Racism in Australia

[Bard]

When my father came to this country as a 5 year old dutch boy a few years after world war two, he got nice comments at school such as "white ****" "dirty german" etc etc

he also found as he got older he could not get a job until he was a naturalised citizen, etc etc etc

he now is what you would consider an out and out australian.


honestly, the lack of recognition and amount of casual racism that a majority of australian people show the migrant/foreign community disgusts me. discriminating against a person because they come to a country for want of a better life, or were not born here, instead of judging an individual based on their character, to me, is wrong. this, remembering that a majority of australians are descended from migrants arriving here in the past 200 years.

obviously, racism is a touchy subject, but until the government and community leaders spend more time acknowledging casual racism is a problem and not acceptable, closing the gap between indigenous australians, and treating refugees and human beings then as jason says racism will always be ingrained into our existing community, full of many people who feel they somehow have have more of a right to this beautiful land than anybody else here.

[yeh raiders]

I think the protesters made complete fools of themselves. The rioted because their leader, a former lawyer disbarred for dishonesty, misquoted the Opposition Leader.

An absolutely pathetic display that discredits the basis for their protest.

What are they protesting anyway?

Yesterday and today's demonstrations were pathetic. Turned quite comedic yesterday though lol seeing Gillard get pushed into the car.

[Sterlk]

Heh, the PM and Tony Abbott were rushed out of a restaurant by police riot squads after Aboriginal protesters surrounded the building and started chanting "racist".

Abbott suggested on the radio that it was time for the protesters at the 'Aboriginal Embassy' to move on with their lives after however many years its been, they apparently took it as gospel that he won't rest until it is torn down.

Bunch of crazies, going to town over a statement that lacks the subtext they so willingly attributed to it, and an imaginary vendetta.

I'm aware of the potential for this post to read as racist, but my opinion here is based on their behaviour, not their ethnicity, so I stand by it. Bunch of crazies.

I'd be prepared for a very hostile response from some people of I were you.

Former ALP national president and indigenous leader Warren Mundine said the activists had over-reacted.

And this comment was made before a large group of them burned our national flag on the front steps of Parliament House. ****

Sure the protesters over-reacted but the subtext was loud and clear. He (abbott) stated in a television interview that it was time they (tent embassy protesters) moved on. The subtext to that comment is the Indignenous People who protest against the ongoing and systematic racism in our country should shut the **** up.

Abbott is a racist and a homophobe and it speaks volumes about intolerance and ignorance in the wider Australian community that this lunatic is actually an alternative leader of this country.

There may be other subtext in there, but that's not the subtext I was talking about. They interpreted this protest is no longer as relevant as it was 40 years ago, they should move on with their lives as Tony Abbott is going to tear our tents down!

As things have been revealed, I no longer place as much blame for the incident on them, I don't think they even heard Tony Abbott first-hand. The chain of events goes a little something like this:

• Tony Abbott is questioned on the relevance of the tent embassy on its 40 year anniversary by a radio host
• A media staffer in Julia Gillard's office sees an opportunity for political one-upmanship and releases Tony Abbott's location to an unknown party (confirmed this morning, no longer just a rumour)
• The third party releases Abbott's location to that Aboriginal activist lady, who proceeds to round up the protesters and misleadingly shout something akin to "Tony Abbott is going to come and tear these tents down!"
• The protesters, acting on second or third hand information and not having heard Abbott's comments for themselves, rush the restaurant.

[Bard]

i did like the line from the protesters the next day when holding gillards shoe "we were horrified by the treatment miss gillard received from her security and the afp that caused her to lose her shoe."

idiots

[Green eyed Mick]

I think the protesters made complete fools of themselves. The rioted because their leader, a former lawyer disbarred for dishonesty, misquoted the Opposition Leader.

An absolutely pathetic display that discredits the basis for their protest.

What are they protesting anyway?

Yesterday and today's demonstrations were pathetic. Turned quite comedic yesterday though lol seeing Gillard get pushed into the car.

I don't want to have a go but your comment speaks volumes. That kind of ignorance and judgement without the full story is a huge problem in our country. Too many people form and voice their opinions without the facts and the idiots in our society run with it.

Abbotts comments however innocuous on the surface were seen by one side as a subtle message to shut the **** up and seen by another side as a political leader supporting their racist and anglo-dominant agenda.

If Abbott had half a brain or wanted to avoid controversy (you decide which cap fits) he would have said he respects the protesters opinions and his party is committed to working with indigenous leaders to improve outcomes for all Indigenous Australians.

