Thread: Rudds apology

when i drove around Australia it opened my eyes alot to the state of the aboriginals.
we first came across aboriginals in S/A and that was the drunk one in the middle of the high street and asking you for money , fags and other stuff.
Then we were told by serveral travels (Nomads , and truck drivers) not to stop for Aboriginals and to hit them if they step in front of your car. This was a great shock to me , and thought a bit much and the beer talking or taking the **** out of the pom.
It was not untill i came to Leonora police station (where i went to pick up my Aboriginal permit to drive the track) I was asked what car i had and if i had a bull bar . I was then told (By a what look like mixed Aboriginal race Copper) that if any aboriginal jump out in front of me or stood in the road then hit them with the bull bar. The lastest trick was to have woman with a baby stand in the road for you to stop. They said if this happens then hit them too. If you hit someone then report it at the police station at Ayres rock. This shocked the hell out of me . They told me that 3 weeks earlyer a road train had stopped for a woman with a bady and 6 aboriginals came from a bush and beat the driver and then left him 500 k's from anywhere and took his truck .
As you drive down the track to Ayres rock there is loads and loads of burn't out cars on the side of the road. We stopped counting at 250 , in 150k. Then you know when you are getting to an Aboriginal township as the crap on the side of the road starts to build up and up , and i am talking about used nappies, Beer cans and anything else. It is disgusting.

Then in Alice springs there are Aboriginals drunk all over town and in the river bed, plus the march of the Aboriginals up to the bottle shop at 2pm..Also you come upon them in the supermarket and the smell of bozze and everyhting else is beyond belief. And that is not just one but alot of them .

You also see a newish land cruser 100 seris full of about 13 aboriginals. The police told me they can't arrest them for over loading a car. These cars are wrecked, the insides are just covered in crap (fesses) Saw loads and loads of these cars

driving to W/A you see some little townships where there are really nice house, ones i would be proud to own. You see new ones to show you what they were like and then most of them are burn't , smashed and in a state of diss repair.

Up on the way to the cape , we came across a Nissan about 6 months old that two Aboriginals drove into 2 m of ater with no snorkle. Whne the truck stopped they swam out and left it. And walked off. It was still there a month after. After all i was told this is because they don't have to pay for it

And i have not mentioned the restriction on petrol and achol all around Australia.

This is not me being rasict, but what i saw as a pom who came to Australia and traveled around. I have heard alot more stories but these are the things i saw with my own eyes. I have seen alot more but what i have put on here is enough
My Sister in law works for the goverment in Sydney and is always going on about how hard the aboriginals are trreated by the Australian goverment . After one time i nearly bought her a ticket to Alice springs, as she has never been to the outback and the only Aboriginal she has seen have been in the towns. And to show her how much the goverment spend on helping them
I argee with people who say how far do you go. After all does the UK goverment say sorry to all the convicts that were sent over here. Separteted for their wifes and familes for just nicking a loaf of bread.

Just my thoughts
Ali

Originally Posted by Rangier Rover

...
May be good to the left... Bad to the right... ...

Which way is right and which is left, depends on your perspective I guess.

Diana

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Which way is right and which is left, depends on your perspective I guess.

Diana

It's all to hard. The bad streak in some are there own enemies sadly.

Originally Posted by Reads90

Then in Alice springs there are Aboriginals drunk all over town and in the river bed,

Not nearly as often now that we are a "dry" town. No one camping in the river anymore. Still dop get them wandering the streets drunk, but it is noticeably better now than it was prior to the dry town legislation. Mind you, from what I hear Coober Pedy and Mt Isa have had a population explosion - no dry town there yet. Katherine has recently become dry, that would contribute as well.

Having said that, I walk my dog most mornings and it isn't uncommon to see empty beer cans / bottles strewn over footpaths and the oval I go to. I think the problem is one of enforcement - not enough coppers to go around.

Originally Posted by Reads90

when i drove around Australia it opened my eyes alot to the state of the aboriginals.
we first came across aboriginals in S/A and that was the drunk one in the middle of the high street and asking you for money , fags and other stuff.
Then we were told by serveral travels (Nomads , and truck drivers) not to stop for Aboriginals and to hit them if they step in front of your car. This was a great shock to me , and thought a bit much and the beer talking or taking the **** out of the pom.
It was not untill i came to Leonora police station (where i went to pick up my Aboriginal permit to drive the track) I was asked what car i had and if i had a bull bar . I was then told (By a what look like mixed Aboriginal race Copper) that if any aboriginal jump out in front of me or stood in the road then hit them with the bull bar. The lastest trick was to have woman with a baby stand in the road for you to stop. They said if this happens then hit them too. If you hit someone then report it at the police station at Ayres rock. This shocked the hell out of me . They told me that 3 weeks earlyer a road train had stopped for a woman with a bady and 6 aboriginals came from a bush and beat the driver and then left him 500 k's from anywhere and took his truck .
As you drive down the track to Ayres rock there is loads and loads of burn't out cars on the side of the road. We stopped counting at 250 , in 150k. Then you know when you are getting to an Aboriginal township as the crap on the side of the road starts to build up and up , and i am talking about used nappies, Beer cans and anything else. It is disgusting.

Then in Alice springs there are Aboriginals drunk all over town and in the river bed, plus the march of the Aboriginals up to the bottle shop at 2pm..Also you come upon them in the supermarket and the smell of bozze and everyhting else is beyond belief. And that is not just one but alot of them .

