In 2008, Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia, apologized to the native Aborigines for the laws and policies that "inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss" upon them.
Please read the following article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7241965.stm
What is your reaction to the prime minister's apology? Is it valid? Did it go far enough? What should nations do to make up for past mistakes?
I welcome your comments and responses. Please respond to each other with thoughtfulness and care.
17 comments:
I think that the Prime Minister's apology is a great step forward, but not enough to make a difference. I believe that what damage has been done to this culture will be hard to recover. I think that an act of highlighting a tradition of the Aboriginal people done by the “white men” and being active in their culture, as they were forced to would be a great way to show respect and interest.
I agree with Abby, the apology shows people that the government is taking responsibility to what they had done. This action could not only makes Aboriginal people feel better, but could also makes other Australian people trust the government more. However, a simple apology is not able to make up the damage that has been done to Aboriginal people. Compensation was mentioned in the news, and I agree that giving money and some privileges to Aboriginal people would be a way to compensate them, but money could never remove the scar on Aboriginal culture.
I think it is almost impossible to make up mistakes that a government has done, because those mistakes always involve something that couldn't recover such as lives and time. However, governments should recognize the problem and take responsibility for it.
I agree that the apology is great and a huge step forword but I feel that if I was in the postion of the Aboriginal people a simple appology 30 plus years after the destruction of my culture would not cure the hurt feelings and sense of disrespect. I believe the prime minister and country should offer the Aboriginals some sort of compensation for what was taken away from them. The way the the United States has compensated the Native Americans.
I agree that something other then an apology needs to happen but I don't agree that compensation would be the best thing. Money can't fix hurt feelings nor would the Aboriginal people want money, in my opinion. I really think to help mend the hurt and disrespect that has occurred, I think that the "white people" should take part in encouraging, supporting and acting as a part of the culture that was left. It only seems fair that the white men participate and grow in understanding of the Aborigines culture since the white men had forced them to participate in theirs.
What you all are saying makes sense and I agree, the Prime Minister took a great step to mend bonds with Australian citizens, black and white. But the apology itself is not valid. A simple speech is not enough to erase or ease the hatred and pain that the Aboriginal people have.
Abby, what you last said, white people should act as a part of their culture, does not make sense. How would that help? The Aboriginal people do not want the white people to act like one of them. They want something that they can benefit from, like money. If the Prime Minister is truly sorry, and this is sincere then he would give them what they need.
Kevin Rudd’s apology was very needed and was most definitely the right thing to do. However, it was not nearly enough to just say sorry. The people of the lost generations I’m sure are happy for the long overdue apology, but I believe they would like more than a few words. I believe Australia should compensate for the aborigines’ “lost” lives. Although I feel this way, after watching the video, “Reactions to the Apology,” I found it interesting how the aborigine man that became a farmer said they should thank the government for taking them. It allowed the aborigines to have the chance to get an education instead of living lives planting little grubs in the dirt. From hearing the man’s perspective, it makes me wonder if there are others who also feel like they should be thanking the government for taking them.
I agree with Abby in that money cannot fix hurt feelings and the “white people” should take time to learn the ways of the Aboriginal culture, but I do agree with Meghan because the people of Australia need to make some sort of compensation. The compensation doesn’t have to be money it could be some other offering but something must be done because I don’t believe that a simple apology will make up for the wrong doings of centuries. I strongly believe if the Australians come together and use the same diversity methods that we are currently use at Culver which are; tolerate, accept, and embrace they will be able to unite and possibly put the past behind them.
Agreeing with Abby, the apology was very much needed, overdue, in fact. To me, it didn't seem like enough, though. It's hard to imagine that a few words of sympathy could cover the tracks of the past acts of Australian government. Like the article stated, a poll of 30% of Australians would refuse to apologize to The Stolen Generations. That proves that there are still many Australians who support the abduction of half-caste children. It's a big, and dangerous, step for Australian government but I personally don't think it makes the cut for aborigines. Many, many people were hurt and distressed over this matter and there should definitely be some kind of compensation. Sure, the apology is a good start, but the govt. needs to prove that they're trying to change and build up from the removal of children from their families.
Abby V,
I didn't mean that I think that the white people should "act" like the aboriginals, but understand them, and I think that to truly understand what they are doing and why, you have to participate. I don't think any of the aboriginals would have a problem with someone supporting them or even participating, keeping in mind that there are many ways to participate. I don't think anyone should "act" like anyone else, but to take interest in what they are doing sometimes requires you to take action and participate in something that is larger than yourself and what you believe. It doesn't mean that the white people must agree with everything, but it would help if they atleast understood the aborginials culture and respected it for what it really is not just what it is said, or appears to be. I don't think that the aboriginals want money. In the movie that we watched it did not appear to me as though they wanted anything other than what they already had. Though it might make life easier in some people's eyes, the aboriginal people may think differently about it. By giving them money, they don't fix the problem of lack of respect, money has no emotional aspect. I believe that a possible solution may be to fund possible locations for the aboriginals to be allowed to carry on their ways of life in ways that they see fit. Giving them money, does not connect to the problem of conflicting cultures.
