Aka
“As to your comment on the ARC grant acquittals of publications, I have seen OLO and Drum articles cited in such ARC university acquittals - it is not without precedent - as I am sure you are aware.” To be honest, I was not aware (mmm, another one of your wrong conclusions), but it does not surprise me, and I don’t doubt what you are saying (accept as it applies to me like you suggested). Some academics do anything to get published (not necessarily a bad thing) , but it’s not for me. The Australian said they were going to run one of my opinion pieces very soon (and they could change their mind) and I can assure you that the piece has nothing to do with any grant I am associated with.

“For you it appears, this is a site that allows you authorship of poorly informed and crafted opinion and your comments mere trolling.”
Thanks for your opinion Aka. After all this time, I had hoped that you would answer my questions (and I am happy to repeat them if you like) instead firing personal criticisms at me. I am sure that if my opinions were poorly informed then you would have pointed out by now the reason, instead of the usual “what he says is different to what others say so he must be wrong.”

I am happy and confident to go on forums like this (and national newspapers) to use my real name and express my opinion. As I don’t know your real name, you could very well be doing the same. But if the very best you can offer is “What I say must be true because other people agree” then you can look forward to getting some very interesting feedback if you do express your views publicly using your real name

Joe, I share your frustration, and I thank you for your support. Sadly, what many people are suggesting is "Today's problems for Aboriginal people are due to racism and colonisation" with the suggested solution being "The government needs to take full responsibility adn fix everything, and we need to beleive that many of these Aboriginal people are leading traditional lives, and that Aborignal people should therefore lead spearate lives, etc." Such thinking is extremely damaging, though very popular.

Anthony,
I do not make personal criticisms of you - I criticise your professional ability.

I have not stooped to suggesting you have 'manure for brains' as you have.

Believe me, I have been very restrained in my commentary - sticking only to your academic credibility. I have deleted many comments that I thought were a bit harsh and refrained from bringing personal issues into this. Perhaps you would prefer it if I did, but it is not my style.

Your bleating about me not answering your questions is belied by your stoic refusal to answer any of mine.

You align yourself with far right folk, belittle educated Indigenous Australians who have had more privileged lives, while you are in the same category.

Anthony, I think you are a hypocrite, trading on your Indigenous heritage to get your opinion into print, espousing the thoughts of the likes of your old mate Bolt.

Lets face it, would your opinion on non-Indigenous Australians be printed? Would an article about the drink, drug and gun culture in Sydney or the Gold Coast get published if it wasn't about Indigenous Australians? I would be interested to see what you could do with the current binge drinking in Melbourne, or the most recent tazer death in NSW.

You tend to castigate Indigenous Australians while placing yourself as a better class - more uptown. It is sad really, very sad.

Aka, I don’t mind being corrected. When you said “I do not make personal criticisms of you - I criticise your professional ability.” I had a brief skim back over your comments, and yes, it would seem that you generally don’t criticise me personally. It is easy for me to get confused over time, especially when others (whom I won’t name but save it for a rainier day) make stupid personal attacks. You do however make dumb statements like “I seriously question your ability to conduct research” , “Do you also find it funny that of all Anthony's supporters, none of them identify as Indigenous, because I do.”, “I hope that you will one day succeed in achieving your sense of connectedness and contentment.” And “At the moment you are behaving like a privileged child, with a juvenile half formed opinion.” And Aka, I really think a person is scraping the bottom of the bucket when they have to say things like “You are just pandering to your far-right followers” or “but first it has to be acknowledged that racism exists”. I have never been in denial of racism, I just don’t support the view that is the big contributor to the inequalities we see today. Am I correct in assuming you do?
Nonetheless, for the record, I happy to acknowledge that your statements are not direct personal attacks. I am just curious though, if a non-Indigenous person made the sorts of comments you have made toward an Indigenous person, would the researchers you have quoted previously be quick to call it racism?

Aka, I still find it interesting that you fail to answer my questions. Let me repeat myself: “When a high profile person, or a researcher/academic makes a statement like "Aboriginal people are suffering today because of colonisation" then do you believe it must be true because it was spoken by an academic or a high profile (Aborignial) person in a journal?” Can you give me your answer please. Also, would you like to summarise the main point of the ‘research’ by the AMA you are very fond of? Did they just express an opinion? I will be happy to respond.
In another post, you said “Unlike you it seems I like to look at all of the facts and opinions from all sides, before making up my mind”. What do you mean by ‘facts’? Someone can say “Aboriginal people today are suffering because of the colonization” and then claim that it is a fact.

Anthony,
I engage with you and growl at you as I believe you have more potential than you are exhibiting (maybe I am an eternal optimist).

I did answer your question by explaining how I make up my mind. I do not rely on one person's assertion, instead I will often look up their references, search for my own understanding on an issue such as whether colonisation continues to impact negatively on Indigenous Australians. Put simply, I form my opinion on reputable evidence, including personal observation - often drawing on early coloniser's journals.

Unlike you, it seems that I come from the other side of the tracks, and felt and witnessed the harsher rule of law in Queensland particularly under the Bjelke-Petersen era - the continuing effects of colonisation that still infect the present. I continue to witness how the ideology of colonisation informs policy and people's opinions. However, neither myself or my immediate family have ever been in trouble with the law. My husband, for a brief time in his idealistic youth, was a policeman in the same era you father was in the service, but he left because of the corruption - his accounts I believe.

I do see you as having lived a privileged life if you have not seen the things I have seen.

I am no victim mind you. I am very fortunate as I am happy and have a deep sense of contentment.

I genuinely wish that you one day succeed in achieving your sense of connectedness and contentment.