Indy,

Of course it can have such a meaning, but in your case, given your past forum history of posting racists remarks, I wouldn't be too sure.

I know a chap, ex-warder at Long Bay Jail Sydney, now in his 90's. He once said to me "I liked nothing better than to find an Aboriginal (not his word) hanging from his bed sheets in the morning." So the words can have a different meaning to different people.

Calling it "let scabs heal fully" can only work if you admit there was a cut in the first place. All nations do wrong, but its as Biden said;

“Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments. Great nations don’t walk away. We come to terms with the mistakes we made. And remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.” He is talking about both sides of the argument.

Australia is yet to reach that position of maturity. When we do, we can then come together as equals with mutual respect, moving forward as one people, setting standards and striving to meet worthwhile goals. Aboriginal people are calling for that, yet our political leadership is still in denial, unwilling to give the recognition that is due, way over due.

To give an analogy;

If in a fit of anger I throw a rock and hit my neighbour in the eye. The next day I approach the neighbour with a; "Gooday mate" and he replies with derision about his eye, I say; "No I didn't do that you're making it up!" or should I meet his complaint with silence and a "lets go fishing". Should I expect to be friends ever again? However should I admit my fault, apologise and ask for a reconciliation between us. As forgiveness is the hardest thing to do in life, it would be very mature of my neighbour to forgive me and move on, but its possible he would.

Paul1405,
There's no nation that has & does more for its indigenous people than Australia and, it's the majority of non-indigenous people who live in Australia who are doing this. The ones who don't are the ones you seem to be looking up to. Good Luck !
In hindsight just about everything people did was wrong even the Australian Aborigines. They too fought each other & when it became their turn to lose they not as yet have come to grips with it. Yes, they were conquered, suffered & then have been compensated & are still compensated & it can morally be said over-compensated.
If you think you can change the past keep writing the things you write, I'll stay focussed on offering views for making a better future no matter how much sabotage you throw my way !

"let scabs heal fully" can only work if you admit there was a cut in the first place.
Paul1405,
How could we fail to admit that if indeed anyone doesn't I'd like to see it. What can be argued is that the Guilt Industry is ferociously working on making the wounds bigger than they were when first inflicted ! In my opinion that is what most decent folk are tired of.
How many of those stolen children would be around to complain now had tyhey not been taken into care. Yes, many were abused by those sickos in the Clergy but also back in their camps by their own.
I & my workmate saw with our own eyes when a 'respected' Elder had a little girl on his lap with his hand up her skirt ! We saw that with our own eyes ! So, don't give us that crap of everything done wrong was by non-indigenous ! Defenceless shipwrecked people were at times looked after by indigenous tribes yet some were simply killed.
If you can't accept that non-Whites aren't deplorable also then you really have a problem, a self-made one !

It seems Australia is not the only post colonial country which has difficulty coming to term with its treatment of its indigenous people, Canada is having a similar problem. The recent Canada Day celebrations were somewhat muted or even cancelled when it was revealed that unmarked graves of Native American children had been discovered.

Many Native Americans say they're feeling grief following revelations from investigations into unmarked grave sites at former residential schools, which uncovered preliminary evidence of the remains of an estimated 215 children in B.C., and 751 people in Saskatchewan.

Hopefully out of this will come a maturity for Canadians that the past wrongs can be recognised and the country can unit and move one as one people.

Happy NAIDOC WEEK.