When I began reading the replies to this article, I was seriously concerned by the ranting and raving it elicited. To Marilyn, Pericles, tao, et. al., well done on injecting some common sense into the discussion - I find it difficult to respond to a lot of the reactionary, provocative rhetoric found here and I am glad you have done so for me, as I was at a loss where to begin!

Marilyn,

"Our history is as brutal as any other history but we refuse to face it. Read the aboriginal books where whites used the blacks as slaves, raped the women, murdered the men and so on."

Your describe a History of History, not just Western history. Ancient Italy was invaded by the Terremare and Villanovans, Ancient Greece by the Achiaemans and Dorians, Ancient Antolia by the Hittes and Lydians & Phrygians, Ancient Egypt by the Hyksos, the Ancient Levant by the Mitanni and Philistines, Ancient Mesopotamia by the Kassites, Ancient Iran by the Persians and Ancient India by the Ayrans. Moving beyond the Bronze Age and Iron Age invaders, we can see the Mongols and the Manchus invaded China. The Vikings invaded Nomandy (911 CE) and the Normans invaded England (1066 CE). England suppressed the Scots and the Irish. England colonised much of the world under mercantilism. Mercantilism lead to the Opium Wars in China.

Marilyn, if you will read History you will find that Aboriginals are not that special in being invaded. If England didn't invade, Russia, Holland, Germany or Indonesia would have conquered the continent.

Moreover, aboriginals clans engaged in war, rape and murder too.

Moreover, the aboriginals clans did not arrive together. Generic footprints suggest five migrations in the Ice Age (lower water levels) and the modern invasion. Otherwise, the original aboriginals were invaded four times black skinned peoples, before the whites.

The early squatters broke regional limits set by The Crown and illegally pushed inland and murdered the first groups of continental peoples.

In the eighteen century, in the Atlantic, Britannia was in conflict with the American colonies, because of it stance against black slavery (black sklaves, whom practised slavery themselves back in Africa.

I wonder who should read history? Marilyn, go to the library and read!

ERRATUM

Generic [GENETIC] footprints suggest five migrations in the Ice Age.

So if we were all just more like Kevin Donnelly Australian history, culture and education would work out just fine? What puke.

To paraphase Al Gore - Humans have not remained anchored in the stone age for fear of running out of stones, so why do we, as Australians, cling on to our white anglo-saxon past with such tenacity?

Yes, there have been benefits but those benefits are now sounding more like the ethnic drum beat of fundamentalists - not a society eager to embrace the future and what it may hold. Rather, I hear a fear articulated within Australia that is more isolationist than embracing, more exclusive than inclusive. This exclusivity extends to such infantile rebellion as refusing to sign Kyoto or adhearing to the ICJ, or the UN while all the time holding the door shut to the thousands of refugees living on a hope to give their kids a chance.

Australia has a dark history that has been the subject of a learned ignorance which continues to resonate in the words of Howard and Costello conveniently forgetting that all of us are refugees in this land.

Hi tao,

Marilyn wrote:

" I felt entirely safe with 130 young Afghan men that night - I rarely feel safe alone with even a couple of Australian men.. "

So, I think it is safe for her to go and live in relatively safe place i.e Afganistan than Australia. However, it's my suggestion. Marilyn knows which country is safer to her.

To those who are saying Freedom of Speech etc..: Where were you during the Mohammed-Cartoon-Saga?

tao, are you the same woman who said that the British deserve 7/7 in BBC Fivelive Message boards?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbfivelive/F214856