A historically significant day for Australians

[Aliantha]

It's not sudden. It's been coming for decades now, and probably would have happened sooner but our previous conservative government was too afraid to acknowledge any wrong because they felt similarly to Merc and lookout. That is to say, they refused to see that this event could be the start of a healing process between indigenous and non indigenous australians and prefered to think that if they did they'd be accepting guilt and possible financial losses. This topic has been debated in the public forum for years and years.

Maybe this will cost money, but whatever that cost is, I say it is a small price to pay for giving Aboriginal people back their dignity.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Maybe this will cost money, but whatever that cost is, I say it is a small price to pay for giving Aboriginal people back their dignity.

Probably more important: will it make them a better member of the assimilated nation called Australia? Probably the most difficult part of correcting such wrongs is to make the discriminated a productive and welcome member of that society.

Will this accomplish the goal? I have not a clue. But I suspect that most important objective is the ultimate intent.

The Gods Must Be Crazy is a favorite movie. The aboriginal is the only sane person as he disposes of that coke bottle. But only he (and maybe the coke bottle) knows it.

[DucksNuts]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Maybe this will cost money, but whatever that cost is, I say it is a small price to pay for giving Aboriginal people back their dignity.

Dignity didnt come with a price tag last I heard.

The first compensation claim was starting before the apology was even finished.

How does this help the young Aboriginal girls being raped in the NT by their relatives, the alcohol abuse and the other problems that are occurring now.

I just think the money would be better spent on the issues of TODAY, than dwelling on something that was a law and that is out of control.

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by DucksNuts

Dignity didnt come with a price tag last I heard.

The first compensation claim was starting before the apology was even finished.

How does this help the young Aboriginal girls being raped in the NT by their relatives, the alcohol abuse and the other problems that are occurring now.

I just think the money would be better spent on the issues of TODAY, than dwelling on something that was a law and that is out of control.

People, regardless of who they are have the right to seek compensation if they feel they deserve it. It is for the legal system to decide if there is any paid or not. I'm fairly ambivalent about that particular point at this stage. There are good arguments for both sides of the fence.

How does it help the social problems faced by Aboriginal people? My hope is that in time, if Aboriginal people are able to find their pride as a people things will change. As I've said previously, this is the first step in the road, but I believe this is a very long road we are facing as a nation. There's no quick fixes. It requires dedication and perseverance by all of us to ensure better outcomes for all our future generations, both indigenous and non indigenous.

[lookout123]

Aboriginal people are able to find their pride as a people things will change.

If they need outside affirmation to find their pride they're too fucked to ever find it anyway.

If they need an apology to decide to move on, then the apology won't change anything either.

If they are mired in a miserable existence because someone handed their grandfather a bottle of liquor then reparations won't help them one bit.

What you do with your life is a personal choice.