SORRY !!

Bifop · Post by **Bifop** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:13 am

I just read the news and couldn't believe what was written... Something that gave me instant gus bumps and brought tears of joy to my eyes.
Kevin Rudd just said SORRY to the Aboriginal People... Oh my god ! I thought I would never hear that during my earth passage. Way to go. I imagine the immense joy the Aborigines must have felt and with them, all the progressive white Australians.
Australia is now a real gem to my eyes.

Here is the full apology :

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

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.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."

I'm delighted. This one is the only encouraging sign from mankind for a looong time. Of course this doesn't negates what has been done to the indigenous of the Australian land, but it is a clear sign of cutting with the past and the disrespecful white superiority bullshit attitude of the past.

Day one of the World new era. Nothing less.

Bifop, aka Joël HENRY, earth citizen.

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:54 am

Hey Joël,

yes this is a big day for us. As you may or may not know, my wife and child are aboriginal, and Irma and I shed tears this morning when this happened.

Only now can we move into the future.

We felt it just as you describe your own feelings.

It is an unprecedented feeling in my life, to be so proud of our head of government.

Action will follow.

Thankyou Joël for posting this, much respect.

Wayne

Bifop · Post by **Bifop** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:40 am

Hi Wayne !
I can imagine what it means for you and your family !! Even more joy inside...
You are the way of the futur bro.

I'm thinking of my aboriginal friends like Aunty Moori (she had the first Aboriginal Arts museum in Redfern), George Burrarrawanga (Warumpi Band) and all the australians (be them alternative or straight) that have been wishing this to happen . It must been hurra day !!! Oh well, I've got free land phone call to OZ and I know what I'm gonna do for the next two hours.... Share this joy with 'em !

White fellow, black fellow,
No matter what your colour,
You're a fellow

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:19 am

Too deadly, unna

We miss George, but his spirit may be resting better now.

This has brought some very mean stuff out with the selfish types, but the rest of us will get on with it.

Moorditj day, indeed

Stand up! Stand up and be counted!

BingoTheClowno · Post by **BingoTheClowno** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:33 am

Appology is not enough! You can't kill people and then say you're sorry! He can shove his appology up his ass!

FrancisHarmany · Post by **FrancisHarmany** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:00 am

Assuming the apology is all which will happen is ignorant.

Glad you have been giving something to move forward Wayne!

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:18 am

You are ignorant, Bingo. You know nothing of this.

And thanks Francis - the hard yards are still very much in front of us all.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:37 pm

How not being happy with something so positive!

Of course, in such a world as today’s, news of the like are a very bright star on top of it all.

Wayne, my wife has also aboriginal blood from the Mapuche people here in Chile. But here unfortunately, we are still far away from apologies.

I hope that new, good things will come to be in Australia from now.

Cheers

skwawks · Post by **skwawks** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:35 pm

Bingo ,it had nothing to do with killing people it was about families being forcibly seperated as part of government policy and the children being relocated and many of them forced into virtual slavery as indentured servants . It was of course a terrible policy and it kept going well into the second half of last century . The principle wasn't really all that bad " there are children at risk of blighted lives ...rescue them and educate them ", the practice was another matter as many of the people at the coal face were pig ignorant prejudiced arseholes who probably liked inflicting pain on innocent people ,although of course a lot of the people concerned thought they were doing good and may even HAVE done good in a certain proportion of cases . It was a sad and hateful time .
Australia in some places is still a pretty pig ignorant joint BTW but when I arrived in Sydney from England as a boy the leader of our gang down at the surf club was a half or so aborigonal . His nickname was Nama , a reference to Albert Namatjira who was an early and western style aborigonal painter who painted out Alice way ,it was also a reference to his older brother who was also called Nama and was a well respected local footballer and sportsman . There was another half and half who was called Ranga ,he was a nice guy and my hero at the time , his nickname refered to ouranga tang . Aussie humor can be very black at times

Anyway Mr. Rudd has talked the talk and all he's got to do now is walk the walk which is not going to be easy ..health pros , teachers , community workers and even policemen are in very short supply in all the cities and they are who is going to be needed to achieve the result we would all like and on top of that you've got the ongoing State/Federal squabble over whos going to do what and where are the bucks coming from . We had a very funny prime minister once who said "Never stand between a state premier and a bucket of money "

Anyway who knows ...lets hope for the best

Post by **garyb** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:15 pm

it's better than a kick in the head....

at least the psychos are admitting that their behavior wasn't proper.

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:02 pm

Sometimes it is too late to say sorry though. That old saying 'it's never too late to say sorry' just doesn't apply to everything.

edited: I shouldn't get involved in these things

Post by **obama2008** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 4:56 am

Awesome. Even if it is too late, Shroomz, it's still a nice gesture to make the acknowledgment to the world. If it brings some happiness to a few people, what's the harm?

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:04 am

Brings happiness to a lot of nyoongars i know

Many are calling themselves Australian for the first time. There's been some refreshing straight-talking going on around here lately.

The PM even visited Xanana in Timor Leste, and poor Jose Ramos-Horta (who is a friend of mine - long story) in hospital in Darwin, where he is still in an induced coma after being shot.