I can't see what the problem is with multiculuralism except that it's success is too dependent on community tolerance and understanding.

Perhaps it would work better in another country where they actually have these values.

Think about our unique Australian culture next time you pick a candy wrapper up off the sidewalk and put it into a trash can. Remember to wear your baseball cap backwards next time you go out for some burgers but don't upsize too often or you'll be like, in need of a makeover.

Leigh, you found my Achilles’ heel. Call me old-fashioned, but I do get angry when women or children are bullied. I don’t know Agnes Tay. If her parents were who I think they might be, they were both great Australians who enriched the public life of this country. That this young woman, whom I do not know, should be subjected to the abusive letter you posted on OLO Forum angers me.

Many Forum readers would recognize how offensively exclusionist your words are, “And, please, [Ms Tay] do not tell us that we should not ‘hark back’ to our pioneers and folk heroes and think of our heritage. You and your heritage are welcome here. But do not try to deny that this country was settled by the British government …”. Leigh, if this is your idea of civilised discourse, it is not mine. It is actually dog-whistling.

I reject your claim to pronounce on Australian identity, setting yourself up as a gatekeeper of our shared country. You call for “freedom of speech and democracy”, but pretend not to see how your letter condescended to other human beings who are as much part of Australia as you or I are. I’m a fairly ordinary type of bloke too, and I have mixed with all types of people over a long rich life. One thing I learned is that it’s a waste of time trying to persuade racists or cultural exclusionists that their prejudices are wrong. It is like trying to debate anti-semitism with a visceral anti-semite: the conversation always breaks down in mutual incomprehension and distaste. In any case Forums are not conversations of that kind. We both know I won’t convince you and you won’t convince me. We are writing for other readers, appealing to their sense of logic and fair play. I can stand the heat in this kitchen - can you?

This recent piece , by Ezequiel Trumper in New Matilda - “Australian values: the view from Howard world”
http://www.newmatilda.com/home/articledetailmagazine.asp?ArticleID=1819&HomepageID=161
illuminates how hurtful your kind of language is to ordinary, decent Australians of multicultural background

I think a lot of people are confusing tolerance with multiculturalism

Having access to fifty different restaurants, or styles of cuisine, is not an exclusive feature of mc.
Being able to celebrate different festivals is not an exclusive trait of mc
Being free to practice your religion is not rooted in mc
They have more to do with liberalism & democracy.

People coming to this country from where ever, in time, will mix & merge -especially the young

What mc try’s to do is artificial maintain/entrench old divisions

Lets apply some of the free market, open competition, anti-protectionist, and remove barriers & subsidies thinking, which is prevalent in economic circles, to culture.

AGNES

you said:

"The 2001 census reports that 65 per cent of Australians have non-Australian ancestry"

I don't know which census you are reading, but it sure is not the 2001. The figure you gave is closer to the ACTUAL Australian ancestry of current Australians.

I've added up ALL Migrants from all countries, and they still did not come to more than about a third of the population.

from B05A in the spreadsheet.

"Australian" ancestry 6.7Million
English/Scottish/Irish Ancestry 8 Mllion.

On those 2 figures ALONE we have 14.7Million out of 18million.
Given that the 'Australian' ancestry clearly came from the English/Scottish/Irish ancestry due to history, I'm WONDERING what agenda you are peddling ?

Making legal points about the time of McKella and Paterson and trying to 'dhimmify' us as 'British Subjects' is probably the fastest way to self alienation I can think of.

If we talk about Chinese history, do you seek to identify with the cruelty of the oppression of the Tibetans ? The various ethnic groups in China which sought to oppress the other lesser groups ?

Are you suggesting we have no identity which emerged during the times of Patterson and McKella ?

To quote Joh "Let me tell you something" If you understood McKella's poem 'My Country' you would understand the true meaning of being Australian. Compare Stanza 1 with Stanza 2... between those lines 'ETHNICITY' faded and 'AUSTRALIAN-NESS' emerged. She did NOT try to remain 'Scottish' she became AUSTRALIAN and if you don't wish to....... then.... by all means go and represent some poor oppressed Chinese kicked out of their home by the current government there.

I (as a Christian) find the box hill south "Chinese Evangelical Church" to be a racist name. Are 'Chinese' Christians more special ? :) Why not 'BoxHillSouthEvangelical Church' where most members 'happen' to be Chinese. I can live with that.

Tony,

OK, Tony. It is quite clear that you as set in your ways and beliefs as I am. There really is no point in any further discourse between us. I reject any idea you might have of my ‘offensiveness’. If you and others find what I said in my post offensive, so be it. I don’t really care what you think. Like Hezbollah in its conflict with Israel, I’m sure that you think you are right and a winner. Well, I think I am right; I don’t care about winning – I just have one vote every 3 or 4 years, as you do.

I’m certainly right about the early evolution of Australian identity. Read John Hirst on the subject.

You claim that demons like me are in the minority. Strange, then, that the Howard government has managed to keep winning over the past decade with the policies you hate so much. Eventually, there must be a change; but to gain government, the Opposition will find that it has to fit in with the majority, not with you and other malcontents, to achieve that. I cannot know what you think ‘good’ government is, but it is doubtful that such a thing exists in reality.

I am not a racist or cultural exclusionist as you suggest. But there is not much point in trying to convince you of that. Anyone, like you, who thinks he can ‘apologise’ for someone else just because he doesn’t agree with that person’s point of view, has reached the peak of arrogance, and is beyond rational discussion.

Yes, Tony. I can stand the heat. It seems that you, like a few others who are on a mission here to put everyone else on the ‘right’ track, would like people who disagree with them to drop out. It’s not going to happen with me, Tony. I don’t like bullies, and I will not bow down to them.

If you are as happy with your opinions as I am with mine, you are a very happy man

I don’t think multiculturalism works because some people don’t tend to want to blend or integrate into Australia, they just create little replica’s of their own country and it alienates and divides people and causes hostility.

I think September 11 did affect some people, I know it affected my husband and family. My husband is of Lebanese background (Catholic but generally people don’t ask) if you are dark and of Middle Eastern appearance, then that his enough! It’s not that he was physically or verbally abused as he is a big man but it was the ostracizing and looks that hurt and did the damage. You live in Australia for over 30 years you make it your home, you totally embrace the Australian culture and ways even to the point of alienating those of your own background and it matters none, you still get treated like a criminal if you look a certain way.

The biggest problem facing Australia has to do with tolerance. You see when tolerating there is no obligation for you to be kind, polite, respectful or nice. Bullies have a particularly interesting way of tolerating those that they don’t like and the law allows them to do it.