Hi Leoj,

Thanks, that's quite a valuable article. Leon Festinger, back in the fifties inhis work on 'cognitive dissonance', did a study of a religious sect which believed the end of the world was imminent. After it didn't come, he found that the adherents, instead of dropping their beliefs or even modifying them (oh, well, maybe it's next year), doubled down, as they say, and believed even more fervently.

It helps in those situations if one does not need a scrap of solid evidence to keep believing. That raises the inconvenient possibility that belief in Narratives may have a religious tinge to them, or at least a belief in the existence of devils, constantly thwarting good.

Yes, mark Twain was wickedly perceptive so often: "“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Evidence. Evidence of the RPF story. Evidence of a stolen generation. Any evidence would be handy. Not stories, not yarns, not flights of fancy or of maybes. Evidence.

I crave to believe in a Cause, one based on truth and integrity. This ain't it.

Thanks again.

Joe

Dear Steele,

Here are a few links that I think speak for themselves:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-18/manne-name10-a-journey-through-the-journalism-of-andrew-bolt/3577

http://www.theage.com.au/news/robert-manne/the-cruelty-of-denial/2006/09/08/1157222325367.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-15/37108

cont'd ...

Dear Steele,

Oooops, sorry for the typo.

Here's the first link again:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-18/manne-name-10-a-journey-through-the-journalism-of-andrew-bolt/3577

Dearest Foxy,

I'm far more modest than Bolt. I would be grateful if someone could point out ONE person who was 'Stolen'. Just one. Well, apart from Bruce Trevorrow, of course.

No rush.

Love,

Joe

Dear Joe,

You want the name of just one person who was stolen?

OK. How about Margaret Tucker.

I've got a copy of her book "If Everyone Cared."

Perhaps it would do you some good to read it.
I would recommend you getting hold of a copy.

http://koorihistory.com/if-everyone-cared-margaret-tucker/

Then there's also John Kundereri Moriarty.

This will do for now.

Dearest Foxy,

Yes, I remember her, a lovely lady. I loved her in the last episode of "Women of the Sun".

Do you mean that she had to go out and work at fifteen, after being trained as a domestic - that that was what made her 'Stolen' ?

My wife went out to work as a domestic at fifteen, in 1964. Everybody could leave school at fifteen in those days. My grand-dad started work at nine, my grandmother at twelve, my mum at fourteen.

Is that it ?

Love,

Joe