We are hearing a lot of negativity from people like Frankgol and his ilk. What therefore are your solutions to the problems. How about about it if you are so smart.

David

This has to be the silliest and most ignorant article I've read on this subject yet. Little wonder it appeals to some of our sillier and more ignorant commentators.

Many thanks to Mercurius, FrankGol and others for pointing out some of Holden's more glaring deficiencies.

I would like to see all schools in Aboriginal communities providing a fruit and protein breakfast and a cooked meal at lunchtime for the children. I think that this would encourage the children to go to school and it would ensure that they had a fighting chance of being able to concentrate on their work. I don't see this as paternalism because I grew up in England after the war and we had good cooked meals at school each day, served in a civilised manner at a table with knives and forks. The meals could be prepared and served by women from the community. This would give those local women their own income.
I'd also like to see all Australian schools use the sort of basic workbooks that are used successfully in Indonesian schools. These workbooks teach children basic skills while also promoting community values like respecting your parents, picking up garbage, etc. Our Aussie education system is too ramshackle. And we are much too vulnerable to educational fads like "whole language" which have damaged a whole generation of Australians, including Aboriginal Australians.
What I would not like would be for Aboriginal people to lose those characteristics that make them very valuable role models for the rest of us - their small-town genuine concern for other people, their different way of looking at situations, etc. I have been shown real kindness by Aboriginal people working in my local community and it would be a great loss if we "educated" these Aboriginal people into adopting the Macdonald-talk that passes for conversation in a growing number of Australian workplaces.

Forgive the pun, but its hard to be totally black and white on this issue.

The 'apology' agenda is partly symbolic, enabling people to forgive and move forward - as is often the case after conflict or trauma. But, more so, it has legal implications. Apology means guilt, which leads to the notion of restoration, which in today's parlance, means financial compensation for wrongs. That's the real backbone behind the political refusal to apologise.

But, much as the invasion of Australia was extraordinarily brutal and doggedly denied self determination to Aboriginal people, it is hard to imagine that the two cultures, juxtaposed, could co-exist in such a way that Aboriginal people could survive in an ideal state, or even a very happy state. Our own culture is so utterly dominant and pervasive.

That juxtaposition should never be used as a rationale for excusing past wrongs, or for forced integration, it is just a sad fact.

As for sympathy... I concur with the author on this point. Just look at our own society’s forlorn attempts at gaining happiness and the horrendous burden we impose on the planet’s living environment and its indigenous peoples. We should look honestly into a mirror before we, self righteously, throw sympathy around.

Shame on me!, I haven't read Holden's article.

If his premise is as the title suggests; 'that nobody is to blame,....it just happened'! Well, that will do nicely, I need go no further...

'IT' does NOT 'just happen'.What utter tripe!

Absolution will not occur no matter how skillful the reasoning that 'it wasn't my fault'.

Rap is rap. (With a silent C)

MMM I smell, The Australian League Of Rights."(exclamation marks x 3) they are not allowed apparently. I wonder how the rulers of this forum would feel if they had freedom?"
Back to the actual post.

They get their amazing philosophical views in edgeways everywhere they can vis a vis Hanson, and indigenous cannibalism etc. poor woman.She didn't deserve to be led up the garden path by 'the citizens electoral council' (same people different name)
Be careful who you listen to.
I could be wong but I'm white.
All this talk about 'political correctness' Is this the new bashing word? I haven't seen any sign of it here, If critics of the article were politically correct it would follow that the majority of australians and the govt, are sympathetic to the needs of indigenous australians, and of course this is hogwash! racism against indigenous australians is endemic in our white society at the very least by the lack of historic truth for starters, either in our education system or our history books made available to the general public and school students. The only difference in the racism seen in individuals are styles of comment divided by social boundaries. the higher educated say it differently than the less than.
I can remember Mick Mansell V Hawkie (icon of egomania) on abc tv. Prior to 1988, Mansell say's " we'll take the top half, you have the bottom half, make the border Brisbane to Broome" Hawkies says something like.. in your dreams etc.. Mansell " well it was good enough for Menzies to give it to the Japs in WWII" ( the brisbane line)
I wished and wished that it would happen.
Hawkie also said.. " there will not be a first fleet landing reenactment" of course Mansell made sure he was wrong there..
Mick for PM... I know what he'd do with the league.
Cheers Neil