mickijo,

I agree with all your points except for two:

1. "It is time the 1951 agreement on refugees was cancelled." while it is understandable why "We do not need the UN interfering in our migration scheme." we are still humans and must remain compassionate to our (genuine) fellow humans.

2. "We must stop the cancer of haters who have migrated here and who add nothing but strife to our land. We do not need them."

True. I agree fully - my question is HOW can we successfully do that? the cancer is already present and is spreading. It is difficult to isolate it into one location to extract it wholly. When touched, it wriggles and squirms then multiplies and establishes itself in other locations…

Any ideas?

JKENNO

you might have missed my post in another thread.. regarding Indigenous Australians.

You said:

[Education rates remain low. Health and mortality rates are shocking. Gross over-representation in prisons and disproportionate deaths in custody', and a culture of violence continues to plague those Indigenous people ]

One Indigenous person from Torres Straits was interviewed about the violence and problems. He came up with probably the single most profound summary of the root cause I've heard in all my days.

"You want us to dance like warriors, but not act like them"

Behind the richness of meaning of this statement, is the root of pretty much all male Aboriginal problems. The rest, such as you mentioned are merely 'symptoms'.

Without addressing that root cause, you can throw all the education, health care, welfare and tuppaware at Aboriginal people and it will do squat.

Politicians will wax eloquent about 'Allocation of funds, Early intervention, Health programs etc'.. its a load of tripe. "Pasty Makeup" to disguise the lack of inner character in the approach to Aboriginal plight.

But its not just the Aboriginal people who need to be addressed at their inner person, it is also we non Aboriginals. Somehow, we have to get passed the cultural/social gap, and our own sense of cultural superiority (which in most cases it is, in regard to our attitudes towards Aboriginals) and interact with them in ways that promote their dignity, self respect and sense of purpose and being as Aboriginals and Australians.

Hi All

Leigh (post 9:48:03 AM 31/1/06)
Give Keith the benefit of the doubt. He hasn't opposed anything that I've yet said. I hope that he's not too apologetic. We have enough of that with Professor Gary BOUMA & his friend May HELOU! I think that he understands.
(31/106)

PK (posted 12:57:36 PM 31-1/06)
Thanks for comment on substance. But, truncated? Garbled? I hope that others aren't likewise finding my writings difficult to comprehend.
Our capacity is 350 words, & that's tough. Abbreviation is necessary to comply with limitations, yet respond to most points.
I re-concur: I'm opposed to multiculturalism but a proponent of multi-ethnicity. I'd hate to see Sydney forced to accept the Pamploma bulls around Mrs Macquarie's Chair (Sydney), a fox hunt through Kurrajong or a Hajj to Airs Rock.
(31/1/06)

Rainier (post 2:23:12 PM 31/1/06)
Sorry. I missed the purpose of your comments. Maybe it's me?
(31/1/06)

Keith (post 4:04:18 PM 31/1/06)
Hope that you & Leigh can "bury the hatchet" - preferably not in each other's back. We all have an important issue which requires focussed deliberation.
(31/1/06)

Ev (post 9:45:35 PM 31/1/06)
Hope you're not a solipsist. I didn't detect it in previous postings.
The best site for "multiculturalism" is:
www.amf.net.au
Run by the Australian Multicultural Foundation headed by Has DELAL. Professor Gary BOUMA is a 'board' member. Good old "Gazza". He was a "key witness" against Catch the Fire Ministries (CTFM) in the VCAT Case # A392/2002 by the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV). Gary gave inaccurate information (according to the Summation) in his testimony - as an Anglican priest he misquoted Scripture & an ill-informed, incompetent judge made determinations based upon wrong information.
You could also go to:
www.immi.gov.au/multicultural/australian/index.htm , but I think that the former site is better.
But don't bother questioning the drivel contained in the AMF documentation though. They'll only send you another 'hardcopy' of the text from where you raised the complaint. They aren't interested in any questions.
Thank you for correcting your 'minor' error.
(1/2/06)

