A third of Australians think that the apology wasn't required. Appalling, that.
This is what one person had to say :
"I think they should say 'Thank you, for giving us a chance to be educated and getting somewhere in life'"
A third of Australians think that the apology wasn't required. Appalling, that.
This is what one person had to say :
"I think they should say 'Thank you, for giving us a chance to be educated and getting somewhere in life'"
I agree with the latter part of that article. I think that even though an apology would be a correct symbolic gesture, deeper measures should be taken to assure equalty. This can be applied to every corner of the world, actually. Discrimination, iniquity and injustice are everywhere. This means that there are tons of people who think this is the way things should be and that there's no need for a change, so I'm not surprised people are saying that in this case an apology isn't required. It is appalling though.
The problem with equality is that it never results in people being equal, it seems these days that every ethnic group, or sexual orientation, or religion has task forces or help groups or more rights than others. Equality should mean equality that's why it has the fucking word EQUAL in it. The crap going on at the moment with "Affirmative Action" is a prime example. There was an example the last time I was in Scotland, there were two guys on the radio discussing world Holocaust day, One guy was suggesting that they change it to include everyone and possibly rename it world Genocide day, The Jewish guy went mental, saying that he was being belittled and that would demeen the memory of all Holocaust victims. Ok fair eniough but does that mean that because you lost everthything in the Balkans or Rwanda for example that you don't count cause it wasn't part of the Holocaust??
The problem with equality is that it never results in people being equal, it seems these days that every ethnic group, or sexual orientation, or religion has task forces or help groups or more rights than others. Equality should mean equality that's why it has the fucking word EQUAL in it...
Dubz
Equality means exactly what it means, as you say it has equal in it. It is a value, a philosophy, a political objective/aim/target for our so called democratic societies. In reality equality does NOT exist, even and specially in nature.
That is why people, all kind of groups as those you list, have each of them to fight for equality for their people. What I mean more simply is that I agree with what you're pointing out but it is the equality itself which doesn't exist in the first place and then people have to fight for it rather than people fight for equality and in the end it doesn't result in people beeing equal.
The problem with equality is that it never results in people being equal, it seems these days that every ethnic group, or sexual orientation, or religion has task forces or help groups or more rights than others. Equality should mean equality that's why it has the fucking word EQUAL in it...
Dubz
Equality means exactly what it means, as you say it has equal in it. It is a value, a philosophy, a political objective/aim/target for our so called democratic societies. In reality equality does NOT exist, even and specially in nature.
That is why people, all kind of groups as those you list, have each of them to fight for equality for their people. What I mean more simply is that I agree with what you're pointing out but it is the equality itself which doesn't exist in the first place and then people have to fight for it rather than people fight for equality and in the end it doesn't result in people beeing equal.
How very true, It's a pity it's not an ideal world, unfortunately it is Human Nature for the next "man" to want more, hence the reason Communism will never work, even though it's a good theory.
How very true, It's a pity it's not an ideal world, unfortunately it is Human Nature for the next "man" to want more, hence the reason Communism will never work, even though it's a good theory.
Dubz
Oh yes indeed, and this is also exactly why capitalism or let's dare naming it liberalism will never work either, exactly for the same reason.
How very true, It's a pity it's not an ideal world, unfortunately it is Human Nature for the next "man" to want more, hence the reason Communism will never work, even though it's a good theory.
Dubz
Oh yes indeed, and this is also exactly why capitalism or let's dare naming it liberalism will never work either, exactly for the same reason.
So what the people think now in Australia might and will probably evolve in the next few years/decades.
That's true, I guess I was wrong in judging so soon.
I Came in Through the Bathroom Window wrote:
I agree with the latter part of that article. I think that even though an apology would be a correct symbolic gesture, deeper measures should be taken to assure equalty. This can be applied to every corner of the world, actually. Discrimination, iniquity and injustice are everywhere. This means that there are tons of people who think this is the way things should be and that there's no need for a change, so I'm not surprised people are saying that in this case an apology isn't required. It is appalling though.
I agree that sorry is only a gesture and deeper measures must be taken, but it seems like the people don't think an apology is necessary because they think it did the indigenous people a world of good, rather than because practical measures are not been taken. But as sorry angel suggests, opinions may change over time...
Good discussion...
Having lived in Australia myself, both in Perth and up in the Kimberley's (outback) where 7/10 of the population were aborigine, I kind of got a feel for the situation as I saw it.
I think the apology was needed for a long time, and to me, and for thousands of aborigines it represented more than the words 'sorry' and 'equality' they represented the admission that they had wrong done to them, by the people who should have protected them. By refusing to apologise the government (Howard etc) was essentially saying there was nothing to be sorry for. And it's still continuing, the idea that there should be no apology probably comes from people who perhaps have never even SEEN an aborigine, but still say (expertly...) 'oh, they're just drunks and addicts' And probably people who knew their parents...and cousins...and culture....
When I lived up north, I felt there was a hopelessness, and this apology and admission of wrong, Sorry Day, finally brings their problems beyond drunkeness, to the national awareness that there's an entire population of people who no longer know their heritage, and still more who are living in third world conditions, with infant mortality rates sky high (my mum was an outback midwife)alcoholism, and substandard education.
It's not just about equality, it's not that simple. But this single apology will hopefully finally open the entire country to take responsibility for it's past, and give aborigines back the respect and courage to take responsibility, along with all other australians, for their future.