Abbott plays any and every angle and this time he almost got caught out.

[Sterlk]

That kind of ignorance and judgement without the full story is a huge problem in our country. Too many people form and voice their opinions without the facts and the idiots in our society run with it.

Abbotts comments however innocuous on the surface were seen by one side as a subtle message to shut the **** up and seen by another side as a political leader supporting their racist and anglo-dominant agenda.

Firstly, that top paragraph of yours is exactly what happened with the protesters; they weren't informed on the actual comments, they didn't have the facts, in your own words they are the "idiots" in our society that ran with it.

Secondly, I have yet to see anybody but you see his comments as supporting a "racist and anglo-dominant agenda". The only people in the numerous reports I have read that have a similar opinion are the protesters themselves, who by all accounts operated on second hand information and didn't even hear the comments.

Reporters, political commentators and aboriginal leaders all agree the comments are completely innocuous, and Laurie Oakes has argued that the full statement when not taken out of context portrays the progress and community in a positive light:

Abbott, for his part, has copped flak for allegedly firing up the tent embassy mob with provocative comments earlier in the day. It is a bum rap.

Abbott simply spoke of progress made via such things as Kevin Rudd's historic apology since the tent embassy was first established, and suggested that it probably is time to move on from that.

It takes a twisted mind to interpret the basically positive remark as a threat to tear the so-called embassy down.

Lastly, your attitude towards Tony Abbott on the whole appears completely vitriolic, and I would suggest you are at this point incapable of viewing his comments without bias.

[Professor]

I think the protesters made complete fools of themselves. The rioted because their leader, a former lawyer disbarred for dishonesty, misquoted the Opposition Leader.

An absolutely pathetic display that discredits the basis for their protest.

What are they protesting anyway?

Yesterday and today's demonstrations were pathetic. Turned quite comedic yesterday though lol seeing Gillard get pushed into the car.

I don't want to have a go but your comment speaks volumes. That kind of ignorance and judgement without the full story is a huge problem in our country. Too many people form and voice their opinions without the facts and the idiots in our society run with it.

Abbotts comments however innocuous on the surface were seen by one side as a subtle message to shut the **** up and seen by another side as a political leader supporting their racist and anglo-dominant agenda.

If Abbott had half a brain or wanted to avoid controversy (you decide which cap fits) he would have said he respects the protesters opinions and his party is committed to working with indigenous leaders to improve outcomes for all Indigenous Australians.

Abbott plays any and every angle and this time he almost got caught out.

Bold point - I think you will find that both sides of Government have invested billions of dollars over many years to do exactly that. Perhaps the protesters could have not been so ignorant themselves and perhaps considered this when they over reacted to his comments.

Perhaps next time, due to the ignorance shown by these protesters, either leader should outline, via remedial pictures on a chalk board the context within which their following comments stems from.

Anyway, Mick, I thought the events of 26 January were disgusting enough without our national flag being allowed to burn on the front steps of Parliament House just the following day.

Disgusting, **** disgusting!

[Green eyed Mick]

That kind of ignorance and judgement without the full story is a huge problem in our country. Too many people form and voice their opinions without the facts and the idiots in our society run with it.

Abbotts comments however innocuous on the surface were seen by one side as a subtle message to shut the **** up and seen by another side as a political leader supporting their racist and anglo-dominant agenda.

Firstly, that top paragraph of yours is exactly what happened with the protesters; they weren't informed on the actual comments, they didn't have the facts, in your own words they are the "idiots" in our society that ran with it.

Secondly, I have yet to see anybody but you see his comments as supporting a "racist and anglo-dominant agenda". The only people in the numerous reports I have read that have a similar opinion are the protesters themselves, who by all accounts operated on second hand information and didn't even hear the comments.

Reporters, political commentators and aboriginal leaders all agree the comments are completely innocuous, and Laurie Oakes has argued that the full statement when not taken out of context portrays the progress and community in a positive light:

Abbott, for his part, has copped flak for allegedly firing up the tent embassy mob with provocative comments earlier in the day. It is a bum rap.

Abbott simply spoke of progress made via such things as Kevin Rudd's historic apology since the tent embassy was first established, and suggested that it probably is time to move on from that.

It takes a twisted mind to interpret the basically positive remark as a threat to tear the so-called embassy down.

Lastly, your attitude towards Tony Abbott on the whole appears completely vitriolic, and I would suggest you are at this point incapable of viewing his comments without bias.

