More Sorry Suggestions

[Greg Ward]

Hey Dazzler,

I gave my sixpenth worth early in the piece and nothing I have read has changed my thoughts in any way.

All I know is that most of those who I read pontificating or I hear on the radio breaking into tears as they feel so good about tomorrow are hypocrites.

Not for them the hard work in the red centre struggling to teach dysfunctional locals or assisting at Moree in educating poor kids, or understanding the reality that around 5% of kids in the NT have STDs.

Kevin will make them feel good, so they don't have to do anything else and the problem of the colonial past will be addressed.

A pox on the lot of them.
I'm no hypocrite, I'll be cutting up trees and I enjoy it.

Greg

[dazzler]

I can see that my red-neck reference was offensive, but I refuse to apologise, because that was in the past and I've disassociated myself from it on the grounds that I was in a different mood then. My vague and distorted memory of it is that, like Astrid, I was angered by some offensive threads. By red-neck I suppose I simple mean right-wing viewpoints such as those in the offensive threads, but I didn't have anyone in mind in particular.

I would like to say sorry on behalf of Rossluck.

Sorry

[MICKYG]

Well said dazzler

Regards Mike

[Blarney]

I have been following this thread with interest. It reminds me of a speech that was made on Tuesday, 10th September 1996. by a politician.

For this speech she was hung out to dry by the press at that time.

Read the WHOLE speech and the comments on the yellow panel next to it. http://www.australian-news.com.au/maiden_speech.htm

To Astrid, have you ever lived or worked wth Aboriginals?

[Jack E]

What I actually said was

put it in the hands of idiots,

Most everyone else must be idiots, mustn't they.

As for this comment, I guess we'll see over the next 4 years.

Cheers, Jack

[Jack E]

To Astrid, have you ever lived or worked wth Aboriginals?

Probably not, but a few books on the subject surely equals life experience

Cheers, Jack

[Big Shed]

The full wording of KR's apology is now available.

[Blarney]

Not a bad bit of writing but the last para will be interesting to see if it is embraced.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

[Rossluck]

I would like to say sorry on behalf of Rossluck.

Sorry

Thanks Daz.

[Rocker]

He didn't say a word about Bob Collins

Rocker

[Incoming!]

Weeeeelllll - there will, no doubt, be more penetrating analyses over the next few days than mine - but my first impression is that it will not satisfy.

I'm not sure how much formality there should be in a formal apology, but this one seems to lack - heart. There's an unfortunate use of ringing rhetoric designed to immortalise the speaker in Hansard rather than generate much good will. Not quite as bad as John Howard's Centenary of Federation speech, but almost as likely to be forgotten as quickly.

It's a fairly sweeping apology as well, which while singling out the members of the stolen generation, also encompasses descendants as well as acknowledging an impact on the wider aboriginal community. The speech tries to do too much in too short a sound grab, and leaves plenty of openings for the disaffected to read "opportunity to capitalise".

Sorry KR - it wasn't a bad first draft, but I don't think it will achieve what we'd all like it to.

[Gingermick]

Well I think he's struck a nice balance.

[Groggy]

The Government has taken their best shot, I'll give them credit for that. Let's see how it is accepted.

[fred.n]

The Government has taken their best shot, I'll give them credit for that. Let's see how it is accepted.

or, if it will be accepted.

[woodbe]

And the white girl who starved to death in Hawks Nest. I think whatever is bought in to solve the problems of the aboriginies should apply to all of these "people" regardless of colour or ethnic background. This might help to relieve the perception that things are being done to Aboriginies as a special case.

HH.

The story of Shellay Ward is particularly compelling, and especially because it occurred within the bounds of a theoretically 'normal' white Australian family. Her death occurred under the very noses of the Dept of Community Services. That the child was suffering from a disability makes the story even more poignant, but try as I might, I cannot see anything other than vague parallels with the apparently generalised child abuse that has been reported of late in some indigenous communities.

Call me a bleeding heart if you want, but I shed a tear for Shellay, and I shed a tear for those terrified Aboriginal kids.

Something has to be done, and if an apology is part of the solution lets get on with it. I'm not looking for our relatively safe and comfortable white society to get equal treatment, we're not living in that particular hell, and neither are our kids.

woodbe.