal party understands that a large number of Australians like to be seen to be saying the right kinds of of things but underneath resent what they see preferential treatment being given to Aboriginals.

The Liberal party were happy to sacrifice Brendan Nelson's reputation in the hope of winning the votes of these people a little ways down the track.

This is all Howard politics at play. Divide and conquer. Just not quite as elegant as we are used to.

 

[trinity]

Let's wait and see what good/bad comes out of this apology down the line... years from now are we going to say that this was a turning point in Australia's history for the good of ALL Australians, or, just a political gimmick.

 

[Happy]

Nine MSN vote 13 Feb 2008 13:23:30

Do you agree with the text of Kevin Rudd's Sorry apology?

Yes 27 171 No 45 753




Clear case that so far 27,171 voters know what is right and 45,753 voters havent got a clue what is right.

 

[doctorj]

Clear case that so far 27,171 voters know what is right and 45,753 voters havent got a clue what is right.

Perhaps not. I think there's a real danger that people wanting to be seen to be saying the right kind of things are likely to stiffle any intellectual debate on the issue.

Plus, who's to say the 45,753 think the apology didn't go far enough...

 

[prawn_86]

Personally im glad that the apology was only on behalf of the government and not on behalf of all Australians.

I dont believe the gov is in a position to apologise for anyone but themselves and am glad they realised this fact.

 

[Buddy]

I posted this comment on another thread...
"............I suppose we are now in for an endless tiresome debate about what Nelson did say, what he didnt say, and what he should have said. Ho, Hum........".

Looks like I am correct. Yet again. Wish I could pick my shares as good as I pick people.

 

[moxy]

What Nelson did today will be a death sentence to the Liberal party....will be a very very long time til they get back in.

 

[trinity]

We seem to be getting responses on the sorry statement, I was just wondering how the aboriginal community has received it and, what they think of it?

 

[Koori]

I honestly believe saying sorry will mean absolutely nothing. White man cannot apologise for his ancestors behaviour, as that was their thinking at the time.

Doe's a murderer's future generations apologise and compensate, no.

I am half Koori, orginating from a tribe from out west. I have worked in many missions and seen what my brothers do to one another.

It will not matter what "apology is made" it is our responsability to unite as a peoples, and the Aboriginal people never have been.

We come from many different tribes. Much of our culture has disappeared. Saying sorry will not change things for the future development of peoples.

Change must occur from within. Yet the majority of the people do not assist in the empowerment of the people, and that is the truth from my perception.

As my Koori brothers except a minority that I know are on drugs or drinking themselves into an early grave. My best-friend within the last two years has attended over 10 funnerals of men in the ages of 30-55. All dying of related lifestyle choices.

White man can not be blamed for another man choosing to make wrong choices. There are many opportunites for our people in this land.

Saying Sorry will achieve Nothing as it is not this generations fault.

We have to stop blaming others for circumstance and unite.

We need strong leaders whom the people look towards. If compensation is given it will be wasted on elder-ship in my belief.

It is how the world operates unfortunate but true.

Should my ancestors apologise for wars between other tribes during their existance. I think not.... what does a sorry mean from someone that did not commit the offence.

It is like myself apologising for an act I never commited, what a joke.

 

[Trembling Hand]

Would luv a moderator to check this posters IP address against other posters in this forum.
Sorry for the scepticism but 1 post makes you wounder.

 

[bunyip]

A repeated theme among aboriginals interviewed over the last few days is that Rudd's sorry message will 'allow them to move forward'.
Well, will it or won't it? Can we expect to see positive changes among aboriginals from here on?
Or a couple of years down the track, when the warm fuzzy feeling from the sorry message has worn off, and cold hard reality starts to bite, will we look at the situation and say "Geez.....it's a couple of years now since Rudd conveyed his sorry message that was going to allow aboriginal people to 'move forward', yet they don't seem to have moved at all. They've still got all the problems they had back then."

Nigel Mansell (who calls himself an aboriginal but has blue eyes and blond hair (now gone grey) and is damn near as white as I am) is already beating the drum for one billion dollars in compensation. Maybe that was what they meant by 'move forward'......the sorry message gives them their cue to move forward towards further handouts.

 

[trinity]

one billion dollars in compensation

hi bunyip,

did you say that right? one billion?

thanks

 

[trading_rookie]

Nelson's speech can be criticised by all and sundry but at the end of the day it was a speech that appeased all the opposing view points held by Coalition MP's...those that want to say sorry and acknowledge it was wrong to take children away from their mothers and those in the party that believe that the rampant abuse, drunkeness, and violence experienced in places like NT justified the practise.

The fact that some people decided from the galleries not to stand and applaud and those that booed outside Parliment once Nelson concluded his speech clearly shows that some believe Indigenous ills are all due to European settlement.

Interesting sidenote: Two of Rudd's staffers were involved in turning their backs during Nelsons speech. Apparently they've been 'counseled' by Rudd's chief-of-staff over the incident.

 

[Prospector]

Nigel Mansell (who calls himself an aboriginal but has blue eyes and blond hair (now gone grey) and is damn near as white as I am).

Well, on this one we both agree! I wonder also, how more rationale indigneous people feel about him.

 

[trading_rookie]

What Nelson did today will be a death sentence to the Liberal party....will be a very very long time til they get back in.

Not if sorry in the future is seen as an admission of guilt with legal ramifications that could cost the Australian taxpayer billions....then it will be concluded that Howard was right. Time will tell