i been in sydney last two weeks and i'd just like to say...

[Geoff_with_a_G]

Happy Apology Day for last Wednesday to all Australians

[heavycola]

Happy Apology Day for last Wednesday to all Australians

Woohooo! Seconded.

[Skittles!]

Yeah, I think that'll be called Reconciliation Day. Maybe a public holiday too?

[Geoff_with_a_G]

Yeah, I think that'll be called Reconciliation Day. Maybe a public holiday too?

no they tried recociliation day before the 2000 olmpics, it was just a bit of a feel good thing for the world before olympics, i scored though, friend of mine stumped up the $1500 he'd owed me for a few years...but since then so apology or sorry until last week, i don't think the entire populution got into the spirit last week, it seemed a bit contoversial, the biggest issue seemed to be a total unwillingness to pay any $ for compensation...oh, and that it won't make small children safe in their beds at night...guess that's just abo small children

[heavycola]

Yeah, I think that'll be called Reconciliation Day. Maybe a public holiday too?

no they tried recociliation day before the 2000 olmpics, it was just a bit of a feel good thing for the world before olympics, i scored though, friend of mine stumped up the $1500 he'd owed me for a few years...but since then so apology or sorry until last week, i don't think the entire populution got into the spirit last week, it seemed a bit contoversial, the biggest issue seemed to be a total unwillingness to pay any $ for compensation...oh, and that it won't make small children safe in their beds at night...guess that's just abo small children

Aye, but it's a start. Watching the events last week brought a tear to me eye. I would guess that it wasn't a 100% popular move- John Howard (HOIK-SPIT) obviously thought a refusal to apologise would please his supporters. So one step at a time.

Also - doesn't this admission of state culpability open the way for lawsuits?

[greenoaks]

it is not an admission of state culpability.

it is recognition that the policies of previous generations would not be acceptable today.

we now know it is not right to take half-caste children away from their abo communities where they are subjected to racial vilification for being white and force them to live with us white people where they would suffer life spans 20 years greater than their black cousins, a reduced chance of childhood sexual assault and obtain a basic education.

[heavycola]

it is not an admission of state culpability.

it is recognition that the policies of previous generations would not be acceptable today.

we now know it is not right to take half-caste children away from their abo communities where they are subjected to racial vilification for being white and force them to live with us white people where they would suffer life spans 20 years greater than their black cousins, a reduced chance of childhood sexual assault and obtain a basic education.

Yes, take the poor black children away from their families to white australia, where racial villification is unknown!

White aussie calling aboriginal aussies racist = priceless.*


* no, i don't think all aussies are racists.

[Geoff_with_a_G]

it is not an admission of state culpability.

it is recognition that the policies of previous generations would not be acceptable today.

we now know it is not right to take half-caste children away from their abo communities where they are subjected to racial vilification for being white and force them to live with us white people where they would suffer life spans 20 years greater than their black cousins, a reduced chance of childhood sexual assault and obtain a basic education.

sorry but...i don't believe it was a policy to increase their life-spans, reduce childhood sexual assault, alcoholism etc...it was a deliberate policy to dilute the abo population until it didn't exist anymore

[Skittles!]

it is not an admission of state culpability.

it is recognition that the policies of previous generations would not be acceptable today.

we now know it is not right to take half-caste children away from their abo communities where they are subjected to racial vilification for being white and force them to live with us white people where they would suffer life spans 20 years greater than their black cousins, a reduced chance of childhood sexual assault and obtain a basic education.

sorry but...i don't believe it was a policy to increase their life-spans, reduce childhood sexual assault, alcoholism etc...it was a deliberate policy to dilute the abo population until it didn't exist anymore

Reconciliation wasn't that..

You're thinking of all the other ones. "Protectionism" and such.

[Geoff_with_a_G]

Yeah, I think that'll be called Reconciliation Day. Maybe a public holiday too?

no they tried recociliation day before the 2000 olmpics, it was just a bit of a feel good thing for the world before olympics, i scored though, friend of mine stumped up the $1500 he'd owed me for a few years...but since then so apology or sorry until last week, i don't think the entire populution got into the spirit last week, it seemed a bit contoversial, the biggest issue seemed to be a total unwillingness to pay any $ for compensation...oh, and that it won't make small children safe in their beds at night...guess that's just abo small children

Aye, but it's a start. Watching the events last week brought a tear to me eye. I would guess that it wasn't a 100% popular move- John Howard (HOIK-SPIT) obviously thought a refusal to apologise would please his supporters. So one step at a time.

Also - doesn't this admission of state culpability open the way for lawsuits?

well, apparently, the government checked it all out before the apology to make sure what they were doing didn't open them up to lawsuits...there was a lot of publicity about members of government wanting to see the exact wording of the apology before they agreed to it...i very much doubt there will ever be any compensation

[unriggable]

Green oaks, your avatar...I'd pee in her butt.

[Skoffin]

O rly...
"Shove your apology, mate"

Anywho, why is everyone going on about Howard not being there? I don't konw.. why didn't Whitlam have to apologise?

[Skittles!]

O rly...
"Shove your apology, mate"

Anywho, why is everyone going on about Howard not being there? I don't konw.. why didn't Whitlam have to apologise?

Oh gee wicked, I dono, maybe because Howard is the most recent ex-Prime Minister and it disgraces what Kevin Rudd apologised to. All ex-prime ministers that are still alive where there, so why wasn't Howard? Oh, right, he was a racist fascist.

Do you mean before when he was Prime Minister or now?

[Skoffin]

I speak of Whitlam because he was in power during a time when this stuff was happening, so if anyone was to say anything about it it should be him and others who were in charge during those times. Saying a PM would came in after the event should do it just because 'they're the most recent' is silly.