Abbott is a racist and a homophobe. His attitude and position on asylum seekers and his parties position on immigrants is straight up racist and his opinion on gay rights is even more worse.

If someone is a known bigot and racist than any comment that can be interpreted as racist is likely to be interpretted as racist. There is nothing Abbott can say or do that won't arouse suspicion amongst indigenous rights activists or asylum seeker advocates or even gay rights activists because his racist opinions are on record.

[gangrenous]

Abbott is a racist and a homophobe. His attitude and position on asylum seekers and his parties position on immigrants is straight up racist and his opinion on gay rights is even more worse.

If someone is a known bigot and racist than any comment that can be interpreted as racist is likely to be interpretted as racist. There is nothing Abbott can say or do that won't arouse suspicion amongst indigenous rights activists or asylum seeker advocates or even gay rights activists because his racist opinions are on record.

See that's when you know you've been beaten in the argument. You resort to arguing on previous character and that he has to tip toe on eggs shells not to have his comments twisted.

If what he said was truly offensive and racist, you wouldn't have had to end up here in the argument.

[Green eyed Mick]

I think the protesters made complete fools of themselves. The rioted because their leader, a former lawyer disbarred for dishonesty, misquoted the Opposition Leader.

An absolutely pathetic display that discredits the basis for their protest.

What are they protesting anyway?

Yesterday and today's demonstrations were pathetic. Turned quite comedic yesterday though lol seeing Gillard get pushed into the car.

I don't want to have a go but your comment speaks volumes. That kind of ignorance and judgement without the full story is a huge problem in our country. Too many people form and voice their opinions without the facts and the idiots in our society run with it.

Abbotts comments however innocuous on the surface were seen by one side as a subtle message to shut the **** up and seen by another side as a political leader supporting their racist and anglo-dominant agenda.

If Abbott had half a brain or wanted to avoid controversy (you decide which cap fits) he would have said he respects the protesters opinions and his party is committed to working with indigenous leaders to improve outcomes for all Indigenous Australians.

Abbott plays any and every angle and this time he almost got caught out.

Bold point - I think you will find that both sides of Government have invested billions of dollars over many years to do exactly that. Perhaps the protesters could have not been so ignorant themselves and perhaps considered this when they over reacted to his comments.

Perhaps next time, due to the ignorance shown by these protesters, either leader should outline, via remedial pictures on a chalk board the context within which their following comments stems from.

Anyway, Mick, I thought the events of 26 January were disgusting enough without our national flag being allowed to burn on the front steps of Parliament House just the following day.

Disgusting, **** disgusting!

You might not be aware of your history or you just might want to ignore it but for the best part of 210 years Aboriginal people have been treated disgracefully in this country and many Indigenous Australians still suffer systematic racism and disadvantage.

Most people will never know what it is like to live with the burden of generations of racism and systematic abuse and neglect. Nobody has the right to tell those people when they should 'move on' and nobody unless they share that burden can hope to understand just how seemingly innocuous comments can cut so deeply.

On a personal level I think soldiers wearing our nations flag whilst they engage in illegal and immoral wars is far more disgusting. Moreover the Australian flag is seen by many Indigenous Australians as a symbol of oppression. After all it was the British who stole their country and it was their ancestors and their systems that abused an entire race of people for more than 2 centuries.

Anywho. Australia day is becoming increasingly controversial. The 24 hour news cycle plays up the different racist undertones and the idiots on all sides run with it.

[Green eyed Mick]

Abbott is a racist and a homophobe. His attitude and position on asylum seekers and his parties position on immigrants is straight up racist and his opinion on gay rights is even more worse.

If someone is a known bigot and racist than any comment that can be interpreted as racist is likely to be interpretted as racist. There is nothing Abbott can say or do that won't arouse suspicion amongst indigenous rights activists or asylum seeker advocates or even gay rights activists because his racist opinions are on record.

See that's when you know you've been beaten in the argument. You resort to arguing on previous character and that he has to tip toe on eggs shells not to have his comments twisted.

If what he said was truly offensive and racist, you wouldn't have had to end up here in the argument.

When you talk about what people say and do, especially politicians their known opinions and positions have to be taken into consideration.

Besides, you and abbott don't get to decide what is offensive and what is racist. You might think Gambaro saying that Immigrants need to be taught to wear deodorant is not a racist statement but the fact that Immigrants take offensive and the fact that it paints a group of people with a negative stereotype makes it racist.

I personally think all religious people are simple minded idiots without the intellectual capacity for independant thought. That is, in my opinion a statement of fact and I don't believe it is offensive. Unfortunately I don't get to choose how people interpret my comments so if I don't want to cause offence to small minded religious people I shouldn't discuss the topic.

