beyond suggesting that it all must have been necessary and that it was all in the past anyway so everybody should just get over it.
CJ Morgan,
your statement suggests either utter stupidity or utter hypocrisy but most likely both. You & the likes of you will never cease to feign indignation because unlike many real indigenous victims the only hurt you ever experienced was falling off the bandwagon at times. Stop making it harder for the real victims.

Dr Raynes,

There's just a couple of things (maybe many things ?) I don't understand about the case of Andrew Allan's kids. As a widower, he would have had sole legal custody of his children, and surely would have done something to stop his children being taken away ? As well, was he Aboriginal ? If not, it was not unknown for the white father of Aboriginal kids to have them put into care (the Solomon boys, the Adams boys, the O'Donoghue children). I'm not saying that this must have happened, but is it possible ?

I guess unless somebody has full access to the records, in the absence of details otherwise, we have to assume that your version is the correct one, that the Allan children were taken into care illegally, that is, stolen.

This is why it is imperative that the government makes those records available, otherwise rumour and suspicion will never be dissipated. In any case, they would become available next year, at the expiration of the hundred-year rule on them.

Joe Lane

Sorry, in three years' time, not next year :)

Cameron - I do believe you're actually making progress! Loudmouth seems to be grudgingly acknowledging that there were Indigenous children who were wrongfully taken from their kin under the pretext of being "neglected". I must say I admire your patience.

individual - thanks for the insults. I'm neither "hypocritical" nor "indignant" about the Stolen Generations - I just know from personal and professional experience, together with years of academic research and teaching in a related field that they certainly exist. I also think that the historical policies and practices that constitute the Stolen Generations played a very large part in creating the clearly dysfunctional Aboriginal communities that we have today.

While you haven't actually denied the Stolen Generations, neither have you shown any knowledge or interest in how they relate to the conditions in which you claim you work every day. If they are so bad and you are so appalled at what you see, why do you choose to work there instead of somewhere else? I understand that competent tradesmen are very much in demand in mainstream society.

Do you actually know what the word 'hypocritical' means?

Hi CJ,

Isn't it fun to sink the boot in ?

'Grudgingly' ? No. The important thing is that Dr Raynes has provided EVIDENCE, not just relied on tearing at the heart-strings and called it 'knowing'.

'Neglected' ? I didn't say so, or even hint at it, but thanks for raising the possibility: It's hard to say on the information available. That's why it is vital that all records be made available.

'... the historical policies and practices that constitute the Stolen Generations played a very large part in creating the clearly dysfunctional Aboriginal communities that we have today.' ?? Then why are the worst social problems in the 'communities' least touched by the evil hand of colonialism, where people quite possibly weren't even aware that they had lost some of their land rights, until they were told that they had been 'victims' in the 70s-80s ? Do you think that people in the settled areas had it so easy ?

'Generation' ? Not quite: one family of four kids, and one child from Point Pearce = five children stolen, on the available evidence, over one hundred years. Frankly, I would have thought that there would be far more examples of bureaucratic abuse and resort to illegal behaviour, over one hundred years, by officious coppers and assorted bureaucrats [South had been a copper in the NT, and I think Penhall had been a patrol officer or welfare officer up there as well]. Wouldn't you agree ? [Oh, sorry for that vile personal attack.]

Here's one: your vile personal attack on Individual, for devoting his time to working in some remote community, and having the temerity to raise concerns about the conditions of life there - when are you going out to emulate him - is despicable. I look forward to the day when blowhard Aboriginal professionals in cushy city jobs do just a token five years or so of work in remote locations.

Yes, CJ, both Individual and I know only too well what 'hypocritical' means: we've seen examples of it every day.

Need a hanky ?

Joe Lane
Adelaide

Loudmouth: << Need a hanky ? >>

No, but after reading your last post a bucket might be useful.