Aw shucks Garra (kiss amour) and co group hug and maybe over a glass of cardonay ( the h is soylent (thanks kath and kim) (green?) perhaps?

Firstly as Rainer stated, racism is a deep and theoretical issue and many people do not comprehend it. The reason for this is that racism is only a small part of a larger problem, racism is a sub category of discrimination, and each and every type of discrimination is as bad as the last. The problem is everyone falls to discrimination whether they like it or not, but the level of discrimination is what separates the opinionative from the bigots. If I was to say I believe that men are stronger then women that makes me opinionative, if I say women should obey men because we are stronger, that would makes me a bigot. Arjay, I don’t quiet understand what you were trying to prove with your remarks about “our language”, but if someone doesn’t understand your joke that is your failing not theirs. Your remark there makes you a bigot. I missed the bit at immigration that said people had to learn Australian English so that they can understand your jokes. If you were to visit Japan would you take the time to learn Japanese? Study their culture? And make sure you had everything down so that you were not too be offending anyone? I doubt you would, you would probably go there and make do with whatever you could manage at the time. The truth is learning another person’s culture and language is not easy, and not everyone will be able to do it, if we all could, we would have achieved world peace long ago. But I find it funny that you say that language is more defining then skin color in modern times and in the next sentence show your prejudice towards people who do not speak the same language as you in the way you want them too. Its your who needs to get off your high horse. Next you will tell us that people are making death threats to Indonesian restaurants because they can’t speak English well and not because they are Indonesian?

Oh Garra,where would you be without your notion of a comfort blanket of white anglo saxion racism.Will your life be so devoid of intent that you will have to consider self harm?

To have this singular notion of my perceived foibles snatched from your bosom ,must be a cataclysimic experience.Your derision and venom tell us much about your lies upon which many of your ilk have used to perpetuate the notion that most anglo saxions are racists.I have snatched your comfort blanket of racist righteousness in a single sentence.Sorry about that?

No, Garra, all other cultures have the same needs,ie to be have social interaction and cohesion.Language is the facilitator.To be bi or tri lingual is ideal,but how many languages can you learn in your life time?

I stand by my assertion that all people in this country should be fluent in English,since this is the glue which bonds our nation.

Arjay wrote of me:

"So get off your righteous high horse and broaden your horizons".

Please provide me with some criteria for broadening and I'll happily provide you with evidence of the broadness of my life thus far.

Here are some examples:

I've lived in more than one country, I speak more than two languages, I'm highly literate in the English language and I was born right here in Australia. I work in a field that brings me into contact with many cultures and ethnicities and so my professional and personal approach to work and life must comprehend and react effectively to this diversity.

Should I be mono-lingual, didactic in opinion, xenophobic and homophobic, blokey, just so you can have the exclusive right to call me an Australian? Do you really want me to want me to indulge this construction of yourself as real and legitimate?

It’s this type of ugly Australian attitude that gives this country the bad reputation on the world stage that it [unfortunately] richly deserves.

I just hope that one day you see that what while you might find it difficult to discuss your ‘ethnicity’ and that of others without acrimony, many of us don’t. My discussion [you should note] has been about interogating whiteness, and its articulation as an exclusive category of ‘Australianess’ in the discourse over the Corby case.

For example, you and others have chosen to call this Anglo Saxon, without ever really explaining what this means. Is Anglo Saxon a race or a culture? Surely you are able to name your ethnicity as more than simply nationalism without resorting to denigrating others? If this is difficult for you, why is it?

You’ll no doubt respond to this with your usual diatribe about how wrong I and others are, but that’s ok, I’m willing to help you get over yourself, even if you aren’t.

It's culture (and I use that term loosely, as I don't think Australian's have a gold plated handle on it) but also language. I grew up in Sydney, moved to Melbourne, so had a lot of Asian 'looking" friends that had Aussie accents because they were born and bred here. So was often surprised when country cousins expressed amazement that they could talk "english" to those "slopeheads". Like we all expect Aussie Jews to only talk Yiddish? Australians are such inverted snobs re: class, culture, education and background, unless one has made a conscious effort to eschew it. I can remember about 10 years ago that a work colleague who was 24 (I was around 33). She had a "degree" and I had just completed a Diploma. Expressed great surprise in the tea room that I had just read (without my lips moving) Anna Karenina. We all subconciously stereotype however it only becomes offensive when we voice it.

back to the issue, I think as a people, we all have the right to critise any law that is "primitive" in what it hands out. Regardless of Shapelle being this or that. I think that the US laws are pretty primitive in a lot of aspects. No country has perfect laws, but thank goodness for people who question and ultimately change the laws.

Rainer,let's cut to the chase.I say we need a single language that unifies our nation.Yes,many can be multi-lingual,but they also must be proficient in English,so our country functions both socially and economically.Indonesia has 500 different languages and just as many dialects,do you think this might be inhibiting their social cohesion?

Stop rambling on about racism and look at the need for social cohesion.Prove me wrong! Put up or shut up!