Well I'll be buggered, G'day to you CHRISGAFF1000...

Long time no hear there Chris, hope you're OK ? Indeed, you may remember there was a shortage of volunteers to go to the bush, I don't mean townships, up and down the Pacific or New England Hwy's, but to far Western regions of NSW ? The likes of Nyngan, Cobar, Ivanhoe, Burke and of course, the 'Silver City' itself. Depending on your time there, you'd probably recall Merv LOVE who became OIC of Broken Hill Gaol, when the Prisons people took over ?

Who can forget poor old Wilcannia, and their impenetrable racial complications ? However you'd well recognise, it wasn't the black fella's, the townspeople, or the coppers that caused the trouble ? It was down to the media, more particularly, the ABC !

They got a whiff of some minor racial problem(s), the sort of issue that most country towns need to confront from time to time, and from there they twisted it into some full scale racial conflict ? Instead of first, seeking the facts, by directing their initial enquiries to the local OIC of police, they rode into town heavily armed with all manner of cameras, sound men, presenters, and producers, with the sole intent to 'beat up' a good story in which to highlight in their next 'Current Affairs' programme.

In their wake they left a lot of broken men and women displaced from their modest camps, disrupted the loose harmony that had existed there, with almost the entire town with 'For Sale' notices affixed to the windows of their small businesses. Police arbitrarily moved on, complete with a pile of unfounded allegations of misbehaviour etc. and the PA overloaded with requests for legal assistance ?

Chris, I must confess, I've 'grown' to have a great deal of sympathy and compassion for our blacks. Not your Everleigh Street, REDFERN variety, but those from the bush. Consequently I don't mind being identified as a 'n....r' lover in this instance - blame the Department, it was they who sent me out relieving in the bush after all ?

Hi o sung wu,

Unfortunately not enough of us have your first hand experience, or your compassion. It is always easier to go with the mob mentality than to be the odd man out. Coming into a new environment, gauging the general sentiment, and when pressed its much easier and far more comfortable to agree than disagree.

On the score of the "Everleigh Street, REDFERN variety" a people I am close too. Yes they can be discussing, there is criminal and anti-social behavior by the bucket fulls. There is no way these folk should be abandon, there are good people in the community trying to do good things. I was pleased at a meeting we attended with the words of the then new police local area command chief and his attitude. He spoke of the need for the police to do more than simple policing in Redfern, the need to become part of the community. He had made positive steps to establish good personal relationships (trust) with the local Aboriginal leadership. Also doing a great job with the local PCY Club. A couple of months back our 'Maori Entertainers' had a Sunday afternoon entertaining in one of Redfern's well known watering holes. A really fantastic afternoon. Aboriginals enjoy the music of the likes of Johnny Cash, just as we do. Our monthly 'Island Reggae' nights are a hit with both indigenous and Islanders alike. My partner is the "Maori food coordinator" for want of a better term, for a project later this year, a harbor cruse, bring together both Indigenous and Maori culture with entertainment, food etc, fingers crossed

G'day there PAUL1405...

I must confess Paul, until I worked in a few of these country townships, my attitude towards blacks was not particularly forgiving. Being exposed to 'Eveleigh Street', when I was quite new in the job, was both challenging and mind-altering ?

There were always, a fair number of individuals loitering about and hanging around Eveleigh Street and its environs, all day and well into the night, mixing with and stirring-up others within the area. Most were not residents. Many I'd question their actual ethnicity to determine their precise degree of 'aboriginality' ?

However that's not our function, we're there simply to 'keep the peace' nothing else. I'm quite positive CHRISGAFF1000 would echo my observations, as to what it was really like in those days - with the only light moments occurring, when dear old 'Mumma SMITH' and her many cohorts waved a cheery hello as we drove past ?

Unfortunately my prejudices (if any?) and dislike for 'some' blacks, was a 'learnt attitude' from those days of the Redfern patrol ? Whenever we slowly cruised in our truck down that short street, the abuse and the detritus, coming from just about every quarter, including small children, was something to behold.

So bad in fact, it again attracted the ABC TV (I think) who decided to dedicate another programme, on how bad relations were between the 'residents' and police ? Naturally Paul, we copped all the blame, because of our frequent but intermittent presence within the area ? The fact it was our job, to maintain 'a presence' was immaterial. The deteriorating relations, was entirely down to the police, insisting on maintaining 'that presence' ?

Paul, at the risk of criticism for some racial remark; I've always found Maori people far more reasonable and more compliant when police have a need to intercede for some reason, than our own Aboriginals ? No doubt when either, a Maori or Aboriginal are heavily intoxicated, both represent a handful if an arrest is imminent. You're doing a marvellous job, by the sound of it Paul !

So what should be the question that we are all so eager to say 'yes' to ?

Or is this going to be a Shorten referendum - we don't know what it is, but we agree to it ?

Perhaps one problem that might hinder a 91 % 'yes' vote is that Indigenous 'leaders' - and ordinary people - don't seem to agree amongst themselves about what they want that question to be. Another problem arises from the inconvenient fact that some 'leaders' are putting forward suggestions to remove all discrimination - then suggesting that a clearly discriminatory clause be added.

Note to Aboriginal 'leaders', 2007: What do you think of organising a referendum on something to do with 'Reconciliation' or 'Recognition' in, say, 2014 or better still, 2017 ? Changing the Constitution ? Long way away, yes, but we have to get our act together early, to be absolutely in unison on this one. Absolutely clear, absolutely no disagreement, 100 % together, otherwise we're stuffed, there's no point putting a dog' breakfast before the others, they'll cut us to pieces. And by the way, we'll have to run this past the rest of our mob first too and get them to agree 100 % as well. What are the chances, you fellas ?

So what was the question again ?

The pre-requisite for 'reconciliation'(sic) is for the Australian public to suspend their critical faculties and judgement, and swallow all of the 'Black Armband' spiel, regardless of how outrageous and unsupported by evidence it is.

Next, an emotional guilt trip to accept the eternal victimhood of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders.

Here is a heap of 'reconciliation' stuff that has to be paid for and that is outside of the ongoing and extras allocated in federal, State and local government budgets for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders.

So when will the public be informed of,

first, the total cost? and

secondly, since the exasperated taxpayer will be stumping up for the bill, how will all of those 'initiatives' and knees-ups for the knobs be funded? What existing programs will have to be cut and by how much?

- Reconciliation,
https://www.reconciliation.org.au/resources/

Activists, lobbyists and politicians are forever finding new ways to spend $millions that government does not have, but is being taken compulsorily from taxpayers.

Amazing that there isn't ever enough money in the Budget to get rid of dangerous one lane bridges on the Highway One, the national highway where lives are being lost, but there is always plenty of money for dinners, knees-ups and photo opportunities.

Sorry, here is the link again,

http://www.reconciliation.org.au/resources/