Charles Perkins was a character of sufficent historical significance to justify some form of memorial, even if he held anti Anglo-Western sentiments. Likewise, the in US, Rev. Martin Luther King, DID influence the Kennedys and the bus companies and therefore the civil rights movement. Despite strong evidence that King was an adulter and a plagarist [even his doctorate], it would be wrong to deny King his place in History.

What suprises me about Stephen is how much time he has to fly around the world and the country to criticise his fellow countrypersons. Modern aboriginals are not born into the 1700s, they are born into today and should play today's game. Were I to ask an acadamic employer to spend my days running down England over its treatment of Scotish Clans [my ancestory], I would have no change. The Irish would have a better case, but no better chance. Recall too, both Caesar and Hadrian would impacted on all Anglican clan systems.

The aboriginal whom recognises that families need to function in the twenty-first century diserves a very tall statue indeed. Let's have an end to apartism.

I wish the indingeous community well, but it needs to wake up to its behaviour, especially regards the family and grog.

CORRECTION: King was an adulterer and a plagiarist [even his doctorate]

i often wonder why some people bother to publish articles in this forum when the comments they elicit are more often than not so incredibly stupid, like the previous responses to this article -- what a very sad group of fools!

i think charlie perkins was an imperfect, inspiring, great man. i'm not sure a statue is the best way to honour his memory, but i agree whole heartedly with the sentiment.

i always look forward to reading your contributions stephen and, like most, quietly appreciate them. keep them coming.

I diagree in total,Charles Perkin,was entitled to have had that opinion,as anglo saxon Australia did not and could not care a damn about the Aboriginal(Nation) never did,and now even after eleven years with John Howard as head of the nation, he has done nothing to improve conditions,Give us more Aboriginal men with the mind of Charles Perkins,and there would have been no NOT GUILTY VERDICT,in the case of the dead of a drunk Aboriginal man at the hands of a WHITE POLICE OFFICER

well it's good to have my suspicion confirmed -- there are some decent people reading this forum and they dont always leave the posting to unmedicated morons like "reynard", "benjamin" and their idiotic ilk.

i agree with your point ("karooson") about the murder of Mulrunji -- that filthy, fat pig chris hurley should be locked up in gaol. now that he's got away with murdering an innocent man, who know what other crimes this unrepentant lowlife will go on to commit, or act as an example for others to do.

it says a lot about the shocking moral malaise into which our society has sunk over the last decade or so that our "great leaders" are more determined to sexually traumatise aboriginal children en masse, as this sickening and cynical federal initiative will do, than to stop the ongoing murder and abuse of aboriginal men, women and children by psychopathic pigs (like hurley), paternatistic government programmes, predatory white trash, and others (like white-owned liquor outlets) that cruelly exploit the awful situations that exist in some aboriginal communities.

i wish there were stronger, saner voices within the aboriginal communities than pearson. shame on our media for providing a platform for him and numbskulls like nowra -- a tortured failure, who having bored us with his dull and derivative "theatre" thinks he can now advise governments on a subject about which he knows nothing. the primary source for his recent race hate literature published by the dopes at pluto press -- little more than a tragic tabloid scrapbook he'd been keeping, like a schoolgirl with a really weird infatuation. this is the level of intelligence that currently informs politics and our society today. is it any wonder "aboriginal affairs" is in such an appalling state.

Since my last post, which astonishingly wasn't attacked this time, the whole issue with Aborigines has exploded.

The whole, sanctimonious leftist 'bridg-walking', 'sorry book', set make me sick.

They should all be brought up on charges. How dare they throw in fear campaigns of calling those good people who care about children 'racist' because they are sick leftist cultural relativists, and want to see children raped by elders because it's tribal culture.

Truly, the cowards on the left need to be purged. Public trials, ending in executions. These smug pricks have had the reigns too long, ruining an entire generation in their stupid experiment of all cultures living side by side.

Meanwhile, none of them live anywhere near the noble savage they so love - from a distance.

I hope, and would pray if religous, that the poor kids being raped and abused by drunkards - who themselves are victims of the left, are removed tonight, literally.

That a culture can have child brides doesn't deserve to exist. One can't live tribal ways and expect western lifestyles. One must become a westerner in their morality too, as tribal values lead nowhere but misery for the women and kids.

How dare anyoe call Howard a racist for wanting to do something, after this Labor report (so this idea of election stunt is ludicrous, it's the ALP's if anyone's) was rotting away in a cabinet while kids are raped.

For shame.

And for shame for the scum who have hindered this process. All those who have been talking about these issues for well on thirty years now ought to get apologies.

And the children, many of whom are now our inmates, should sue the left for NOT being stolen.