Hi Banjo,

I agree - these foreigners have to learn the lingo:

"Fellow Australians, both old and new.
I'm glad to see yus all here for this important
ceremony. In welcomin' yus on behalf of
Council though, I would stress one point,
important to all of yus who are wanting to be
nationalized. I would urge yus all to learn to
speak English properly. I know that, in my own
particular line, which is plumbin', I often
have the greatest difficulty in understandin'
what some of yus are talking about when you
endeavour to describe what is wrong with your
sinks, baths or cisterns - as the case may be.
Now, this is only one instance of how important
it is for - er - new citizens - to learn to speak
English properly. I mean ter say, if you can say -
"comment tallez vous" in yur own tongue, isn't it
just as easy to say, "How are yus goin'" in English?
So listen to the old Aussies around yer, and in
next to no time yus'll be spoutin' English left,
right and centre just like the best of us."

(Taken from the book, "The Changing Australians:
A Social History").

As a full blown and proud of it Aussie Ocker, I would be in trouble understanding that if we still spoke like that Lexi.
I know how to try very hard to handle people with difficulty being understood, or under standing.
IF I was in Japan Germany, any place, at the end of their phone, would they be racist for not understanding me.
Herald sun today, the day before AUSTRALIA DAY! tells me I am racist!
For haveing the Australian flag on my car! male cow dung!
First some of us are racist, some of those complaining about us are, even if they do not know it racists.
Some just do not know they are.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS is a tool for minority's to miss use, it is racist to ask that you learn English in an English speaking country.
But not racist for other country's to have the same rules for front line workers.
ok to not learn ,but racist for us to be concerned that some, who have lived here for decades never tried to learn.
Be FAIR DINKUM AUSSIE Some migrants are not saints.

to many are geting Government funding to prove that all white Aussies are racist. You can write the results of these 'research' projects before any research takes place. I am happy to be found guilty by every Government funded waste of money study. Some of the call centre people are the rudiest you will ever come across. Now we see if you have an Aussie flag you are a lot more likely to be racist (unless of course its the indigenous clour). I am sick of this cr- p.

Dear Belly,

As everyone knows, the world is divided into
two categories. Other people and us.

Other people are the problem.

Life can be defined as a long process of putting
up with Other People's irritating habits. Yet I
am constantly amazed at how tolerant even the
most intolerant people are of their own foibles.

The man who detests the way his neighbour sucks
air through his teeth will never be upset by his own
habit of cleaning his ear with the tip of his little
finger in public.

OK. I'll now take my tongue firmly out of my cheek
and get serious:

You say that you're an Aussie "Ocker," and proud of it.
That's great. Australia today is a society of
tremendous diversity and there are many Aussies here
who now call Australia home and are equally as proud
as you are. "We are One and We Are Many ."

We're a happier land than most others.
Perhaps that's due to the fact that no longer does the
world think of Australia as a place where kangaroos
hop down the streets and where the "down under" label is no
longer a label for backwardness. We've become more self-
conscious and self critical and this has forced both our
politicians and the public not only to revise our policies but
also many of our long-held and cherished notions about
ourselves and the rest of the world.

Things are looking up. Most of us no longer think that the
heritage of every Australian is the right to be exactly
the same as everybody else. Terms like "dago," "wog,"
and so on, are considered "outmoded" words that are no
longer acceptable to most people. And we no longer think
that life is only tolerable when we can look down on
someone else.

Migrants are no longer considered as "bloody riff-raff,"
and that's quite a big change.

Lexi,
I see the humour of you first post. Goodonya! But i think you miss the point.

Here we have claims of racism in hiring staff. I contend that other factors may have been considered, including that of the ability to converse clearly in english.

There are many in the nationalities mentioned that do not have good english and i suspect that,instead of blaming themselves for not getting the job, they simply claim racism. As you said, we find others to blame.

It is not racism or dislike of the Scotish that I do not watch that TV program, it is that I cannot understand half of what is said. I watch TV for entertainment not to be constantly trying to work out what is happening, that keeps me 5 minutes behind.

I think when someone starts claiming racism, we should look at other posibilities.

almost right Lexi.

The world is divided into two populations. The Scots and those who wish they were.

Banjo, if you cannae understaun Taggart, yer just a muckle dunderheid.

Then again, Aussies have 'Australian Ears' caused by decades of isolation. They find most non-Aussie accents difficult.