You also see a newish land cruser 100 seris full of about 13 aboriginals. The police told me they can't arrest them for over loading a car. These cars are wrecked, the insides are just covered in crap (fesses) Saw loads and loads of these cars

driving to W/A you see some little townships where there are really nice house, ones i would be proud to own. You see new ones to show you what they were like and then most of them are burn't , smashed and in a state of diss repair.

Up on the way to the cape , we came across a Nissan about 6 months old that two Aboriginals drove into 2 m of ater with no snorkle. Whne the truck stopped they swam out and left it. And walked off. It was still there a month after. After all i was told this is because they don't have to pay for it

And i have not mentioned the restriction on petrol and achol all around Australia.

This is not me being rasict, but what i saw as a pom who came to Australia and traveled around. I have heard alot more stories but these are the things i saw with my own eyes. I have seen alot more but what i have put on here is enough
My Sister in law works for the goverment in Sydney and is always going on about how hard the aboriginals are trreated by the Australian goverment . After one time i nearly bought her a ticket to Alice springs, as she has never been to the outback and the only Aboriginal she has seen have been in the towns. And to show her how much the goverment spend on helping them
I argee with people who say how far do you go. After all does the UK goverment say sorry to all the convicts that were sent over here. Separteted for their wifes and familes for just nicking a loaf of bread.

Just my thoughts
Ali

Anyone who has travelled in Outback Australia would have seen and heard similar. It's sad and very concerning, but I don't see what it's got to do with offering an apology for the wrongs of the past. In fact those wrongs may just be part of the reason for the problems we see today.
If youl isten to the speeches from yesterday, you'll see that no compensation was offered or implied. Instead the money will go towards improving the situation you decribe above. Hopefully better managed than in past times where it seems the money was just thrown out without proper control or accountability.
You describe the problem well, but what is the solution ? Some boost in self respect is probably a good way to start, and from the lift in spirts I saw yesterday, the apology was probably a good way to start.

Whether we agree or not on the value of an apology to the stolen generation, it's done. Move on.

I've heard many an aboriginal leader say that this is the first step (to what goal, I'm not entirely sure). But I would suggest, that as a response to the government's motion, the next step should be for the Stolen Generation representatives to wholeheartedly, and without reservation, accept the apology.

Cheers,

Gordon

Originally Posted by Turtle61

Germany is still paying compensation (60 years on) to people who were on forced labour during WWII in Germany.

I think you may have missed something here: Last time I looked, Germany lost that war..... Other way round here isn't it?

Originally Posted by Reads90

when i drove around Australia it opened my eyes alot to the state of the aboriginals.
we first came across aboriginals in S/A and that was the drunk one in the middle of the high street and asking you for money , fags and other stuff.
Then we were told by serveral travels (Nomads , and truck drivers) not to stop for Aboriginals and to hit them if they step in front of your car. This was a great shock to me , and thought a bit much and the beer talking or taking the **** out of the pom.
It was not untill i came to Leonora police station (where i went to pick up my Aboriginal permit to drive the track) I was asked what car i had and if i had a bull bar . I was then told (By a what look like mixed Aboriginal race Copper) that if any aboriginal jump out in front of me or stood in the road then hit them with the bull bar. The lastest trick was to have woman with a baby stand in the road for you to stop. They said if this happens then hit them too. If you hit someone then report it at the police station at Ayres rock. This shocked the hell out of me . They told me that 3 weeks earlyer a road train had stopped for a woman with a bady and 6 aboriginals came from a bush and beat the driver and then left him 500 k's from anywhere and took his truck .
As you drive down the track to Ayres rock there is loads and loads of burn't out cars on the side of the road. We stopped counting at 250 , in 150k. Then you know when you are getting to an Aboriginal township as the crap on the side of the road starts to build up and up , and i am talking about used nappies, Beer cans and anything else. It is disgusting.

Then in Alice springs there are Aboriginals drunk all over town and in the river bed, plus the march of the Aboriginals up to the bottle shop at 2pm..Also you come upon them in the supermarket and the smell of bozze and everyhting else is beyond belief. And that is not just one but alot of them .

You also see a newish land cruser 100 seris full of about 13 aboriginals. The police told me they can't arrest them for over loading a car. These cars are wrecked, the insides are just covered in crap (fesses) Saw loads and loads of these cars

driving to W/A you see some little townships where there are really nice house, ones i would be proud to own. You see new ones to show you what they were like and then most of them are burn't , smashed and in a state of diss repair.

Up on the way to the cape , we came across a Nissan about 6 months old that two Aboriginals drove into 2 m of ater with no snorkle. Whne the truck stopped they swam out and left it. And walked off. It was still there a month after. After all i was told this is because they don't have to pay for it

And i have not mentioned the restriction on petrol and achol all around Australia.

This is not me being rasict, but what i saw as a pom who came to Australia and traveled around. I have heard alot more stories but these are the things i saw with my own eyes. I have seen alot more but what i have put on here is enough
My Sister in law works for the goverment in Sydney and is always going on about how hard the aboriginals are trreated by the Australian goverment . After one time i nearly bought her a ticket to Alice springs, as she has never been to the outback and the only Aboriginal she has seen have been in the towns. And to show her how much the goverment spend on helping them
I argee with people who say how far do you go. After all does the UK goverment say sorry to all the convicts that were sent over here. Separteted for their wifes and familes for just nicking a loaf of bread.

Just my thoughts
Ali

What you have seen sure is the bad side. White mans bloody Grog doesn't help this cause. We are having problems similar over this way. Seems to be a nasty streak in some areas.