As Australia Day approached, arrived and then past by! It ha mde me ponder on a few aspects of this day! First and formost it made me wonder does another county celebrate a day like this? It is not like 4th July in the USA... Because this is when they became independent from any other country! We are still under the English rule!
This date is only a new holiday celebrated by all states of Australia! What does it mean to you? Most of what I have read it is to celebrate Australia being colonise... But Australia had people already living here! Is it about the white Australians? I know most aboriginal people do not feel a time to celebrate on this day!
Some don't understand this! (For if it wasn't for us settlers they would not have a better life! Filled with cars, take away, electic and the like!) I have heard this sated over and over... Really is this a better life? Choking on polluted air, eating processed food and becoming more and more lazy! They would of know all they missed out on! For they would of contuined living their simple life at one with nature!
Saying this I really think it was
inevitable that, like most other countries were found by other people across the water! But is this what is the meaning of Australia Day? Others that have explored and found new lands to conquer? Then to call it their own... Bringing diseases, tobacco and alcohol with them! None of which the natives have been exposed to... Sickness, addiction was soon to follow! Their bodies do not react to alcohol as most whites had have many generations expose to such things!
When such things are brought up the gap seems to widen! People tend to see only what they want to see! Hand outs are one if the many... People tend to bring of the natives get hand outs for everything! Where we do not! Stop! Do you a a white person get treated as a criminal? A shop owner keeping a close eye on you just in case you may steal! Grants for the arts, are a more recent comment that was brought up! Now if you know where to go you can get a grant to write, paint or any other art! Does not matter of colour of skin! But having grants in place for native people helps keep their culture alive! For most stories and languages have died out! Yes as was pointed out most of the young are not interested! But having this incentive for the elders and the young ones that are interested are keeping their culture alive. So when the younger generation does become interested in there ancestry they will have this to learn from!
Is all this in the past and should be left in the past?
Can we indeed move forward?
What needs to be done?
What is really relevant today?
All these question I have no answers to!
Being white, but having a dark family may make empathy more toward the natives point of view!
Negative views on both sides are going to widen the gap! And will never bring us closer together. With a union with no hatred or racist views! We have to stop viewing each race as they are getting more or less because of the colour of their skin!
Thus brings me to the flag! Are we really still holding on the the English ruling? Thinking about this do we need to update the flag? If it was up to me I would... Then what sort of design? Would it be fitting to include the aboriginal flag in there somewhere? Or to get elders of what tribes are left to come up with a new design?
The more questions raised I am guessing causes more conflict with those against! My personal view would have elders having some sort of say...
It astonishes me how in this day and age how there are still racist comments! Let's think of what this does! It makes a separation between races! Causing hurt and hate! The person that the slurs are directed or indirectly thrown around that cause pain! This pain is then carried and transferred inwardly or outward by passing it on... Inwardly by self hate and self harm! Racist comment can consist of name calling or even the misinformed attitudes! On how they are treated better! Causing jealously! This In itself is very damaging!
In all cultures there are people that take things to far! But that does not give anyone the right to place the whole race of these people in one bag!
Simple comments like ( they continue to be heard time and time again! We have said sorry! What else!) OMG! Yes the as was stated England has been invaded time and time again! Yes this is true but we are not living in England are we! Let's stop and think! They want to be heard but people simply do not listen! So yes they are going to stand up and talk about the injustice they are experiencing! Putting aside the fact their land has been populated by a different race to their own! Where the general population of their race has been diminished and most tribe have been wiped out!
As for special treatment for being native! I am afraid they do not! They might grants for artists but the matter of the fact is white people can obtain grants for the same thing! There are no extra funding because they are native!
Life expectancy is much shorter!
Indigenous males - 56 years
all Australian males - 77 years
Indigenous females - 63 years
all Australian females - 82 years
Why due to many factors! Mostly what Europeans have introduced!
DNA is a lovely thing! Trees cousin had some tests done! Her results came back! With most people the African gene is present! In her results there are not any! Is this fact due to the natives of this land not coming from Africa! Could they be more of an ancient race then we comprehend? Could the estimated 70 000 years be a understatement?
