To Grim and Foxy-

After reading your notations, Mates, I feel like I've taken a breath of clean air.

Yep, Foxy I am one who has taken an adult education course, mainly because like many of us farm boys early in the Great Depression, I was pulled out of school at
the age of 12, to drive a wagon team carting wheat.

However, though I will get over it, both 'Rouge and Leigh have made me depressed, not so much for myself, but by their attitudes towards our blacks, attitudes which I thought we had overcome mostly through modern sport, which throughout the world has been making arrogant whities give coloureds the respect they truly deserve.

However, going by the recent performances of Leigh znd 'Rouge, it seems us Aussies have still got a lot to learn.

Praying I am not going too far, but some of us old studiholics have been thinking that with a coloured man now occupying the US throne, was hoping that as with New Zealand we might eventually have two or three well chosen Aborigines permanently occupying our Federal Government - but of course, not connected to any Party.

Furthermore, as Canada has recently given her natives part possession of Parliament, maybe it would give a reminder for Pax Americana to do the same for her Redskins.

With Heartfelt Thanks,
from BB, Buntine, WA

Busbred,

You can believe that Col and I should not be on OLO if you like, even though it clearly shows that you do not believe in freedom of speech. I, however, do believe in freedom of speech and, although I think that you are a waste of space, and a very self-opinionated old man, I am quite happy to share OLO with you. I am quite happy for you to write your nonsense, although I must admit to being bored silly by you self-promotion and arrogance.

You preach: “I don't know whether you both know it or not, but it is breaking the law.” What utter rubbish! Nothing Col Rouge and I have said is in breach of any law. Perhaps you should have done a law degree instead of your mickey mouse history degree.

Your belief that Australians would allow discriminatory conditions for aborigines entering shows how off your rocker you are. There have been aborigines in parliament; I don’t know if there are any now, but they have the same rights as the rest of us to nominate.

Your last rant is a beaut:

“Finally, although I could probably sue you over the way you have degraded all my years of study, but realising you haven’t received an adequate education needed for these days, I’ll forgive you.”

Once again, it’s a pity you didn’t go for law; you would then have known what rubbish that is. And, you know nothing of my education and you never will. We aren’t all braggarts, nor do we need your ‘forgiveness’.

Foxy,

1. Still disagree. ‘Experts’ have been proven wrong. Ethics is hardly a cut and dried science, either.
2. Your comment about white ‘ferals’ doesn’t make nomadic aborigines civilized.
3. But OK for me to be called a ‘rightist’ and worse.
4. I have nothing against academic achievement – just how it is used.
5. Irrelevant and none of your business. You seem to be an education snob.
6. You show little tolerance of other’s opinion’s – mine in this case.

Dear Leigh,

Of course experts have been proven wrong. But until they are,
often that's all society has to go on.

My comment about "white ferals" was merely trying to point
out that uncivilized behaviour was not just the domain of one
particular people.

I did not call you a rightist (and worse). I tend to stay away
from labeling people I don't know. To me labeling is a sign of
intellectual poverty.

I'm not an education snob at all. I'm a firm believer in '"more
education, less fear mongering, and, not least greater honesty
about the culture of racism that is so damaging us."

I apologise if I've given you the wrong impression in my previous
post. I really have nothing against you at all. How could I have?
I don't know you. However what I do believe (and as I've said in
another thread) there is an etiquette for communicating online.
An informal "set of rules" for behaviour in computer based
conversations. We have to remember our manners, politeness rules.
And, if we all comply to these codes of conduct that will make
it all the more enjoyable for everyone.

We have to remember that individuals are reading our posts and it is
people at the other end of the technology to whom we're speaking, not
the PC screen.

All The Best,

Dear bushbred,

It is I who should be complimenting you, gentle Sir.

I've been reading all of your posts with great interest.
I'm most impressed with the civility you've throughout.
You've been absolutely inspiring!

Yours sounds like such an interesting life.
Having lived through the Great Depression. Driven a wagon team
carting wheat. Completed studies late in life. And much, much
more. All achievements to be proud of. What stories you must have
to tell. If you ever write a book, I for one would be very interested
in buying and reading it.

You have knowledge to share and pass on to us of the next generation.
We have so much to learn from people such as yourself, who can
actually capture so much history for us.

By the way I looked up "Yagan" on the web. I intend to read
about him. It sounds like a fascinating piece of history.
Thank You for attracting my attention to him.

Keep smiling,

"I also don’t see why a nation which has become independent from the country which colonised them would celebrate their national day on the anniversary of colonisation."

Andrew, the Australian nation, as we know it today, was not colonised by the British - it was created by them. Our very existence as a nation is the direct consequence of the establishment of British settler colonies upon the shores of this continent. Thus Australians are quite right to celebrate the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 as the starting point in the genesis of modern Australia.

Just because some minority groups do not identify with Australia's British heritage does not mean that we should stop celebrating the event which began the Australian nation-building process.

Foxy wrote: "I'm somewhat disappointed in your strong stand against our first Australians who you feel are "uncivilized."

The "First Australians"?

Sorry, Foxy, but "Australia" and "Australians" are European concepts.

Before British settlement this vast continent was not known as "Australia", nor did there exist a single people who could be described as "Australians". Rather this land was made up of more than 500 different clans, most of whom neither knew nor understood one another.

To suggest that some kind of unified, geographically-defined Aboriginal nation encompassing the entire Australian landmass existed on this continent prior to European settlement is patently false and, quite frankly, insulting.