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Cheers as Australia says sorry for treatment of Aborigines

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Published Date: 13 February 2008
AUSTRALIA apologised today for the mistreatment of Aborigines, moving indigenous people to tears as huge crowds cheered across the nation.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led the parliamentary apology to members of the Stolen Generations of aborigines, who were forcibly taken from their families and communities when they were children under old assimilation policies.

A crowd of more than 7000 people gathered on the lawns outside the Australian parliament to watch as the apology was broadcast live to giant screens, with Aborigines and supporters cheering as Mr Rudd said "sorry".

"We apologise for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians," he said.

The parliamentary apology comes 11 years after a report found between one in three and one in ten aboriginal children had been taken from their families between 1910 and 1970.





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  • Last Updated: 13 February 2008 11:01 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Proximaking,

Dundee 13/02/2008 13:23:17
Apparently over one third of white Australians think the Aborigines should thank them for "civilising them". Australia has a long long way to go when over one third of the population can't see that the damage caused has at least something to do with them. And this apology wasn't some namby pamby nonsense about slaves from hundreds of years ago that no-one alive had any part in this was about people alive today who's lives have been blighted by policies in the fifties and sixties and before.
2

Charles Crosby,

UK 13/02/2008 14:27:43
Whatever became of 'Might is Right'?

When a nation is invaded and conquered, I thought the norm was that if the conquered peoples escaped with their lives they were doing pretty well.

Perhaps I have not understood the lilly livered liberal version of invade and conquer.

Can you imagine the Romans building their empire based upon wretched modern liberal principles?

Please pass the sick bag.
3

Caora Dubh,

Croit sheasgair 13/02/2008 20:00:04
People who actually ordered and/or took part in crimes against humanity should apologise for them. It is pointless for people who were in no way responsible for crimes to apologize for them. Japanese and German government and industry representatives who weren't even born when WW2 crimes took place have apologised for them - this is ludicrous - the original perpetrators should be dug out of their hidey holes - however old and however many are left - and they
should apoligise, provided they mean it. It is now a fad for people to apologise for the crimes of their ancestors or merely the crimes of people of the same ethnic group. This is imbecilic madness. And incidentally, the people who receive the apologies should also be living victims, not just anyone related to the victims. What we have in Australia is one group of people, almost all of whom are absolutely blameless, apologising to another group, very few of whom are actually victims. Idiotic beyond belief.
4

Caora Dubh,

Croit sheasgair 13/02/2008 20:04:42
Worst of all is to witness the crocodile tears of blameless people apologising for something they never did. I saw this in South Africa: a really stupid white woman with no record of involvement in apartheid, saying "Sorry" for apartheid and bursting into tears. In effect she was saying "Sorry" for being white. Bloody goddamn ridiculous. Let the guilty speak, and the victims forgive. Everbody else: just shut up.
5

Ned,

Morningside 13/02/2008 21:45:47
#2
A good post but one comment. Australia was never invaded it was settled by a lot of hard working people .
Also a lot of the convicts later became good and prosperous citizens.
Also you could hardly describe The First Fleet of ships an invasion force.
6

SouthernGent,

13/02/2008 22:03:53
Next step - reparations. Time to find a good lawyer as the guilt has been admitted.
7

Charles Crosby,

UK 13/02/2008 22:32:00
#5 Thanks for your comment.

I was using the invade and conquer angle, for there are other races on this earth, which I will leave nameless, who had they been in our Celtic Anglo-Saxon shoes, would have treated the Aborigines far more harshly.

In fact, I would go as far as to say there would not be any of them left at all. They would have been deemed sub-human and therefore either worked to death or exterminated.
8

Conan the Librarian™,

14/02/2008 00:02:20
7
Aye, those bloody-handed Anyonebutenglandians.

Though they do do rather well at sporting events these days.
9

Charles Crosby,

UK 14/02/2008 04:55:03
#8 I wondered when the first illiterate traitor would arrive?

It's amazing how many black people carry Welsh and Scottish names, in fact, far more than English names.
10

James (1),

14/02/2008 07:48:53
What is it with people apologising for things they had no control over?
We will have the Romans coming out soon saying "sorry Jesus, we got it wrong".
11

Charles Crosby,

UK 14/02/2008 08:23:52
#10 To make us feel guilty and demoralise us and thereby undermine our national pride ready for subjugation under the Soviet/Fascist EU dictatorship.

And for all the numb skull Scottish independence people, that includes you too, for you were there with us when we committed all those wicked 'national genocides' and wiped out all those countries.

What we need to understand is that our worst national crime to date is Iraq and all co-orchestrated by a Fabian indoctrinated ex-Prime Minister who also happens to be Scottish, plus his then Scottish Chancellor of the Exchequer.
12

Geronimo (1829–1909) wiz there on 26 April 1902,

14/02/2008 10:09:50
5 Ned,Morningside

Please the amazing book "The Fatal Shore" and let's see if you maintain the same stance.

Since WW2 Great Britain have lost nearly one country per year from their 'empire' - did Great Britain build an empire by 'Settling' in all these countries? Stroke of luck, eh? Just as well because the few percent in our country wouldn't have been so rich.

I suppose the Pilgrim fathers were the same, and later when the american indians were shuffled off to reservations, that was also a bit of re-settling?

4 Caora Dubh,Croit sheasgair

I agree that the crocodile tears of blameless people apologising for something they were not directly responsible for. But when you live in a big house and have a mighty healthy inheritance from it maybe there are connections.

Often the guilty can't speak or won't speak; but with law & order comes respect and responsibility in both directions.

So re-setting the scene, like a company rebranding helps encourage good relations...if that takes a few corny ceremonies....them GOOD ON THEM MATE (aussie accent).
13

Yane,

14/02/2008 13:09:19
#12 Gudonyermayte?
14

Charles Crosby,

UK 14/02/2008 16:21:59
#12
"I suppose the Pilgrim fathers were the same, and later when the american indians were shuffled off to reservations, that was also a bit of re-settling?"

If it had been anyone else other than the Pilgrim Fathers they would have been wiped out, hence my earlier point which, I notice, you completely ignored by just answering the other two commentators.

I wonder if the Fatal Shore makes any mention of the success stories that came out of the deportations to Australia? Probably not, guessing by the wretched liberal intonations of the promoter.
15

thatscottishwoman@FH.,

freehootsman.com 14/02/2008 21:55:56
How far back do you go? This is ridiculous!
16

thatscottishwoman@FH.,

freehootsman.com 14/02/2008 21:57:47
I want an apology from the Vikings, they raped my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother.
17

weeshooie1,

Wollongong 15/02/2008 21:45:49
Dragonhead #17,

re-apology to Eve; Well, somebody had tae dae it (the bonkin ah mean) :o)
18

Let's have the truth,

Queensland 17/02/2008 01:02:16
# 16

"I want an apology from the Vikings, they raped my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother".

....One of them may be your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather".



 

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