Well done opposition leader for being realistic - Apology thoughts.

[Matt H]

Step back. The policy was still around up until 1969.

whoa... I didn't realise it was around for so long..

 

[scooter]

Why talk context when all you do is take it away?

I wasn't taking away any context as far as I'm aware, but merely providing what I found to be plausible reasons for Dr Nelson's apparent need to excuse an abominable policy. Perhaps you could add some context to this debate rather than just having a couple of personal digs.

Yes, it's wrong but thats a very simplistic view of it. If what were effectively two vastly different cultures carried on as they were do you think we would be in a better situation today? You can look back on anything thats ever happened in the past and laugh that you know better. And again, your example has as many parallels as a triangle.

Personally, I don't think that we'd be in a very different situation as a society if the stolen generation hadn't been, well, stolen. However, the individuals who were taken from their families would likely have had an entirely different life. Our system of morals and laws does not generally allow the government carte blanche to interfere greatly in the lives of others as long as there is no provable societal outcome.

Of course I can look back on the past and know right from wrong. I'm glad I can do that rather than hemm and haww and assert that any act carried out with supposed good intentions is above reproach.

Furthermore, I challenge the notion that this was entirely an act of good intentions on behalf of the government. To give this argument some context, it should be noted that upon arrival, Australia and all resources and inhabitants therein were declared to be property of the Queen. Aboriginal people were treated in the same fashion that animals were, and plenty of senseless and brutal massacres took place. Indigenous people were counted as fauna on the census. The Northern Territory Protector of Natives was quoted as saying "Generally by the fifth and invariably by the sixth generation, all native characteristics of the Australian Aborigine are eradicated. The problem of our half-castes will quickly be eliminated by the complete disappearance of the black race, and the swift submergence of their progeny in the white." Children were forcibly removed from their families and placed in often poorly run and resourced institutions where they were punished if caught speaking their native languages. These do not strike me as the acts of a government overly concerned with the well being of Aboriginal people, let alone one acting with the highest of intentions.

Im not sure if that is exactly what Olly was saying. But suffice to say that there's definitely been big efforts by many people to provide services to Aboriginal people and Rudd has gleefully jumped in with what some might see as easy point scoring. Although this had to be done eventually...

That was the way in which I interpreted his comments, and haven't seen an alternative suggested in this thread so far. Whether Rudd is trying to score political points has no bearing on whether an apology is required.

Your posts would hold some weight if you didn't expose your own biases so obviously.

If my ideas are valid then they are valid no matter how biased I am.

Why can't an apology have justification? Do you really think they took away Aboriginal children to be vindictive or for a quick laugh?

Absolutely. I've got a poor memory though, so perhaps you could point out where I said that children were taken for a quick laugh. My point was that an apology is cheapened by someone trying to justify their way out of any responsibility for their acts rather than just admit that their actions were wrong.

 

[Bocaj1994]

Yep, ours is voluntary and you must be over 16 to join..., and even then, before you 18 you must have your parents permission.

Haha, as a matter of fact, I can ban you for whatever reason I want! Says so in the rules baby!!

So, why should I do it..., I know, because I hate trolls! They hang out under bridges and annoy people when they use one to get over issues and problems! Stupid things should have been either shot on sight or at least removed from their parents when they were young and taught how not to be fucking idiots..., and thank us for it too!

Tell your mum she failed.

How many people have you banned in your time at Farkin it must be more then 150