wHore-us, I'm just expressing my opinion, not speaking for all. Why do you accuse me of this? Or is it because your condescending views are being questioned by me that you feel obliged to make a quantum leap and declare me every black voice in the room when I am just one of possibly a few? Puleeeze! Get a grip mate.

As for the treaty issue it’s not furphy and anyone with knowledge of legal history will tell you that the matter remains unresolved. I don’t have the time or inclination to re-educate you on this here. You’ll just have to take my word for it. Alternatively if you want to become a more informed Australian citizen – head to your nearest library and do some basic research. You’ll find that you'll have to read more broadly than the bible and analogies about isrealites.

In a nutshell, we did not cede, nor was it declared conquered and no-one asked me or my family prior to the 1967 referendum if I wanted to be a citizen of this colonial nation.

Rainier,

“Puleeeze! Get a grip mate.”
I think the problem with you Rainier is you’ve had a “grip of yourself” for too long.
I implore you to let go –lest you go even blinder than you are already.

“no-one asked me or my family prior to the 1967 referendum if I wanted to be a citizen of this colonial nation.”
-No one asked the thousands of convicts if they wanted to be citizens either. &
-No one asked the thousands of British children “stolen” and shipped here after WW2 either.
But they were big enough to move-on.

And I note that your heart felt objections to the white ‘invasion & occupation’ has not stopped you sharing in the spoils (i.e. internet & libraries etc).
Now even if you argue part of it belonged to your family/tribe, it’s a certainty the major portion came from other owners.
Rainier, what is the term for someone who shares in the spoils of a crime?

Worldkitten,
Anyone who lives in rural Australia can tell you that many services urban Australians take for granted are not available in the bush & the further you go out, the worse it gets.

I don’t think it’s a case so much that the INPUT of services available to Aborigines is less than those available to other Australians in comparable situations, rather the issue is that the OUTCOME has been substandard.

And I’m a little surprised that you seem to pass over urban aborigines because from my standing, despite their generally higher English language skills, they seem to be one of the areas of most need.

Perhaps we are never going to get equal outcomes –though I agree a lot can be done to narrow the gap -but I believe it can be done without playing the hate-blame game.

wHorus, people like you are a dime a dozen in my world,
So guess what big boy, there's nothing original in your comments or suggestions Or in being a benign/closet/cowardly racist - I've heard and read these types of comments all my life. Yawn.

To Rainier,
I'm not for sales at any price!
And I'm not really concerned whether my views are original or not (we all stand on someone else’s shoulders)
Have a nice day!

To Rainier:
Further to the above:

We are all stand on someone else’s shoulders.

It's just that the person whose shoulders you are standing on Rainier, is so much shorter than those the rest of us are standing on!

Rainier - I am truly sorry to have offended you - it is so difficult on e-mail to get someone to read words with the intonation with which they have been written - possibly the limit on the word count also made my comments seem aggressive. Please read the following in a gentle calm way as that is the person I am and that is how I am writing my response to you. I am not an Australian citizen, just an interested party who supports Aboriginal rights and works for eniar (european network for indigenous australian rights) in England raising awareness and getting the debate talked about over here. The rest of the world is enormously ignorant as to the reality of the situation for Aboriginal people...even those who go over to Australia for their gap year come back none the wiser for their trip. Awareness comes first. I have spent my own time and money coming over and meeting Yolngu people just so that I can learn more first hand and pass on what I understand to less aware people whereever I meet them. I haven't met any urban Aboriginal people which is why I didn't talk about them or their situation. And I have to say that I am sad that you don't want to educate me on the holes that exist in my knowledge as there are very few other places where i can go for first hand information. I realise that it must be hugely irritating for you to come up against ignorance like mine and have to be always putting us right but that is the only way in which we will learn about the situation from your point of view and that is what most of us non aboriginals really need.