David Latimer. Wow, I can’t believe what you regard racism (the belief) as the same as terrorism (the act of harming others) !

Tell me, how did you connect preferring your own – to killing others?

Rainer. The Education Act says that that Education is the primary responsibility of the parents. The state has washed their hands. That is why there is so many Independent schools. Parents saw what the public system was doing to their children and they did something about it.

It is good that Aboriginal people are starting to do something to help their own children too. It should have been done a long time ago. The outcomes for Aboriginal children are shocking and it is no wonder that they can’t compete or succeed. This is where alot of people have a problem with Aboriginal people, they are not even looking after their own.

My biggest concern is that when people remove themselves as a group to educate their children, then we create a wedge and children and people stop intermixing and everybody stays with their own.

Australia should encourage and want people to mix so as to have lots of different people working together. Not everybody in culture groups working against each other.

If the public school system ran a fair and just system it could cater for all people and there wouldn’t be this need for so many independent schools and there wouldn’t be so much separation, hostility and discrimination.

I understand the need for Aboriginal run schools; I just think that it is a shame that there is this need.

Goku, Please read the debate to see who has been commenting on ghetto's before assuming it was me.

I'll be the first to acknowledge that there are Australians that are racist. I cant see how that is taking two different viewpoints. I just dont think that we are generally a racist society. My point is, if YOU think that Australia is racist, then we need to address that before taking on the bad attitudes that are held by some immigrants (yes I believe that some immigrants are racist, although not necessarily towards Australians).

Two wrongs not making a right, is not designed to be a political catchphrase. Its a concept that I was taught as a child, and is rather Christian in nature (as opposed to the old Testament, and eye for an eye). Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek and to love our enemies. Whilst I believe that we all need to stand up for ourselves, when a wrong is committed against me, I try to assess whether seeking revenge is going to solve the problem, make me feel better about myself, or achieve nothing other than aggravating the situation. Am I a saint about it? Of course not, I often take the wrong course of action, because it makes me feel better about myself. But the concept is to TRY. To put it in violent terms, do you think that the lebanese community's response to the cronulla riots was the right thing? No, because all it did was cement in the minds of those that supported the original rioters, that they were right in thinking what they did about the lebanese. We must condemn the riot, but we must also condemn the backlash, so matter how justified they felt they were. This is the concept of two wrongs dont make a right.

Jolanda... you're speaking like a hypocrite.You said that people wanting to live with there own kind was the reason for the racism some immigrant face and theres nothing wrong with that. But the truth is a racist is a racist no matter the circumstances, and everybody will not condone it.

Then Quote:

""Australia should encourage and want people to mix so as to have lots of different people working together. Not everybody in culture groups working against each other"".

When it works for you and your family? Why should everyone want to be around silent racist?

Jim,

I was making a point (by example) ...being harsh? I remember my old people being told to 'speak english' by missionaries and government officials. Now thats harsh.

When (like me) you are born a ward of the state, you tend to examine these issues from a sharper perspective. Try it some time.

Country Gal was not making an effort at all, she was trying to proscribe the parametres by which she would determine my and others entry into her dictatorial notions of 'cultural diversity'- where whites (like you) sit at the centre and decide who or what is appropriate around them.

So Goku's excellent rebuttal.

Oh, nearly forgot "Happy Australian Day"

Rainier, It is the topic of another thread, but we are a democratic country (although some like to think not). That means that there is majority rule, and the majority make the rules. So happens that the majority seem to be white european descendants. Fair? Maybe not, depending on whose viewpoint that you have. We are shaped by the experiences that we have and how we and others aruond us respond to them. Your childhood as a state ward will give you a different perspective than will mine from a single parent (father) family, which will differ again from children raised in two parent families with plenty of material goods.

Check my posts, I havent once said that the old missionaries etc did the right thing by forcing the aboriginies that they worked with to speak english. Mind you, english is the official language, so to participate in the society that we have, you need at least a reasonable command of the language. You seem to take umbrage at my view that just because the black population suffered under the white settlment, doesnt mean that the current Australian population (whatever their background) should have to put up with a similar thing now. Correct me if I am wrong, but that is the tone that I discern from your early posts on this thread. I cant change what happened in the past, and nor can you. What needs to happen is that we need to deal with what we have NOW. Instead of complaining (and yes I am as guilty as anyone - human nature I'm afraid!), we should be looking first at what is good about where we live and what we have, and trying to ensure that this is cherished and preserved.

Country Gal,

Yes we have a form of liberal democracy, but i reserve my opinion of whether democracy is the ultimate form of governance and human organisation of politics and economics.

I refered to being a ward of the state not to draw sympathy but to point out the reality.

ie, I survived,grew up and prospered despite people with your opinions, not because of them.