Keith

Firstly, the interview was on the radio, I had no interaction with him, you had better take up your complaints with Phillip Adams.

Your points about the dominant culture are well made, but where the dominant culture is willing to pay considerable amounts more for Aboriginal students to continue with their education than it does for non-Aboriginal students I would say that in the area of education, and therefore aspiration and achievement, the cries against the dominant culture wear a little thin in that particular area.

This thread started as one where the underlying issue was and is: the Aboriginal community versus the white Queensland justice system. It was never about the death of one man and whether one policeman would be placed before a court in response to that death. Conspiracy theories abounded, with suggestions that the cop should simply be found guilty without a trial coming through many posts.

The entire issue of law and Palm Island is the issue of discussion, and therefore the response of the population of Palm Island to the law, and the law's response in return.

Yes, Palm Island has been a place of great social injustice, and that must be corrected. However the abandonment of the rule of law, by either side, has no place in the correction of that social injustice. Correction of social injustice is more about working towards a prosperous future, rather than getting bogged down. Yes massacres happened, but the perpetrators of those massacres are no longer alive. I have in my ancestry some Irish blood, and the Brits have never been pleasant towards the Irish, but I have gotten over that.

I repeat that this thread was never about a single death, and therefore the raising of other issues is therefore pertinent and appropriate.

Perhaps Hurley should be placed on trial, I haven't seen the evidence, however burning down a police station and court house are no basis for a system of justice.

Rainier

Where's your home and what are you doing for a living?

Keith

Hamlet, you want a debate on your preferred terms, so what better way of getting what you want than distorting the agenda. First you oppose "suggestions that the cop should simply be found guilty without a trial coming through many posts".

Are you reading something different to me? Can you point out precisely which posts made that suggestion?

You then state that "the abandonment of the rule of law, by either side, has no place in the correction of that social injustice". Again I can't find advocacy for that in what I've read. Just the opposite, in fact. Many posters wanted the rule of law to be applied fairly and felt it hadn't in this case. Again can you point out which specific posts advocated the abandonment of the rule of law?

Finally you say, "I haven't seen the evidence, however burning down a police station and court house are no basis for a system of justice". Another nice try, Hamlet, but a bit unsubtle.

Now back to the real debate. Who killed Mulrunji Doomadge and when will his family and community experience some justice?

Keith
“…what education has to do with the death of that man at the hands of a policeman in that police cell?”
An educated community is not as likely to be so socially dysfunctional as an uneducated one as some one pointed out with a comparison to Norfolk Island A more functional community would not have the same level of antagonism towards the law or the police that would result in a man being arrested for stirring the possum in the first place,

” the behaviour of a clearly racist policeman.”
Personally I have made no judgment on Hurley’s behavior and if the evidence exists to find him guilty of an offence then he should be charged. BUT I have said that we can’t make an exception, as called for by Rainier on the important principle that no one should be tried for a crime in the absence of admissible evidence that he committed the crime.

”Sure Rainier is proud of his heritage.”
Rose colored glasses are a wonderful for looking at the past but as Hamlet and I suggest it is the future that is where we should be looking and not the past .

”What you guys are doing is unfair and a lot less than generous”
I feel no inclination to be generous to Rainier at all. And it is not unfair to point out that his harping on about past injustices (no matter how egregious they may be ) is no substitute for seeking real answers to the problems of today.

"And of course you were able to tell your mate the number of Indigenous people in Australian Universities has risen sharply in the last 30 odd years ... weren't you?"
The number of indigenous students in our universities is something to be celebrated but likewise the number of indigenous children who are reaching maturity in various communities who can’t grasp basic numeracy or literacy is some thing that every indigenous person should be ashamed off because a small elite that are doing well is no panacea for the majority who don’t even have the basics.

Keith,

Don't worry about IH's postings, he's having a hissy fit because he had to fix breaches of copyright here on OLO.

I've tracked down who IH is and he is not worth the time of day. Just another frustrated ex One Nationer looking for his fifteen minutes of glory. He also plays around with reproduction Go-Karts and this sez it all i reckon.

There’s no use investing knowledge in someone like IH, he’s flat out trying to comprehend his own inconsequential life - let alone trying to understand me and mine.

You know me personally and my involvement with the PI issue - no need to divulge this information here for the narrow minded and hysterical.

Hamlet: Only if you're interested see this article on customary law:
http://www.lrc.justice.wa.gov.au/Aboriginal/DiscussionPaper/Part_05B.pdf
Otherwise I'm not interesting in debating points that emanate from your lack of knowledge on the topic. Sorry, got better things to do.

Oh, by the way, I actually met that African chap you mentioned at this years Garma Festival. He’s was ok, but just one of hundreds of misfits, missionaries and mercenaries types who float around and between Aboriginal communities – many of them all too ready to feed the white moral panic you appear to suffer from.

I asked him if his own people were only 3 percent of the population in his country.
He didn’t get it. He’s back in Africa now giving lectures about 'australian aborigines'. So much for his 2 cents worth.

Good post there Franky Gold

All,
Consider the below, it was written by a man who calls for compassion & justice & who says he is opposed to prejudges & stereotyping:

“Don't worry about IH'… he is not worth the time of day. Just another frustrated ex One Nationer looking for his fifteen minutes of glory. He also plays around with reproduction Go-Karts and this sez it all i reckon.

There’s no use investing knowledge in someone like IH, he’s flat out trying to comprehend his own inconsequential life - let alone trying to understand me and mine”

Rainier- a little bit of practicing what you demand from others, would not go astray.