“Throwing people in jail has never worked as a way to curb criminal behaviour.”

This is true only because the sentences are inadequate. “Throwing” people in jail is of no use unless offenders spend enough time without their liberty to reflect on their behaviour.

Ms. Biggs, like all the ‘experts’ wants aborigines to go back to working out their own problems, without the interference of dreadful white people. What a shambles that would be! In their isolated camps now, without adequate social services, health services and law enforcement, they are unable to do this. One recently publicised instance of how well aboriginals operate if left alone is the case of the man who sodomised his “promised” teenage wife, with the assistance of the girl’s grandmother. Biggs adds her own horror tales of abuse, but still thinks that aboriginal communities can work it all out from themselves!

She also makes the mistake of linking alcoholism to child abuse. The two do not necessarily go together; they are separate issues. Alcoholism doesn’t in itself lead to child abuse in the white community and, unless she still believes in the old myth that blacks cannot “take” the grog like whites, she is muddying the waters by linking the two. A drunk is a drunk irrespective of colour or location.

The very fact that aboriginal Australians were put into isolated camps by Whitlam - where they were supposed to live a “traditional” life and care for themselves- is the cause of the current problems. The sooner governments stop being afraid of offending people like Ms. Biggs and others who blame white Australia for everything, and get the inhabitants out of these nightmarish conditions which have nothing to do with tradition, the better.

There is no problem with the Aboriginal or Koori nation,the problem is white society and its governments,ALP or COALITION,that created the problems.

This is about Australian women and children who are being bashed and raped. This violence has been going on for years and everyone is too scared to do anything about it in fear of being called racist.
While everyone is trying to be precious and protect themselves, little kids are suffering. It's out of control.

Firstly do not misinterpret my comments as a denial of the extent of the carnage, nor do I believe I have a fix-all solution. However the current wave of moral outrage was initiated by the Liberal government to launch a range of dysfunctional and tokenistic programs, which they have in the last week including 40 kit homes (for the whole of Aboriginal Australia?) and Broughs exclusive summit. Right now federal money is being distributed to communities for "mens shelters". This whole thing is to set an hysterical assimiliationit agenda to lead into the next election. Moral outrage can be easily manipulated by any tyrant.

Brough and others have said there is no room for Aboriginal law but have not said what it is or why it is wrong.

re customary law which as I understand it includes notions of mens business and womens business. Whose business is domestic violence? Who does it and who has to change to stop it? It seems to me that domestic violence is 95% mens business, yet the whole agenda has been dominated by women, for women and from women's perspectives. This is another example of misdirected moral outrage. Women understandably enough have spoken out against abuse, but such speaking out has not stopped the abuse, it has just created a climate of moral outrage. Real structural change such as men directed strategies within customary law would be better, but the white paternalists, and feminist acedemics, will not tolerate such a paradigm shift.

Here is an example of how left wing and feminist acedemics dismiss any notion of customary law and prefer to cling to the same moral outrage illusions as Brough and Beattie

http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/05/16/breaking-the-silence-on-violence-against-indigenous-women-and-girls/#comments

Reg Bygges Bottomly, one of the contributors on this thread was banned from posting on the list after this thread was closed down by the editors.

With the right and the left so stuck in their ways, where are the new ideas going to come from?

from Aboriginal Australia of course, if anyone could be bothered to take them seriously, which does not look likely in the short term.

I hope we are not driven into a situation of terrorism or war because of the intransigence of white power in Australia and it's inability to enact simple effective solutions to life and death issues for Aboriginal people.

Barbara has some good ideas, removing the perpetrator is a great step. However, the women whom she wants to take control, are currently part of the problem. True, forcing disgusting diet habits, degrading sociability, denigrating and removing their belief systems has contributed greatly to their plight.

Leigh, you've got no idea and seem to have this attitude that koori's are inferior and shouldn't be treated any different to normal society. You will find, child abuse and all forms of abuse are very closely related to alcohol and substance abuse, in all aspects of society. Alcohol and tobacco, are common denominators in family and social abuse.

We must remember, governments of today are purely devoted to economic outcomes for their vested interests and have no intention of doing anything but feathering their nests.

Secondly to not see that forcing an ancient culture to conform to a set of for them, stupid lifestyle choices, isn't going to cause long term problems, shows the low intellect of those that recommended this form of action and carried it out. The missionaries and churches that controlled the majority of indigenous culture for more than 100 years, thats where the true blame lays.

What must be done is to place these communities under protection and give everyone the opportunity to decide whether they wish to live a cultural life that is enhanced by modern technology, or become a part of the general community. Ban alcohol, tobacco, to allow the culture to revive itself. Remove all those that wish to grovel in the dirt of substance abuse and keep them away until they can return and enhance the community, not degrade it.

Much of the blame lies with the elders and hierarchy of some indigenous communities and organisations, they've given up their position as trustees of indigenous cultural evolution, to appease their ego's and develop their greed.