@philo

Reply:

The flag does not represent White Australia. Our flag is not racist as you imply, as many honourable Aboriginal Australians fought under this flag and against Japanese Imperialism. It does not represent White Australia as you wish to promote here.

I didn't say the flag was racist it self, (putting words in my mouth).I said the man who torch the flag is trying to send a message to Australia(white),because the government and Australia is predominantly white. In other words, they want to be treated with way more respect,they want Recognition as the First Australians, Indigenous. If most of white Australia can get the best health care,housing,etc much more than some new immigrants can.Why can't Indigenous Aussies get the same ? They want the government to take them more seriously,not as second class citizens.That means not looking at how much money the government has spent on them,as if their doing charity work or something. Respect and care for them as Indigenous people,or else Australia will forever be seen as a racist country.

The United Nations is an inept body that will accept Muslim thugs like Megarbie into determining world policy. It should be dismissed!

Robert Mugabe is most certainly a thug,but I don't think he's muslim at all.I do agree with you that some of the people at the U.N. are heartless,but unfortunaly their to well established to dismissed now.

Opinionat2 “Do you live under a bridge also? “

You must be well acquainted with sub-viaduct living. So, if I ever needed to (live under a bridge), I will come and check with you first.

Sorry the comment offended you, I was not thinking far enough ahead and should have realised you are a troll.

“You are uncertain of the Union Jack's actual origin”

Yeah, sorry forgot to give due credit to the website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Union_Jack

Oh and I would anyone that the settlement of Australia did not rely exclusively or excessively on the “Irish” (who were, obviously, among those nationals properly described as “British” anyway)!

Apart from a few Irish rebels, many of the prisoners of the early fleets were prisoners from the London area and were shipped to relieve the overcrowding in the Thames floating prisons of the time (as well as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, they came from Dorset). Then of course, there were alot of British military personnel (of mixed English/Irish/Scottish and Welsh descent) and a significant number of free settlers, again, from all over Britain.

Odsoc – posting constraints of this site limit corrections to ones oversights and writing slips, of course St David is to Wales what St Patrick is to Ireland.

MEMORYBABE “English oppression of the Irish”

As Reynard said

“You're dragging the chain with this invasion stuff. Get over it! “ – just replace “invasion” with “Irish oppression”, yawn.

Union Jack= symbols of Ireland,Scotland,England combined.

What.....is it, to be “Australian” ?

For some, the vine covered hills of Tuscany, the art of MichealAngelo and genius of DaVinci.

and for others, it is the turquoise sea and the Greek Islands, the triumphal pomp of Alexander, the grandeur of the Parthenon,

for still more, -the vast green paddy fields and jungle covered hills of Asia, and for others the hot deserts of Arabia, with ghostly images of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael,Jacob,Esau

Yet for most of us, in the confines of our hearts, known or unaware, -this:

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins;
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies -
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains,
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me.

These 2 stanza’s of Dorothy Mackella’s poem “A Sunburnt Country” show the connection with history and land, with union Jack and British Isle, and with a history also going back before Caesar, of Irish Jigs, and Celtic chants, of Hadrians wall, and the battle cry of Braveheart and the Magna Carta.

The 2nd stanza is the anthem of the birth of a new nation, a people of a new land, a people who cannot be separated from their past, and will not be separated from their future.
Perhaps the 3rd Stanza of Dorothy’s poem should read:

[Our eyes surveyed their glazing eyes and saddened darkened faces,
They watched us come and move around, and take all of their places.
What a bitter cup, that some must drink, that we might build anew
May God above, help us to think, and in our hearts review.]

Each group, people movement, has its history and traditions, sacred places and stories.
Ours are but one of them, but they are ours.

Col, Col, Col, what are we to do with you old fella.

You can't upset me with name calling Col... A troll Ouch! That hurts!

The reason I asked that question was to give you a subtle hint about name calling... It undermines your intellect... and people may start to ignore you... I won't because I enjoy our banter...

Personally I think you make some quite good points on occassion but then you let yourself down with name calling. Would you accept your kids calling you names Col? You are starting to sound like a person who can dish it out but can't take it... Are you one of those? Never mind old fella.

Now that we understand each other... perhaps you can take a chill pill and relax.

Back to the topic.... I personally was more offended by the spitting on the flag which noone seems to have mentioned. Not because it was on the flag... I just think spitting is a disgusting ugly habit.

Just about all the 'white'people from different nations are the descendants of invaded and invading nations. England and Ireland have been invaded over and over. It is history ,it happened, get over it.
Many aboriginals are living a good life, though they have become adept at playing the victim card too.Would they prefer to go back to scrounging a living in the bush?
A group of muslims protesting the cartoons were photographed outside the Danish embassy the other night and they were holding Australian flags to make their point.
This is a total misuse of our flag . It disgusted me. How dare they drag this country into their stupid arguments!They certainly know how to do the wrong thing.

mickijo,

Yes you are right every nation has been invaded at some time or other throughout history... Big Deal...

The Aussie aborigine lost their rights in modern times just over 200 years ago. So if we are a little bit modern in our thinking we should be able to address that in the modern way more enlightened way we do things...

First thing is accept that the aborigine has been wronged.
Second work with them to find a solution to the problems WE have caused.
Third - change the date of Australia Day so that all Australians can celebrate it together as one nation. Surely that isn't too much to ask.

Simple things really... Of course you would need to be a little bit charitable in your thinking but looking after our mates is Aussie or so I thought. Plus if we are a Christian country as many of you allege
that is what Jesus would have most probably have suggested.

Yes SOME aborigines are living the good life but most aren't... why don't you go and spend a week with some of the disadvantaged ones so you can learn what they are going through? It will broaden your knowledge on the subject.

The scrounging a living in the bush argument is a pityful one... most of todays aborigines no longer have those skills... they were lost as a result of our actions in culture busting...

Just so you can appreciate "sending them to scrounge in the bush" lead by example. What did your family do 200 years ago? Why don't you go and live like your family lived 200 years ago before suggesting that others should try it!

Lastly the Muslims flying the Aussie flag whilst they protested the Danish cartoons didn't bother me one bit. They were Aussies and flying their flag... OOps!