CJ Morgan,

I agree that Keating's speech was better and also with your other observations.

It's been weeks now and the world hasn't come to an end.

It's a shame that rare fleeting moment of national unity could not have lasted a little longer, but it does give some hope for what we could achieve as a society under the right circumstances.

Stephen, You being involved and an influence in the Education system, As a concerned member of the Australian Aboriginal Community, (me) (AAC?), what are your views, and would you consider a comment on my concerns, as stated by me, re the article, Offering Educational Opportunities. 21/2/08 ? Also on Martin Luther King. Also,any of my comments directed at you and the rest of the, 'Aboriginal Victim Industry'!?!?

Funny how if one asks questions of, raises issues about or simply disagrees with the beliefs of those who see themselves as tolerant and caring, one gets roundly abused as racist, red-neck, anti-whatever race or creed is being discussed etc. Well, here's another emetic to help purge your souls of their vitriol.

Rainier-the drunk who accosted me in Cairns, was abusive, spat at me, did so because I had white skin, and was real and Aboriginal. It's neither racist to state the truth, nor a lie, and I put him in the same category as the white trash who abused Hagan's wantoks. I don't really care who he was, or what colour his skin was, or who his parents were. He had bad manners, and it wasn't worth dealing with violently, as was the case for Hagan's nephews who chose to pick a fight with similar idiots who had white skins.

If I were to say sorry, then I would have to leave, otherwise it would be meaningless. So, no sorry. I have as much right to live anywhere I choose as anyone else; the fact that we erect tribal boundaries merely makes that right hard to enforce in a number of countries. In addition, given the growing world population since whenever, it is inevitable that Australia would have been invaded sometime by someone with bigger guns than the Australian Aborigines, and perhaps it's good job it wasn't the Japanese who have yet to say sorry for exterminating 19 000 000 Chinese as deliberate policy.

White technology? Well, maybe the Chinese invented spectacles and Marco Polo stole the idea. Stephen Hagan appears to be wearing them, presumably because he benefits from them. So maybe he is benefitting from Chinese technology, and should say thank you to the Chinese. Or perhaps to Marco Polo. He certainly looks well-fed and well-clothed and isn't living on a bush diet.

Your waxing on about your claim to being "colour blind” fails to take account of the contingent facts of racial inequality and disadvantage in our present society.

Your questioning of Mr Hagan right to be technogically advantaged and not a real "Aboriginal" because you think he does not eat bush tucker is not worth commenting on.

A wonderful illustration of someone using abstract liberalism, racial naturalisation, cultural racism and the deliberate minimisation of racism all to rationalise an abstract form of liberalism that in reality has never really understood racism beyond its most basic articulations and manifestations.

Congratulations!

Rainier, your bigotry is still showing. Mr Hagan can do what he pleases with whatever technology is available to him, as long as it is legal. All I said was that he has benfitted from non-indigenous technology and perhaps he should be grateful for it, just as I am for the technological benefits I have received from my forebears. What is racist or "anti-Aboriginal " about that? Your string of isms sounds like a polemic from Joe Stalin against someone who doesn't fit the party line of the day. There are none so bigotted as those who profess the moral high ground.

Hey Stephen,

I agree it was a quality speech and my family and I were very fortunate to have been able to listen and view it from within the Great Hall at parliament house.

I had decided late in the peace that it was an occasion I didn't want my children to miss so we hit the road from country Victoria and made our way up the day before.

I think the hall seats about 1000 people and there were probably half as many again that were standing both up and down stairs. We were lucky to get in, lining up with a quiet but good humoured mix of indigenous and non-indigenous people.

One felt a sense of expectation from the crowd inside but there was also a feeling of real nervousness. It did not take long into Mr Rudd's speech before a palatable sense of relief mixed with quiet joy seemed to engulf us and those around us.

Certainly for me there was also a real sense of pride as an Australian. I had seen the need for my kids to experience a ‘small c' christian act by our nation showing compassion and contrition for past and present wrongs and here it was.

Mr Nelson's speech had the opportunity to cement this act but unfortunately it didn't. I was glad my family were able to experience the hurt his words caused for many in the crowd. Indeed my own wife was in tears, not of rage she explained, but of disappointment.

My children will be part of the next generation whose actions and attitudes will help shape the way Australia approaches the challenges it faces dealing with indigenous issues. They are part of my hope for a better country.