Cheers all

Hi all

Rainier (post 11:08:38 PM 31/1/06)
Islamic teachings aren't compatible with multiculturalism unless all other cultures ignore their own heritage & values. That's the 'problem'.
As previously stated: I'm not a multiculturalism advocate. Having a taco at the local El Rancho is far removed from enduring (for instance) the Pamplona bulls racing through Mrs Macquarie's Chair (Sydney) just to appease some "nutter" asserting his democratic cultural rights.
The Aussi BBQ with lamb chops? Halal meats, or a vegetarian conglomeration is OK. Multiculturalism is too divisive. It was ill-defined in the first place.
(31/1/06)

Arjay (post 11:21:49 PM 31/1/06)
Very accurate appraisal. The 'problem' began with the Whitlam Government. The "flood-gates were opened" without adequate background checks. We needed workers. We invited anyone.
The current government is following UN protocols because they are deceived - like the population.
Like you, I have many friends from diverse racial backgrounds. They're proud Australians. Their heritage is only a vestige of their past.
(1/2/06)

PK (post 9:47:42am 1/2/06)
PC stifles truth & honesty. However, honesty oughtn't to be shrouded in disrespect.
I can say to Mick MUNDINE (Aboriginal Housing Association, Redfern) things that former Sydney Lord Mayor & MP Frank SARTOR could never say. Mick wouldn't claim vilification. I occasionally joke with some of Mick's cohorts, & they've said to me, "You silly 'whitey'.". I wasn't offended - I'm white & they're black.
What ought to offend the individual is the noun commonly used which describes a woman's genitals. The offending word amonst Muslims is "'awrah" (Arabic). That's what Mohammad called all women, when, according to Ali (his cousin & father-in-law) he said "Women have ten 'awrah. When she gets married the husband covers one, & when she dies the grave covers the ten." 22 Hadith # 858, &; Vol II, Kitab Abad al-Nikah, p 65. That's offensive.
I'm just as proud of my 'whiteness' as I am of my non-white friends with their colour. But we shouldn't pretend that we're the same (in colour).
(1/2/06)

Cheers all

Keith – I understand fully that you didn’t explore that point in your article. But I just think it is dangerous to imply much positiveness about the interaction of mainstream Australia with our Indigenous peoples and their overall plight.

Ta Rainer. The feeling is obviously mutual.

BD – I totally agree with you (which is weird to say). The root of the problem is perfectly encapsulated by what that man said. I most definitely do not advocate throwing money at the problem, as it obviously does not work. I guess it is relevant to this subject because it is a multi-cultural issue. Indigenous people have been caught in the middle of a huge dichotomy – first white Australia forces them to assimilate, and now we say, no, keep your culture, but on our terms of course. What result did they expect?

L.A.B – I’m not quite sure of your point. You seem to be opposed to multiculturalism, which is why I find your last quote strange. You say: “I'm just as proud of my 'whiteness' as I am of my non-white friends with their colour. But we shouldn't pretend that we're the same” – I agree, but isn’t that an argument in favour of multiculturalism??

As for your point about Mick Mundine, I find any argument in favour of identifying someone by the colour of their skin abhorrent. Its simply not necessary. After all, we don’t want to descend into a desensitising of offensive language, similar to what has happened to the word ‘nigger’ in the US and beyond. That’s probably why Mick called on Sartor to resign straight away. Although I do acknowledge this was probably also for the reason that ‘big Frank’ wants to level the block and bring the developers in.

I know indigenous people who don't give a damn about all the rubbish that people like Mick Mundine go on with. They get on with life. They work, pay taxes and like a beer. Some are very angry with the Catholic Church. They are angry with the way they were taken from their family as children which is quite understandable.I've socialised with these people on rare occasions and they don't carry on. They don't spend all day crying and they don't face Mecca. They rise above bulldust.