[gangrenous]

So your solution is the leader of the opposition never talking about race relations then?

Sure people are offended by different things. But I'm getting fed up of people getting mauled because 0.0005% of the population is offended. Some people are offended by bloody everything and they don't deserve to cut out valid debate because they might be hurt by some things that are said.

If something is justifiably offensive or racist as would be agreed by a significant portion of the population then fair enough. But if you can't explain why the comments were offensive or racist and resort to previous behaviour etc. then I think you're just looking for reasons to be offended.

[Sterlk]

We've got nearly 23 million people in this country, if politicians didn't discuss anything that could possibly cause offence to anybody... then they wouldn't say anything at all.

As it stands, the only people that seem to have taken offence to Abbott's comments are a splinter group of Aboriginal protesters that don't represent the majority, and a small number of biased individuals (yourself included) that have so much pre-existing bias regarding Tony Abbott that they're determined to twist anything he says to suit their agenda.

[Green eyed Mick]

Abbott is free to discuss whatever he feels like discussing but when the party he leads has racist policies and a very checkered history when it comes to indigenous and race relations he has to accept the fact that whatever he says on race relations will be viewed in a certain context.

FTR I wasn't offended by his comments but I can understand why others were and I think that Abbott should have been smart enough to stay well away from the topic.

Australia has a strong under current of racism. It has been around since day 1 and won't be going anywhere whilst people like Abbott, Gillard, Murdoch, Rhinehart and co are running this country

[Green eyed Mick]

So your solution is the leader of the opposition never talking about race relations then?

Sure people are offended by different things. But I'm getting fed up of people getting mauled because 0.0005% of the population is offended. Some people are offended by bloody everything and they don't deserve to cut out valid debate because they might be hurt by some things that are said.

If something is justifiably offensive or racist as would be agreed by a significant portion of the population then fair enough. But if you can't explain why the comments were offensive or racist and resort to previous behaviour etc. then I think you're just looking for reasons to be offended.

I don't have to explain why they were perceived as racist and offensive to a certain group of people that is not my responsibility. Moreover I wouldn't try to assume how they feel because I can't possibly imagine what many Indigenous Australians have been through.

But perhaps if you don't understand why they might be offended you could take your ass down to the tent embassy and ask them yourself why what Tony Abbot said was insensitive and offensive.

[gerg]

Anybody suggesting that Abbott isn't racist is living under a white rock. Within the past month he has suggested that we should tow asylum seeking boats back to Indonesia to solve our immigration problem - yes the immigration PROBLEM that has let in just over a 1000 people in the past year or so.......... 1000 people ???? Yet this whole issue has turned into the biggest issue in Australian politics.... Are some Australian's really so pathetic, have we seriously become so devoid of independent and logical thought? You read some of the opinions on public news forums and it seems to be a massive issue to some people - are these opinions the general consensus or is it just the ignorant minority that give more of a crap about it, to the point where they voice their opinion - and everybody opposed just says nothing.

I actually work with a young indigenous lady and I talked to her for a good 45 minutes about what had happened at the tent embassy. The protestors were not even 5% of the indigenous community that had gathered there to commemorate 40 years of the tent embassy. The majority of the elders were disgusted by the actions of this rogue group of protestors who travel around the country protesting about everything. They are renowned to be very confronting and quite violent. Following the PMs departure there was heated argument for hours between the two groups. Now they have the media watching their every move they are going to pull some stunts.

This whole situation reminds me of a few years ago in the lead up to the Cronulla riots... The media needs to just take a bit of a step back from this whole hate campaign for a start.

[Green eyed Mick]

Anybody suggesting that Abbott isn't racist is living under a white rock. Within the past month he has suggested that we should tow asylum seeking boats back to Indonesia to solve our immigration problem - yes the immigration PROBLEM that has let in just over a 1000 people in the past year or so.......... 1000 people ???? Yet this whole issue has turned into the biggest issue in Australian politics.... Are some Australian's really so pathetic, have we seriously become so devoid of independent and logical thought? You read some of the opinions on public news forums and it seems to be a massive issue to some people - are these opinions the general consensus or is it just the ignorant minority that give more of a crap about it, to the point where they voice their opinion - and everybody opposed just says nothing.

