Maggie Walter, thank you for a thoughtful and thought-provoking article.

Thanks Maggie, Stanners Boyer Lecture about the great national disremembering (amnesia) addressed the same issues.

Paul Toohey, the journalist, has made a name for himself on the basis of apparently knowing lots about Aboriginal communities but absolutely nothing about its people.

Being educated in this country means knowing how to avoid being tested for your knowledge of its first peoples. And if pressed, make it up.

We've had 2 apologies now (1999 and 2008), when do we get to hear the "acceptance", and usually with acceptance comes forgiveness and moving on.

Are we forgiven or will this be withheld? Is there yet a further apology to be given, is it to be a generational device now?

I don't see them ever extending a hand of friendship only the hand of "give me something".

We've tried reconciliation, but it seems to be a one way street, which is why it isn't working. Do you think most Australians find this ungrateful? It's our taxes at work here isn't it - we're entitled to an opinion.

There's only one way out that has been the only successful way for many thousands of years all over the world, assimilate.

I expect the usual piling on now, but a lot of people are just tired of being told it's our fault. Stop blaming the population for a small minorities problems, my immigrant parents have assimilated, everyone else seems to see it as normal except our indigenous countrymen (A term that includes women of course, so don't abuse me for that)

Nothing changes, the aboriginal industry continues to tut tut and waggle their fingers at the population at large, when it is the indigenous people who need to make a move, to improve their outlook on the world around them and accept it for what it is. Like the rest of us, we find life is a struggle - yes, now get over it and move on - stop being a victim.

I tire of the ceaseless demands for us to "do something". No, I don't want to - I want you to do something more than whine and bleat about your condition, get off your backsides and do something for yourselves.

I tire of the accusations of "invasion", it wasn't an invasion, you can't just rewrite history - it's irritating, and dishonest.

It's predictable that we're all judged by those guilty of their own omissions. I know my neighbours...aboriginal/Maltese Australians on one side, better than Australians on the other. The Maltese-Australian husband/aboriginal-Australian wife regularly interact with us. I make them Christmas and Easter treats (as I do for my own family)and more. We talk most days at length, on all sorts of subjects...more than I see and talk with relatives. We recently attended 'grannies' funeral (the only white couple), as friends, not as 'whites'!
I don't expect anyone to share their lives just because they're neighbours or because of colour.
I match my clothes using colour, not my friends...I don't know the ethnicity of most friends and I don't care.
I know my neighbours ethnicity because their children and relations are constantly embroiled in race violence and drug/alcohol induced disorder and because they informed me. Why? Because they trust me and know I don't like the lawlessness but I will do what I can for them and their children.
I have lived beside great neighbours of aboriginal and non-aboriginal descent...and I've lived beside living nightmares who happened to be black in colour. I have witnessed damage to my property, neglect of their children and worse. Judge only if you are prepared to deal with the whole truth and act to improve things for them. This article offers NOTHING towards that end.
If I treated my children as my neighbour's daughter treats hers, they'd be taken from me. Despite requests from our neighbour for the children to be taken into care, they remain at risk. The fear? The repercussions of the so-called stolen generation...so these children suffer! They live with drug/alcohol induced violence and neglect. Their grandmother (our neighbour) was raised by one of the 'stolen' generation (her grannie), who was raised as a Christian and taught the difference between lawful and lawless...and how to care for her family and others. She was inspirational. Our neighbour does what she can for the children and the authorities are aware of the bruises and neglect...suffer the little children while no one will act?

Wow, so much bitterness there in the last two posts, why?

No bitterness Rainer, just facts...would you like to pay for the damage to property or solve the problems with the children or share the heartache of their grandparents?
It appears that your comments on making up what you don't know comes from personal experience - it's clearly what you do.
My neighbours come to me as friends and I go to them in the same way...how many aboriginal Australians share your friendship?
I agree with many of the previous posts...this issue is a two way street. Apologies should receive acceptance and forgiveness but it's easier for the so-called 'experts' to leave the open sore and keep picking at it and making money out of the 'cash cow' that the aboriginal industry has become.
My children have been through school with aboriginal friends (and probably many I don't know were part-aboriginal), I'm still friends with their parents, but most have left the town and become involved in drugs/alcohol despite getting lots of assistance with education, work opportunities, etc.
Sooner or later the money for inappropriate 'experts' who have no clue about reality should stop and all Australians should be cared for in the same way, with the same expectations...irrespective of colour. If you respect the rights of others, you should have the right to be treated with respect in return...as an Australian.
One rule for all would stop the young aboriginals who stole a mower from coming back the following week to ask for the catcher too! Yes, when it was reported as stolen and the thieves named, the aboriginal liason police officer informed the owner that the mower would be replaced but the thieves would not be punished as they were aboriginal. Next day they turned up to ask for the catcher too! I doubt they learned to stop stealing from that exercise, huh?
Wake up Rainer and see what is right for all of us, as people, not colours!