Australian of the year

[corbs]

Professor Mick Dodson (Australian of the year) has called for the date of Australia Day to be changed. This cr@p really really makes me mad. Can they change their minds and take it off him now?

[Sturdee]

Actually I tend to agree, commemmorating the invasion of this continent by the British in establishing a penal settlement of New South Wales is not the right date for commemmorating the establishment of our Commonwealth.

Unfortunately the right date of the 1st of January is already a holiday.



Peter.

[echnidna]

Professor Mick Dodson is perfectly entitled to express his opinion.

Sturdee hit the nail right on the head though.

I conclude that none of the civil passengers on the first fleet actually wanted to come here, they were compelled by gun & whip. Yet their descendants don't have issue with the date of Australia Day.

Perhaps the aboriginal cause needs to consider this fact too.

Maybe Australia day should be April 1st

[Woodwould]

Australia's humanitarianism towards the country's indigenous peoples is a national shame and the cause of much derision abroad. I too think it's appalling that 'Australia Day' venerates the 1788 incursion of the First Fleet and all that followed.

Why not shift 'Australia Day' to commemorate an event everyone can be proud of… perhaps the anniversary of the day the Prime Minister said "Sorry".

[Jim Carroll]

Why dont we have a day for the indigenous peoplen we can all have another day of.

Maybe call it Indigenous sorry day.

[Gra]

I too think it's appalling that 'Australia Day' venerates the 1788 incursion of the First Fleet and all that followed. .

I can tell you, my relatives weren't to happy to be here on that date either, but they got over it. It was 200 years ago, not letting go of these things are what causes thing like the middle east and Yugoslavia

[Ron Dunn]

woodwould, if it hadn't been colonised by Australia, it would have been France, or perhaps Holland or Spain. They would have treated Aboriginal Australians far worse than anything that ever occurred under the British, imagined or real.

Aboriginal Australians should be eternally grateful that it was Britain, and not some other colonising power, which decided to assume possession of this continent.

[Sturdee]

Maybe Australia day should be April 1st

No but May the 7th, being the date the first Australian parliament was first called together. The day the nation came together through its first elected representatives meeting in Melbourne would be appropriate.

And my views has nothing to do with the Aboriginals but if it helps them as well, so much the better.



Peter.

[Big Shed]

woodwould, if it hadn't been colonised by Australia, it would have been France, or perhaps Holland or Spain. They would have treated Aboriginal Australians far worse than anything that ever occurred under the British, imagined or real.

Aboriginal Australians should be eternally grateful that it was Britain, and not some other colonising power, which decided to assume possession of this continent.

Ron I think Australia was colonised by Britain surely?

[Sturdee]

woodwould, if it hadn't been colonised by Australia, it would have been ......... Holland. They would have treated Aboriginal Australians far worse than anything that ever occurred under the British, imagined or real.

No, we would have organized them and put them to work to earn us money and no such thing as slacking of or doing their own thing or going walkabout.


Peter.

[Jack E]

Australia's humanitarianism towards the country's indigenous peoples is a national shame and the cause of much derision abroad. I too think it's appalling that 'Australia Day' venerates the 1788 incursion of the First Fleet and all that followed.

Why not shift 'Australia Day' to commemorate an event everyone can be proud of… perhaps the anniversary of the day the Prime Minister said "Sorry".

Surely you are joking

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What a pointless argument!

What difference does it really make what day we celebrate it on? I'm sure that somewhere, someone will find some reason the day isn't suitable. Every day of the year can be associated with something bad, "socially distasteful" or just plain conflicting. (as in Jan 1st, Dec 24th)

Besides, Australia Day is celebrating the landing of the First Fleet. If you don't like that, don't go around pretending that it's "Pride in Australia Day" or put some other twist on it, just don't celebrate it at all! Lobby for another date to be set aside as "Autralian Pride Day" or whatever, but don't go corrupting another part of what is our heritage, distasteful as you may find it.

I can't see anything more senseless than people trying to rewrite history. It happened and we can't change that, although we can remember and try to learn from our mistakes. How can we do that if wannabe goody two-shoe politicos go about rewriting history so we don't feel so guilty about it?


Sheesh!

Shall I shut up now?

[Cruzi]

Reconciliation is not about trying to punish Australians for something they had nothing to do with 200 years ago. Someone should remind the PC police of this.


Australia Day is about Australia and what it has become, its not a political football for someone to score points with.

[Ron Dunn]

Ron I think Australia was colonised by Britain surely?

Hahahaha ... yeah ... and I typed that message in Seattle, in a state of severe travel tiredness. Perhaps the typical American ignorance of history and geography is catching

[dazzler]

Professor Mick Dodson (Australian of the year) has called for the date of Australia Day to be changed. This cr@p really really makes me mad. Can they change their minds and take it off him now?

Hi Corbs

I thought the same until the paper arrived. Apparently he had said this in the lead up to the decision so he didnt spring it on them.

I have no time for the "sorry" industry. But I can see his point. It would hardly rate as something to celebrate.

Then again, why have Australia Day anyway, our head of state is some chick whose only credentials are that she was the result of two people who no one elected having 'relations' and then leading us.

Time for us to grow up, gets some nads and move out of home.