I actually work with a young indigenous lady and I talked to her for a good 45 minutes about what had happened at the tent embassy. The protestors were not even 5% of the indigenous community that had gathered there to commemorate 40 years of the tent embassy. The majority of the elders were disgusted by the actions of this rogue group of protestors who travel around the country protesting about everything. They are renowned to be very confronting and quite violent. Following the PMs departure there was heated argument for hours between the two groups. Now they have the media watching their every move they are going to pull some stunts.

This whole situation reminds me of a few years ago in the lead up to the Cronulla riots... The media needs to just take a bit of a step back from this whole hate campaign for a start.

I think sadly the ignorant minority is actually a majority. It is hard to unwind 200 plus years of racist attitudes towards indigenous people and racist attitudes towards non-anglo immigration. It is especially hard when both sides of politics and the media do absolutely nothing tangible to try and change public attitudes. In fact they go the other way and cement racist attitudes in the community.

[Professor]

I think the protesters made complete fools of themselves. The rioted because their leader, a former lawyer disbarred for dishonesty, misquoted the Opposition Leader.

An absolutely pathetic display that discredits the basis for their protest.

What are they protesting anyway?

Yesterday and today's demonstrations were pathetic. Turned quite comedic yesterday though lol seeing Gillard get pushed into the car.

I don't want to have a go but your comment speaks volumes. That kind of ignorance and judgement without the full story is a huge problem in our country. Too many people form and voice their opinions without the facts and the idiots in our society run with it.

Abbotts comments however innocuous on the surface were seen by one side as a subtle message to shut the **** up and seen by another side as a political leader supporting their racist and anglo-dominant agenda.

If Abbott had half a brain or wanted to avoid controversy (you decide which cap fits) he would have said he respects the protesters opinions and his party is committed to working with indigenous leaders to improve outcomes for all Indigenous Australians.

Abbott plays any and every angle and this time he almost got caught out.

Bold point - I think you will find that both sides of Government have invested billions of dollars over many years to do exactly that. Perhaps the protesters could have not been so ignorant themselves and perhaps considered this when they over reacted to his comments.

Perhaps next time, due to the ignorance shown by these protesters, either leader should outline, via remedial pictures on a chalk board the context within which their following comments stems from.

Anyway, Mick, I thought the events of 26 January were disgusting enough without our national flag being allowed to burn on the front steps of Parliament House just the following day.

Disgusting, **** disgusting!

You might not be aware of your history or you just might want to ignore it but for the best part of 210 years Aboriginal people have been treated disgracefully in this country and many Indigenous Australians still suffer systematic racism and disadvantage.

Most people will never know what it is like to live with the burden of generations of racism and systematic abuse and neglect. Nobody has the right to tell those people when they should 'move on' and nobody unless they share that burden can hope to understand just how seemingly innocuous comments can cut so deeply.

On a personal level I think soldiers wearing our nations flag whilst they engage in illegal and immoral wars is far more disgusting. Moreover the Australian flag is seen by many Indigenous Australians as a symbol of oppression. After all it was the British who stole their country and it was their ancestors and their systems that abused an entire race of people for more than 2 centuries.

Anywho. Australia day is becoming increasingly controversial. The 24 hour news cycle plays up the different racist undertones and the idiots on all sides run with it.

I'm taking some advice from your signature block, Mick, so consider my discussion with you, in regards to these events, over.

[Green eyed Mick]

You added nothing to the conversation Raider85. Just an ignorant opinion and a tacit admission that you have no real understanding of the issues.

[Albi]

GEM is right. It's not up to a privileged majority to decide what or what isn't racist regarding comments made about an underprivileged minority.
As for the actions of the protesters, I offer this: Imagine you're living in your home when suddenly a group of armed men forcibly remove you and your family and tell you to go live in the park down the road. They take up residence, then every year have a massive party to celebrate their conquest right under their nose.
Despite your family suffering hardship and health outcomes that would be considered to be totally unacceptable to those who displaced you; they expect you to be grateful and accepting. One day one of their political leaders chides you for your continued protestations about your struggles and tells you that it's not really relevant anymore and you should probably just get over it.

[Off]

Albi is right, We should all be whipped and removed from Australia immeadiately.

[dubby]

GEM is right. It's not up to a privileged majority to decide what or what isn't racist regarding comments made about an underprivileged minority.
As for the actions of the protesters, I offer this: Imagine you're living in your home when suddenly a group of armed men forcibly remove you and your family and tell you to go live in the park down the road. They take up residence, then every year have a massive party to celebrate their conquest right under their nose.
Despite your family suffering hardship and health outcomes that would be considered to be totally unacceptable to those who displaced you; they expect you to be grateful and accepting. One day one of their political leaders chides you for your continued protestations about your struggles and tells you that it's not really relevant anymore and you should probably just get over it.

