We should be all very careful of accepting this mamby pamby rubbish being promulgated via tax payer funded positions occupied by people like Hagan. He might be entitled to his "educated" opinion; but other people in this society are also very aware that racism flows in a range of different directions, not only "white" over "black". Anyone who is arguing such simplicities is playing a dirty game and distorting truth, justice and fairness to all. The name of the stand reamins at issue and as such should be debated. But what should be done when it comes to the way that Aboriginal people (kids and adults) deliberately target poor working class white people to rob bash and plunder in Windale NSW, near Newcastle? The moral high ground is not "owned" by any group, least of all those who direct racist violence against the poor whatever colour. Start talking more intelligently about politics in this country.

Poor Vlad (the impaler?)

Another 'ordinary Aussie' who resents Indigenous people with an education, and probably everyone else who has 'wasted tax monies' on one too.

Who, on these pages or elsewhere, has been supporting street violence?

By anyone, Indigenous or otherwise?

What has street violence in NSW got to do with a clapped out sports stand in regional Qld?

There seems to be a theme on these pages, and in Toowoomba.

If Mr Hagan had no job, he'd be abused for being an idle Aboriginal.

That he has the cheek to be Indigenous and have a job, and a public sector job at that, and have some education, with a couple of degrees in his kit-bag-of-skills, is deeply deeply resented...so it seems.

The comments I've read concerning this clapped out sports stand and Mr Hagan have been simply stunning, blaming him for the condition of NT Indigenous communities, abusing him for having an education, abusing him for daring to open his mouth to speak up.... abusing him for suing various bodies....and now Vlad (the impaler) is abusing him for what happens in NSW.

Absolutely amazing.

There is a lesson here for the vast majority of our population who prefer to lie low, keep their mouths shut and quietly fume over what they perceive to be 'injustices', mainly to them.

Stand up.... research your topic.... take some action about it...and if that includes Vlad doing something constructive in his own community and making an attempt to resolve street violence there... initiated by any group.... I suggest he takes the advice and reports back here with his future plans.

Blue Cross your suggestion about constructive action in my own community is appreciated, but I certainly won't be wasting time setting up a personal website detailing my publications and telling the world that I'm the best community worker since sliced bread. One of the things people like myself - Aboriginal and very much a part of a number of communities making up the Windale mix - are doing involves getting kids from indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds to think and act beyond the white/black divisions that have, unfortunately, been promulgated by far too many people employed in tertiary education. I have several degrees myself, and I've worked with Aboriginal students very effectively indeed in getting them involved in all sorts of ways with careers and connectivity to their communities. But I do resent people who turn to posturing, indulging in gestural middleclass media games that represent little more than self-aggrandisement at the expense of the dedicated work of many others who are not considered worthy by academics and whose efforts are rarely if ever acknowledged.

I think Hagan's efforts regarding the "clapped out" sports stand while morally correct unfortunately played into the politico-cultural field of the right wing conservatives masquerading as "average ordinary Aussie's", some of whom do resent those with educations beyond their experience. In following this particular path Hagan had some success (and the name of the stand SHOULD have been changed years ago by the trust organisation btw) but ironically the results have given some conservatives more fuel to stir up reaction and play white against black. For instance, Graeme Gilbert's syndicated, sinister and clapped out radio talkback programme is a case in point and every damn month he will raise the stand matter to stir up the most dodgy debate imaginable.

Meanwhile some kids in my area deliberately target elderly or ill white women because they are easy to steal from and they think it is their right because of a distorted black/white political dichotomy. I want this sort of despicable violence stopped before it hits the headlines only to fuel even more reactionary debate!

By the way
I just spent the last few days seeing my son, daughter and grandchildren in Tannum Sands (near Gladstone). Drove into Gladstone and guess what there is a street named C##N Street , which ironically is not all that far from the disused Port Curtis Dairy Factory. I think it is time for Action Man to rid Gladstone and the world, of this offensive and insulting street name. Alternatively the Council is not short of a quid so perhaps the legal approach might be more rewarding.

Good comments by Blairbar and Deep Northerner. Myself I am happy for retained relics of our past mistakes to act as prompts about continuing to think and act on these issues. It would be helpful to have a board at the oval explaining the original name and why it was taken down. Yes, a repro of the board could be put up in any sports venue anywhere with an explanation. I certainly hope that a very good photograph was taken of the original signboard for such a purpose. Yes, this case should be a spur to discussion of similar prejudicial thinking still to be found in our society, therefore the record of the original should not be expunged. An old mistake is still a mistake we can newly learn from. E.g. look how successful the floggings are at Old Sydney Town. Toowoomba is a city with a lot of educational resources: a case study could be a hallmark of today's ability to deal with the past. Tmba thinkers, please take this on!

Reference Blairbar's 3 Nov comment <Gladstone and guess what there is a street named C##N Street>, all that is needed is a small board explaining the origin of the name in this case. Gladstone City, please help us all by doing that. What the cheese company could helpfully do is to add in the small print a short credit to Mr/Dr Coon as the inventor of the process. Mr Hagan was here embarking on something of what the lamented John Howard used to call PC. While Howard's use of the term was wrong (typical!), his instinct was right -- you do not remove a wrong by removing it from view, instead you need to expose it to the light where it will shrivel. Yes, there may still be insulting uses of the word C##N and each one should be challenged, past or present.