"We remember and show respect on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day for people who fought and died for Australia and Australians in wars to defend Australia." So we should not remember those who died in Australia's many foreign wars? Australia has participated in two kinds of wars, the earlier wars were fought in support of British colonialism and empire, WWI for example, the later wars such as Vietnam were fought in support of American imperialism. As Hanson would say; "Get over it!" No, you don't get over history, you truthfully recognise it and learn from the mistakes made in the past. Once you have done that you move on vowing not to make the same mistakes again.

Australia's first war, and the one that was fought entirely on Australian soil was The Frontier War in support of British colonialism. The estimates put the death toll among Aboriginals at 40,000 and Europeans around 2,000. The Boer War may have been viewed as a "glorious adventure", the Frontier War as a "shameful genocide", both should be remembered.

I think Invasion Day is every bit as valid a reality for indigenous Australians as Anzac Day, I mean after all the British colonised this continent, without any care for the people who already called it their home.

It's really just a case of 'might is right'.

As Paul points out many tens of thousands of indigenous were killed for no other reason except that they were here first.

But as much as I acknowledge this, and I accept the indigenous view, I DO NOT buy into the argument that I as a predominately white person (with a tiny bit of indigenous) am in any way responsible for what happened back then.

I prescribe to the argument that 'Nobody is responsible for anything that happened before they were born', so trying to make me feel guilty for these things that happened just isn't going to work.

I could by all rights identify as indigenous and take the indigenous position but I don't.
(I wasn't raised indigenous, I was raised in a white family)

As for Pauline Hanson, I think she might have her position on this one a little wrong.
- It's a sensitive issue, and telling the Invasion Day protesters to get over it might be insulting in the same way it would be insulting if a child of institutional sexual abuse was also told to get over it.
I think it just inflames the situation.

[Cont.]
One of the bigger problems is that the people who did this to them are no longer alive, there's no one who is actually responsible for what happened in those days alive now to take any responsibility for it.

I see it all as a kind of post traumatic stress disorder on a grand scale.
Wrongs were committed against these people, and they have suffered for it.
- They keep these wrongs alive in their memories and stories, it's a part of who they are.
And anyone that has these unfair things happen to them in their lives through no fault of their own is likely going to feel a sense of duty to oneself to stand against the wrongs.

Pauline though, in being ignorant and arrogant does however have some arguments based on merit on the 'Get over it' side.
Invasion Day in and of itself is a decisive protest against white colonisation, it's never going to promote unity.

Maybe there's a valid argument that we are depriving ourselves of the potential for unity so long as we celebrate the day that white people took this continent for themselves, at great expense to those existing people.

Russia probably has more right to Ukraine, than white colonists from England had any right to Australia.

It wasn't really ours to take, it was already occupied.

Paul, you simple soul: all of Australia's wars were fought on foreign soil. Apart from Japanese bombing in WW11, have I missed a war on Australian soil?

Oh look! There it is - the myth that skirmishes between settlers and natives were wars. The utter rubbish that some want represented in the AWM. They were not wars, Paul. The 'war stories' being concocted lately are no more genuine than the smoking ceremony and welcome to country larks are.

And, just by the way, the 40,000 natives killed in the set-tos between them and settlers is absolute bunkum, as you would know if you read something apart from the Greens newsletters.

And to you, Armchair Critic, thinking is free; but if you think that any government in Australia is going to endorse an invasion day 'celebration', you have really lost your marbles.

Your "without any care for the people who already called it their home", is grossly ignorant, as you too would know if you read history. Governor Philip was given explicit instructions to treat the original inhabitants with kindness and respect. So, the wheels fell off as they always will and do occasionally: people were just as human then as they are now. But, once again, if you read history you would know how much better British settlement (not invasion) was than that carried out by any other country and culture.

On the positive side, you don't accept responsibility for what happened two centuries ago. Leave that nonsense to the likes of Kevin Rudd and Green Marxists who will do and say anything to denigrate their own country and culture.

And, Pauline Hanson isn't the only person with the right ideas. She is the only politician who expresses them. With very few exceptions, like her,
Australian politicians are not interested in what is right, being concerned only with themselves.

Some invasion, about 1,400 Europeans (mostly) land unopposed in a country populated by an estimated 750,000 people.
Why weren’t the “invaders” thrown back into the sea?

Hey ttbn,
"And to you, Armchair Critic, thinking is free; but if you think that any government in Australia is going to endorse an invasion day 'celebration', you have really lost your marbles."

I neither expect that or want that.
But it's been endorsed by the indigenous nonetheless, as one would expect and nothing you or I do or say will change it.
As I said earlier, it's divisive and does not promote a sense of unity.

"Your 'without any care for the people who already called it their home', is grossly ignorant, as you too would know if you read history.
Governor Philip was given explicit instructions to treat the original inhabitants with kindness and respect."

No more ignorant than expecting the indigenous to roll out a red carpet when the British started deciding which parts of the country were theirs and off-limits now and metering out justice at the barrel of a gun.

What does that which Governor Philip did or didn't say have to do with what actually happened?

- Treat them kindly as you steal their country, and shoot them if they complain.
How would you react if I came around to your place and started acting like that?
I'll be nice to you, but help myself to everything you have...
And if you complain I'll line you and anyone else like you up along the gorge to be shot, and the problem of you disgruntled complaints will be no more. [hypothetical]

Does it sound fair to you?

And when your descendants complain about it what we did to you, we'll just tell them to "Shut up and get over it"

Sound good, No?

- Not trying to be difficult btw, just saying it how I see it.