Albi.....

We are not the only nation where a force with supreme fire power or organization has come and usurped a people.

Rome did it quite well
Alexander the Great
Germany tried it
Spain
Portugese
The Dutch

have all done what the English did here.

And here's a newsflash for you; the Aboriginals fought and killed each other over land before the English arrived.

I like you Albi, you are a very smart guy. Your extreme left views are hard to comprehend sometimes though mate.

[Off]

No, No, No Dubs we must pack our bags immeadiately and head back home to England to seek compensation from the Englishman who made the decision to colonise Australia, Is he still alive?

[FuiFui BradBrad]

No, No, No Dubs we must pack our bags immeadiately and head back home to England to seek compensation from the Englishman who made the decision to colonise Australia, Is he still alive?

I'm with you Q. Maybe we can get an apology for sending us to a remote island in the middle of nowhere and leave us here to die. Might get the land back my family owned before they were brought over here

[Albi]

GEM is right. It's not up to a privileged majority to decide what or what isn't racist regarding comments made about an underprivileged minority.
As for the actions of the protesters, I offer this: Imagine you're living in your home when suddenly a group of armed men forcibly remove you and your family and tell you to go live in the park down the road. They take up residence, then every year have a massive party to celebrate their conquest right under their nose.
Despite your family suffering hardship and health outcomes that would be considered to be totally unacceptable to those who displaced you; they expect you to be grateful and accepting. One day one of their political leaders chides you for your continued protestations about your struggles and tells you that it's not really relevant anymore and you should probably just get over it.

Albi.....

We are not the only nation where a force with supreme fire power or organization has come and usurped a people.

Rome did it quite well
Alexander the Great
Germany tried it
Spain
Portugese
The Dutch

have all done what the English did here.

And here's a newsflash for you; the Aboriginals fought and killed each other over land before the English arrived.

I like you Albi, you are a very smart guy. Your extreme left views are hard to comprehend sometimes though mate.

I like you too, Dub, but is it your contention that the existence of other historic atrocities justifies, or perhaps minimises, the appalling treatment of Aboriginals? Really?? Imagine if you applied that principle broadly... As long you could prove that something similar or worse has happened in the past, you could justify anything.

As for Question's imbecilic straw man; no one is claiming that 'white' aussies should pack up and leave..

[dubby]

I am not attempting to justify abuse of our aborignal forebears through precedence of other cultures, albi.

Sadly all this is a result of human nature. Since the dawn of time we have fought and killed each other for land.

But you do agree that the aborignal people also held "tribal wars" amongst themselves long before foreign settlers arrived?

[Sterlk]

GEM is right. It's not up to a privileged majority to decide what or what isn't racist regarding comments made about an underprivileged minority.
As for the actions of the protesters, I offer this: Imagine you're living in your home when suddenly a group of armed men forcibly remove you and your family and tell you to go live in the park down the road. They take up residence, then every year have a massive party to celebrate their conquest right under their nose.
Despite your family suffering hardship and health outcomes that would be considered to be totally unacceptable to those who displaced you; they expect you to be grateful and accepting. One day one of their political leaders chides you for your continued protestations about your struggles and tells you that it's not really relevant anymore and you should probably just get over it.

That's a pretty misleading analogy. Particularly because home ownership as we know it is on a plot of land not too much larger than a house.

Using your analogy, its more akin to a stranger building a little house on the property of a farmer who claims ownership to land equivalent to the size of Canberra.

How much of this country has been developed anyway, even now? We have virtually the lowest population density in the world, and the majority of the population resides in the capital cities anyway. I would guess that something like 80% of the population exists in about 3% of the country's landmass. There's probably about 90% of the country or more that is in the same condition that it was before Cook first landed.

It's my own uninformed opinion that much of the hardship and poor health outcomes evident in the Aboriginal populous exist because they choose to segregate themselves from us. Before British colonisation the Indigenous had virtually nil technology and (presumably) a life expectancy to match. The elimination of many social hardships and the benefit of modern medicine is a by-product of modern society, how can the Aboriginal population be expected to have a matching life expectancy and all the rest when many of them want nothing to do with modern society?

Of those that go to school and have jobs and houses like the rest of us, I have no doubt that their standard of living is roughly equivalent. To the best of my knowledge the aid needed for any Indigenous person to fully participate in society is there, all it requires is the willingness to do so.

