Sadly, some of you haven't got a clue.
morgonzola,
o sung wu's words are obviously lost on you.

'evening to you Banjo...

To be honest with you I'd not have a clue. The only thing that I can tell you is, whatever initiatives the Govt. or anyone else attempts to do, it simply won't work.

Not all of these people are bad, not by a long shot. But unless the Govt. levels the playing field, in terms of applying the criminal law EQUALLY to us all, with total impartiality, then I reckon we've had it.

When ordinary men and women in the street, see that the criminal law is NOT equally and evenly applied, they'll simply get their collective back's up and resent (in toto) those of whom it seems to favour. Golly, it's happening now for goodness sake ! Why oh why can't our Govt. see it !

If I was to climb on the roof of a public building, causing criminal damage 'to boot' - I'd be very quickly arrested and brought to account, just as it should be.

But eh Banjo, what do I know ? I'm just a dumb (retired) copper, and (apparently) just another redneck, racist ?

just a dumb (retired) copper, and (apparently) just another redneck, racist ?
o sung wu,
Not in the eyes of decent people.

sung wu,
I agree with you about applying the law equally. FGM is illegal yet our government turns a blind eye to this barbaric activity, yet some parents have been charged for giving their kids a smack on the bum for misbehaving. We prosecute those holding cockfights, yet ignore little girls having pieces of flesh hacked off, because of 'cultural consideration'. Isn't that a great term?

It is only since the lady commissioner in Vic has gone that we are finding that there is a problem there with Sudanese youth. Now I am starting to find out in western Sydney as well.

If we find there are big problems with some groups integrating into our society, why do we keep importing them. Surely the care of our existing citizens should be the primary concern of the government.

I do not give a damn about a persons skin colour, heritage or religion, but I do care about that persons ability to co-exist in our society. Cohesive is a word that comes to mind.

Thanks for being candid and I wonder if any poster here actually knows what Project Banta is and can describe it and any other info about it.

Interesting thread, and one that I can follow largely as a bystander. Where I sit is comfortably detached - here in Townsville, we still have a remarkably uniform society: we have the whites (Anglo and Italian, in the main) and the blacks (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, in the main). There is a growing number of 'others', but I don't come into contact with them on a regular basis. Thus I can't understand the frustration others with more multicultural everyday experiences must feel. I can imagine that it would be considerable.

One thing I can suggest is that, if we are going to introduce refugees into our community (as we already do), we need to do it properly. We can't assume that people (like many of the Sudanese refugees) who have grown up in 'kill or be killed' societies, who may have been exposed to atrocities and may have been involved in those acts, will simply condition themselves to peaceful coexistence with mainstream Australia. What 're-programming' do we offer these people? What do we do to ensure that they respect our ideals, our values and our laws, even if they don't share those values? One would assume that they come to Australia because Australia is a better place to live. What makes it a better place is the society we have already established. What good are we doing them - or us - by allowing them to reproduce their own societies here? I don't expect them to become church-going Christians, or Labor or Liberal voters, or NRL/AFL fanatics, but I think we can all reasonably expect that they respect what we have here.

I'm aware that the welfare services I'm proposing cost money, and that some would consider it money ill-spent. However, what is the financial cost compared to the social cost of a poorly implemented refugee policy?

@ individual:

o sung wu's words aren't "lost on me", especially given that his comments came after mine. Rather, I agree that the law should be applied equally to all. I imagine that o sung wu's perspective is the product of his experience as a police officer, but while this makes his contribution interesting and invaluable, it doesn't invalidate other perspectives that are more compassionate. Quite the reverse: as a front line law enforcement officer he would undoubtedly have had to become hardened in his outlook in order to survive. Both perspectives have their place when it comes to dealing with refugee youth, as undoubtedly do others.

Why do you feel the need to abuse people with whom you disagree?