Rainier,

The only time that I toss is when the bed is lumpy, now having got that witicism out of the way, let us continue.

Having learned to read and write you have obviously discovered psychology, study it deeper and you will undoubtedly understand it as well. I suggest you do a little Latin also; start with understanding 'ad hominem'.

Rainier,

This is way off topic but as a well educated bloke and, as you say, far better educated than me; perhaps you could tell me how it is that when the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid that 'pi' became a factor in their measurements?

Were they so advanced that they understood this mathematical concept long before others?

Is Mise,
Learn Latin, you suggest – what a puerile put-down... most remote indigenous people speak a couple of living languages. OK, personal comments aren’t helpful, but you ask for them. You confuse race with culture. There is no biological basis for the concept of race. The superficial visible characteristics that appear to set humans apart are relatively recent changes and have nothing to do with human characteristics. Culture is about personal identity and one's relationship to those around them. Of course education is useful, but that depends on what education, and it is not as important as self respect, a sense of self worth, of rightfully belonging, being respected and, in the case of colonised indigenous people, the knowledge that past injustices are not only recognised, but atoned for in some way.
In Australia none of those criteria are fulfilled. All Governments treat Aborigines as if they are unintelligent, unable to make rational decisions, need paternalistic laws, and require assistance to live. Instead of teaching locals to build and maintain their own houses, white builders are shipped in to do it for them, creating dependence instead of independence. Instead of training indigenous nurses and doctors, we ship in whites. Instead of training aboriginal teachers, we bring in white teachers. Very few Australian Aborigines feel comfortable among ‘mainstream’ Australians, because they are always aware of racist undercurrents. There has been no official apology from the government for past atrocities, and the issue of stolen wages remains unresolved. Justice is not available to Aborigines, as prison incarcerations and the resent acquittal of a policeman for murdering a man on Palm Island shows. You can't say, "Forget the past! Get on with life." because until the past is laid to rest, it corrodes the present. There is much mental pain and feelings of inadequacy, repression and failure that have to be addressed and redressed before we can expect Australia’s original inhabitants to dare to join the ‘mainstream’, as you call it. But what 'Mainstream'? There are thousands of ‘streams’ and all are valid - except for the Aboriginal stream, it seems

The suggestion to learn Latin was rhetorical and intended to draw attention to the amount of attacking the man and not the ideas.
Nowhere have I attacked culture or the people all that I have attacked are ideas which I consider to be erroneous and which do the Aboriginal people no good what-so-ever.

I have mixed with Aboriginal people all my life, lived with them, worked with them, soldiered with them and hunted with them, protested with them, helped arrange inter-cultural get togethers at University and been a guest at their gatherings. Last do that I was at was at at the reserve at Evans Head; where, when there's anything on you don't go unless by invitation.

There are many, many Aboriginal people who don't share your views.

Mise,

Yes I can write and speak a more than 1 language.

Latin?

Vos es stultus!

I took some undergrad courses in developmental psychology many years ago now and found it fascinating, as I do with any discipline that purports to understand human behaviour.

While you obviously are proud of your ability to make opinion on what my people should or should not do

You do this in a forum where you feel comfortable simply because you believed you would never be held to account. This is clearly indicated in the style of your posts and especially in how you have romanticizes both yourself as an expert on all things Aboriginal.

Moreover, the carefree way in which your have posted your views attests to someone who assumes that no one was reading this to hold you to account.

You were wrong.

So be told here and now. You are by no means at a level of knowledge and analysis that I could honestly have confidence in.

And so you should be careful not to project yourself as an expert.

You are not. By all means have a go, but be careful you don't get carried away with yourself.

Gallipolis!

Ise mise,

Revealing but not surprising, in my reading of the Senate Inquiry booklet , [ISBN:978-0-642-71858-7] Howard and Brough's new Aboriginal Intervention,ie Assimilation Laws in Northern Territory may not be appealed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a scutiny or reversal of decisions that negatively affect Indigenous Australians.

This is racism at it's worst. Frankly disgusting.
This surely can have nothing to do with child abuse .

I imagine your Evans Head Indigenous friends at least can use the AAT.

Also the NT Law on bail and sentencing as amended now prohibits "taking into consideration ANY form of customary law or cultural practice ".

For Indigenous people,many of whom are traditional and tribal with English as a 2nd or 3rd language this is another racist and destructive aspect of Howard's last gasp on Aboriginal Affairs .

Most OLO posters I suggest could find the Senate Committee Report riveting ,revealing and disturbing .

This legislation comprises pages writen by Howard and Brough's "20 lawyers" that will be the basis for the 21st Century's opening chapters in Australia's ongoing Black-Armband History .

To quote again from the report-[p66] :

The Law Council of Australia responded that it was "speechless" at the legislation providing the Minister the power to change the legal framework and the [NT] legislation .