I fully expect to face some kind of lambasting for my opinion, so let my say this: if anybody chooses to respond to my views, leave your high-maintenance ultra-politically-correct screeching at the door, and respond with honesty, frankness and dignity instead.

[Albi]

Of course they fought each other; in the same way that every neighbouring group of people, regardless of ethnicity, fought. Still plenty of examples going on today.. Don't really see the relevance though. All Aboriginals tribal groups were displaced, and in many cases, completely annihilated following the first fleet's arrival... Today Aboriginal's measure of wellbeing including health, economic status, employment and social dysfunction, lag considerably behind so called mainstream Australians.. This is a national embarrassment.. This was the protestors beef. In light of what I just pointed out, Abbot's comments about the embassy (which is a reminder to us all about these issues) no longer being relevant, are shall we say, ill informed.

[Albi]

GEM is right. It's not up to a privileged majority to decide what or what isn't racist regarding comments made about an underprivileged minority.
As for the actions of the protesters, I offer this: Imagine you're living in your home when suddenly a group of armed men forcibly remove you and your family and tell you to go live in the park down the road. They take up residence, then every year have a massive party to celebrate their conquest right under their nose.
Despite your family suffering hardship and health outcomes that would be considered to be totally unacceptable to those who displaced you; they expect you to be grateful and accepting. One day one of their political leaders chides you for your continued protestations about your struggles and tells you that it's not really relevant anymore and you should probably just get over it.

That's a pretty misleading analogy. Particularly because home ownership as we know it is on a plot of land not too much larger than a house.

Using your analogy, its more akin to a stranger building a little house on the property of a farmer who claims ownership to land equivalent to the size of Canberra.

How much of this country has been developed anyway, even now? We have virtually the lowest population density in the world, and the majority of the population resides in the capital cities anyway. I would guess that something like 80% of the population exists in about 3% of the country's landmass. There's probably about 90% of the country or more that is in the same condition that it was before Cook first landed.

It's my own uninformed opinion that much of the hardship and poor health outcomes evident in the Aboriginal populous exist because they choose to segregate themselves from us. Before British colonisation the Indigenous had virtually nil technology and (presumably) a life expectancy to match. The elimination of many social hardships and the benefit of modern medicine is a by-product of modern society, how can the Aboriginal population be expected to have a matching life expectancy and all the rest when many of them want nothing to do with modern society?

Of those that go to school and have jobs and houses like the rest of us, I have no doubt that their standard of living is roughly equivalent. To the best of my knowledge the aid needed for any Indigenous person to fully participate in society is there, all it requires is the willingness to do so.

I fully expect to face some kind of lambasting for my opinion, so let my say this: if anybody chooses to respond to my views, leave your high-maintenance ultra-politically-correct screeching at the door, and respond with honesty, frankness and dignity instead.

You write an ill informed, highly provocation, demonstrably false and politically charged post, then demand others not use precisely the same rhetorical tools Surely you're taking the piss

Firstly, The first fleet pronounced Australia, terra nullius upon arrival.. If you don't know what that means, look it up and discover how utterly false and offensive that was.

Secondly, there's this hilarious notion that Aboriginals lived solely in the desert.. The stereotypical image of an Australian Aboriginal standing amongst red soil holding a spear is recognised around the world, however, this is entirely misleading.. Of course many did, however, most used to live exactly where we now live.. Why? for the same reason we do; abundance of appropriate land for food, climate etc...So your suggestion that that they should just go live somewhere else, completely ignores the fact only a fraction of our country is inhabitable and all the 'good land' is taken.

This:

The elimination of many social hardships and the benefit of modern medicine is a by-product of modern society, how can the Aboriginal population be expected to have a matching life expectancy and all the rest when many of them want nothing to do with modern society?

Is just plain stupid.. are you really serious? Aboriginals were forced to live in crowded missions, and were denied access to education and other services taken for granted by many that would have allowed them progress and become part of the 'mainstream' Instead they were discriminated against, and described by people of the day as being lesser human beings than Europeans. They were treated like animals, and you wonder why 150+ years of appalling treatment still resonates today. They weren't afforded a vote in their own country until about 40 years ago, and you're suggesting it's 'their fault' and that they chose to have 'nothing to do with us'?? They weren't given a choice. **** me dead, I'm speechless.

[Manbush]

Mountain out of a molehill by people taking second hand info as fact just looking for an excuse to cause trouble, good to see some of the elders actually condemning it and supporting Abbott.

Hint guys you want respect you have to deserve it and going off like this just damages your cause.
.

