Sorry runner you come across as a bigot, now you may not be, maybe think you are not, but its the way you present your self here.
I am not sure suzeonline you understand, while Christians have done much more harm than good Aboriginals can not yet look after themselves.
I refuse to blame yesterday, but do blame us all, very much including aboriginals for today.
OC is about as handy as an ash tray on a Harley, reality and accountability is needed for us ALL.
Understanding while China, Korea, Malaysia, Pacific Islands saw Japan MURDER far more and with far more brutality those folk have not forgotten but they have not retreated into a nightmare life either.
What is wrong with commitment and accountability towards a better life , home, education for children, from every Australian for our first?
No way I like the slant of some posts here but it is true grog is ruining whole people and Refuse to blame my great grand parents for it.

No, a LOT of the issues came from the missionaries. The "Catholic Church" admits to the incredible amount of child abuse, and the implementation of "dry communities" is the biggest problem I've ever run into.

People live there, but they cannot have a drink? What happens next? Binge drinking, massive markups, hot grog, etc.

Al, please mate try and see what I am writing, I know many of the people who are complaining about this.

The difficulty is, that the "churchies" on the communities REFUSE to even contemplate the introduction of "Light beer" which is about the only way possible to ensure that the "hot-grog/grog-runners" stop.

They see only the fact that the "evil" will be allowed, where did they get that mindset? From the missionaries?

Binge drinking on top of zero-tolerance to alcohol, is the cause of the violence, drunkeness and malnutrition (indirectly due to the cost of a carton via the runners, $100-120/carton). The hot grog cannot be dealt with as the police prefer to "turn a blind eye to it" (whether because they are too frightened to deal with it, or their mates are involved).

The child abuse is rampant and is traceable in a large part to the missionaries and the "protectors"...

Try actually asking the people, don't just assume they are "dumb fella blackfellas" and actually listen to what they say, don't just interpret it how it suits you or your predetermined feelings/determinations.

No Belly, unfortunately I understand all too well about the plight of many Aboriginals- at least here in W.A., having worked in both country and city Aboriginal communities in the past.

Saying they are not able to look after themselves is a very patronizing statement, and is not true of many Aboriginal people.

The adults know very well how to look after themselves.
They have alcohol and substance abuse problems in disproportionately larger numbers than other communities, but they need to come to that realization themselves because no one can force anyone to stop drinking.

If we stop selling alcohol in one town, the alcoholics will get it some other way.
The only way we can now help these people is by starting with the next generation- the kids.

Education is the only way they will ever get ahead.

The government needs to concentrate on providing the same health and education opportunities to Aboriginal children as they do to all other children- or nothing will ever improve.

The kids from remote towns and communities should be sent to boarding schools if there isn't a good school close by.

They can then go home for holidays, just like plenty of other kids do.

We then can't be accused of starting a whole new 'stolen generation', but yet still give the kids the education they need.

a lot suzeonline that you say in that post is my thoughts.
How would I know?
Well two boys and a girl I raised wed Aboriginals.
I am looking after about 80 at work, some intensively.
I too have lived around Australia, even been offered to be bought into a tribe, but declined as most who do that do so to benefit.
My post history here and from years ago in another forum demands education accountability and opportunity for them all.
EVERY project to make jobs has failed.
Accountability is hidden under blaming white for failure.
failure to go to work, to stay of grog and drugs, you probably know the child rape is real done by family and more common than not.
No welfare for those who will not see kids educated, nore for those who will not work, or those who do not care.
in three generations an educated youth would show the pain was worth the gain.
it is not good enough to leave it like it is.

I actually am beginning to see "some" posters who have actual experience with the issues, who are reaching some form of consensus as to the most pressing issues.

I wonder, I honestly do, if we could possibly reach that consensus, what are the most pressing issues, because it is then and only then that we can look at working out how to approach the manifold problems in a sane, rational manner.

We can only deal with a couple of problems at any one time. Lets make a real effort (ignoring those who would sidetrack the argument) to diagnose the issues that are most pressing and those which HAVE to be addressed before any progress CAN be made.

Personally, I think the very first issue to be addressed, is to hand responsibility for Policing on ALL communities to the AFP.

State Police have failed miserably, they have corrupt relationships, bizarre community relationships, etc. The AFP would be a new broom, which might have some chance of seeing the issues before becoming sidetracked into merely hounding those who don't show them the respect due them, but actually dealing with the problems that have led to that sad state of affairs.

State Police will not fight to remain in the Communities, and the Communities will not fight to keep them there. The State Governments should wipe their hands of the issue(s), they have failed miserably after all.

Let the Commonwealth deal with the issue, lets see what happens when Canberra HAS to acknowledge the third world in their backyard.

Custard...(thanx 4 reminding me.. there's still some in the fridge.. in time for Frazier at 9.30)

umm you said:

//They see only the fact that the "evil" will be allowed, where did they get that mindset? From the missionaries?//

You were referring to light beer.. well.. it might surprise you to know that the tribe into which I married, went through the following cycle.

1/ Initial state. Drunk more days/year than sober. ("Drunk before Dawn" a book was written about their plight)
2/ They used to have regular massive drunken celebrations involving rice whine (Borak) (Pre Christian times)

3/ They invited Missionaries to come and teach them about Christ.

4/ The missionaries did not tell them 'don't drink at all' they would have been in error if they had. The biblical principle is don't get drunk...and this they passed on.

5/ The tribal people discovered that 'moderation' for them...did not work.. it just brought back all the old stuff which had been killing them.

6/ Thus.. by their own decision..they made it a practice to have no drinking at all. This is within the Church context of course. In most cases that was 'everyone' but the odd family here and there stayed with the old custom, and the boozing.

Suzonline.

ur pretty harsh you know.. doesn't seem to be much room for anything good about Christians in your mind.. am I right?

But a technical point about your claim "They don't need saving"

That's quite a big discussion, but the short version is that ALL mankind 'needs saving' by fundamental doctrine and command of Christ.
"Go into all the world.. and make disciples" etc. Matt 28:19ff

In fact 'you' need saving.. as do all on OLO. Repentance and faith..in Christ is what saves.