CJMorgan, thank you for the welcome.

"And welcome to Juda - you're obviously in good company here. OLO is infested with racist bigots. However, you'll find that there's also plenty of educated, decent people who will try and help you overcome your ignorance and prejudice."

I will accept the ignorance comment as I would assume a forum would offer many educated and experienced voices and as such my mind will be opened further. The other slurs you can have back as I dont fall into the categories.

I recall the guist but not the specifics of a comment which was made to me some time back on OLO. I'd made a comment along the lines that race just was not an issue to me. It was pointed out to me that is mostly because it's rarely had to be. I think the comment came from Rainer but I'm not sure.

The article reminded me of that. Race is very much an issue to Stephen, he's written articles which refer to pride in his race, mentioned favouring sporting teams because of the racial makeup of the team etc. Stuff I can't easily relate to but which I have tried to place in context when I think about the different impacts our "racial" backgrounds have had on our life journies.

I wonder if Stephen fais to understand that race has very little significance for those who it's not had to be significant for. That his assumptions about people voting largely along racial lines don't actually apply to many of those who have not had to struggle with racial identity.

That some voted for or against Obama because of racial issues but for many the contest was not between Obama's skin tone and his message of change, it was between MCain's sense of "same old" and the possibility that Obama may actually be different. Race came into it but for many it was a much less significant issue than Stephen seems to be willing to consider.

Stephen I think understand why race is such an issue to you but it's a mistake to assume that it's of the same relevance to everybody else.

R0bert

...
ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR !
...
I am not sure what the gentleman of Scottish origin had in mind when he wrote those words. According to my Oxford Dictionary the word "fair" may be interpreted in 12 different manners. N°1 is "beautiful", N°3 is "blond, not dark". N°5 is "just, unbiased, equitable, legitimate, in accordance with rules", N°6 is "of (only) moderate quality, not bad, pretty good".

The one meaning that is indicated as specifically "(Austral., NZ, & sl.)" is N°8 "complete, unquestionable". That is the only one that, I think, most would agree, does not appear to apply.

Perhaps Peter Dodds McCormick, the song writer in question, had in mind that typical Australian slang expression "fair dinkum" which, as everyone knows, means "true, authentic, genuine, real". It is not listed in the Oxford Dictionary under "fair" but under "dinkum".

Well, it's anyone's guess what each of us has in mind when we sing our heads off at international sporting events.

There appears to be some doubt as to who, exactly, should "advance": those who are beautiful? blonds only? those who are of (only) moderate quality? whoever considers himself to be complete and unquestionable? or, as a possible last resort, authentic Australians only?

Allow me to suggest that knowing Peter Dodds McCormick as I do, he was probably trying to please everybody, from one end of the rainbow to the other: white, black, yellow, brown, red, even true blue Australians.

I do not know what our good friend, Stephen, thinks of the national anthem. I have never heard it played on the dijereedo. Personally, I must confess, I prefer Waltzing Matilda though I have never heard that played on the dijereedo either.

I would be interested to hear alternative suggestions from aboriginal song writers and composers for our national anthem when we become a republic. I am sure they could come up with something nice.

I find it quite amusing to think that all the national orchestras around the world would have to equip themselves with dijereedos in order to play the Australian national anthem.
...

Stephen, CJMorgan et al,
I suggest that instead of this continual complaint about the status quo, you read the following article at
http://harvardmagazine.com/2006/03/the-marketplace-of-perce.html and consider the opportunities lost in the past and grasp those that are available in the present. Read particularly the bit about SEED.

Have a look at the histories of Stephen's father Jim and also in particular his grandfather. They were men who got out and did things. They didn't spend their lives sitting and complaining.

David

Leigh,

All I can say, you can’t speak for America if you aren’t American.
Secondly, why should aboriginal people leave home/country where ancestors have walked for thousands of years and still hold traditional links? If they leave home/country how can these people justify links through Native Title if they are driven away because they have no water, access to health etc etc don’t you see what the government are trying to do? Aboriginal people should have the basics just like anyone else in Australia, and we will get an indigenous PM one day, give it a few generations, Australia is only young.

Billya, "In your dreams, mate".

The government has been providing health services to Aboriginals for at least the past 40 years. When I lived in Tennant Creek in the late 60's we had a feeling that services were provided to Aboriginals, Public servants, Pregnant women and the rest of us, in that order.

The services are there, but if they don't want to use them, no one can make them.

David