[Green eyed Mick]

Mountain out of a molehill by people taking second hand info as fact just looking for an excuse to cause trouble, good to see some of the elders actually condemning it and supporting Abbott.

Hint guys you want respect you have to deserve it and going off like this just damages your cause.
.

What have successive governments over 200 years done to deserve the respect of Aboriginal people?

GEM is right. It's not up to a privileged majority to decide what or what isn't racist regarding comments made about an underprivileged minority.
As for the actions of the protesters, I offer this: Imagine you're living in your home when suddenly a group of armed men forcibly remove you and your family and tell you to go live in the park down the road. They take up residence, then every year have a massive party to celebrate their conquest right under their nose.
Despite your family suffering hardship and health outcomes that would be considered to be totally unacceptable to those who displaced you; they expect you to be grateful and accepting. One day one of their political leaders chides you for your continued protestations about your struggles and tells you that it's not really relevant anymore and you should probably just get over it.

That's a pretty misleading analogy. Particularly because home ownership as we know it is on a plot of land not too much larger than a house.

Using your analogy, its more akin to a stranger building a little house on the property of a farmer who claims ownership to land equivalent to the size of Canberra.

How much of this country has been developed anyway, even now? We have virtually the lowest population density in the world, and the majority of the population resides in the capital cities anyway. I would guess that something like 80% of the population exists in about 3% of the country's landmass. There's probably about 90% of the country or more that is in the same condition that it was before Cook first landed.

It's my own uninformed opinion that much of the hardship and poor health outcomes evident in the Aboriginal populous exist because they choose to segregate themselves from us. Before British colonisation the Indigenous had virtually nil technology and (presumably) a life expectancy to match. The elimination of many social hardships and the benefit of modern medicine is a by-product of modern society, how can the Aboriginal population be expected to have a matching life expectancy and all the rest when many of them want nothing to do with modern society?

Of those that go to school and have jobs and houses like the rest of us, I have no doubt that their standard of living is roughly equivalent. To the best of my knowledge the aid needed for any Indigenous person to fully participate in society is there, all it requires is the willingness to do so.

I fully expect to face some kind of lambasting for my opinion, so let my say this: if anybody chooses to respond to my views, leave your high-maintenance ultra-politically-correct screeching at the door, and respond with honesty, frankness and dignity instead.

Our cities and highly populated areas are where they are because of the quality of the land and natural resources in those areas. If the white man chose places like Sydney and Brisbane to build cities he did so because of the abundance of fresh water, quality grazing land and protection from the elements. The fact is Inidgenous people used to live in the same places we now live for the same reasons.

Most Aboriginals that live in isolated places like Cherburg and Woorabinda live there because they were rounded up from places like Moreton Bay, the Glasshouse mountains, The hinterlands and coastal regions in SE and Central QLD. They were sent there and many were sent to Cherburg or Woorabinda based on how light their skin was and how likely they were to assimilate into white society. In these round-up many families were split up. Sisters, Brothers sent to different communities. Moreover up until a few short decades ago these communities were like prisons. Residents needed permission to come or go and most could only leave if they had gainful employment. Many would have to check-in with the local police like a parolee even those with regular jobs and a perfectly clean record. In short up until 1967 Aboriginal people were treated like animals in this country. Under the constitution they were second-class citizens.

SO........Here is some honestly for you. You are completely ignorant when it comes to Indigenous history and culture so you have an obligation to keep you mouth shut on the topic. IMO you are not entitled to an opinion because your opinion is born out of ignorance not knowledge and is offensive to those of us that make an effort to try and understand our nations history. Moreover I dare say your opinion is incredibly offensive to many indigenous people.

Overt Racism sucks but the covert racism that exists and thrives on ignorance is the real problem facing this country.

[T_R]

I don't want to have a go but your comment speaks volumes. That kind of ignorance and judgement without the full story is a huge problem in our country. Too many people form and voice their opinions without the facts and the idiots in our society run with it.

You may be right, but the widespread condemnation of the protester's actions by other aboriginal groups suggests to me that I'm not too far off the mark.

[Off]

We Know that this Gem bloke is a self loathing raiders supporter, but he could very well be one of these self loathing whiteys that GCR bangs on about.

[gangrenous]

I find some of your views offensive and racist Albi.

[Professor]

So, what's the idea, Albi? Only after 150 + years of trying to right past wrongs will everyone be on a level playing field, at which time similar actions to those of 26 and 27 January, in the eyes of yourself and Mick, will then be considered inappropriate?