Abby,
Yeah, but do you actually think that they are going to put an effort towards getting to know how the aboriginal people live? Because I sure don't.
In the movie it did not show how they lived, but I think if it then it would be clear that they want money. Think about how they live, in such housing like hut made of leaves and branches (back then, when the movie was to be set in). It would make life much easier to live. Yes, it may not fix the lack of respect between the blacks and whites but it would most definitely help, and that is what the want. Help.
I think that the apology made by the Australian government to the aboriginal population is just the first step for reaching equality of rights. From my point of view the aboriginal population needs more than just a “sorry” to get back what was taken away from them. As one of them said that “Blackfellas will get the words, the whitefellas keep the money” , there is still some work to be made to reach equality. On the other hand I think that when the Australian government decided to apologize for their mistakes they realized that what they had been doing for the past century to the aboriginal population was inhuman. This in my opinion is the first step to reach equality in Australia.
I am astonished that it has taken so long for an apology to be publically announced to the Aborigines. Nobody deserves to go through what the Aboriginal people were forced to undergo; I can't even fathom being taken away from my mother at such a young age. I feel that what the Prime Minister did was right, but as everyone else has stated, it is very long overdue. But, as the phrase goes, "Sorry doesn't cut it." Nothing will ever make up for the pain, suffering, hardship, and loss that the Aboriginal people had to live through. Although the Australian government is attempting to compensate for the suffering they put the Aboriginal people through, I feel as though nothing can truly ever make up for the devastation.
Although some may not side with me, I agree with Abby J and Tony simultaneously. Abby says to get to know and understand the people, and Tony says that compensation should be involved, so why not just do both so that the Aboriginal people can have the best of both worlds? Also, I believe that even effort to make up for the devastation from the Australian government can at least prove to the Aborigines that they are sincerely apologetic.
I think Kevin Rudd’s apology was very impressive and very decisive thing to do. It showed that there are giving respect towards aboriginals.
As for the discussion, I'm going to support's Abby Vanhorn's opposition against Abby Jeffirs.
It did seem as they were happy as they were living in the movie, but what the movie showed was 1930's in Africa, not 1960's Australia. Also, it is possible that aboriginals want to go back to their ways of living, but it is more likely for them to want to live a better life with advanced technology. I believe that they need compensation rather than just letting the aboriginals to have their old ways, because of a big reason. Aboriginals are in serious disadvantage in the society. Their pain isn’t just something that is past. In the article, Kevin Rudd said, “Australia's 460,000 Aborigines make up 2% of the population and are the most disadvantaged group. They have higher rates of infant mortality, drug abuse, alcoholism and unemployment than the rest of the population.”There has to be compensations to at least help the situation and to better their life situation. It will show that they care for aboriginals’ culture and life.
I think the apology is better than nothing. In any cases, admitting a mistake and making it public need courage and should be given positive responses. One apology cannot cover all the painful feeling that suffering people have had, but it is a good way to let them calm down. For the Australian Government, their purpose is to control people’s emotion and to make a new start to Australian. In fact, they did not make the mistake, and no one can take the responsibility of the history. The apology is used to stop the discontent of people as well as the conflicts between government and citizen.
I believe that the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is not as sincere in his apology as he should be. This apology was given because of the forceful manner that they were being faced with. Also on the other hand, Rudd and this generation were not responsible for the lost generation and all that they are apologizing for. This is an indirect apology from the past people they are being associated with. Yes this apology is better than nothing and lets the world know that they are sorry seeing how it was so public, but I do not think it was enough. Anyone can say they are sorry and feel bad but you can’t give back to them what was lost. What the white men did to the aborigines was simply awful, taking the kids away from their families, trying to extinct the half breads, and conditioning them to rid of their old life styles. In my opinion there is potential there for a sincere apology and they are trying but no matter what they say or do it won’t be enough to mend the losses of the aborigines.
I believe one must have experienced hands on the mistake or problem in which an apology is given. As stated in the article, the stolen generations of Aboriginal children lasted until the late 1960’s. Kevin Rudd was born in 1957, and does not have enough actual experiences regarding these actions considering he would have been of young age at the time. I am impressed that Mr. Rudd has given thought and consideration about the topic without having been severely influenced about it in his earlier life, however, I don’t believe he truly cares about the Aborigines as much as he does making his country look better. Along with making his country look more organized with equality among all citizens what also strikes me is the amount of money Kevin Rudd and other Australian congressmen most likely made from this apology. “Blackfellas will get the words, the whitefellas keep the money” In agreement with Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson, money and public recognition were probable factors to cause the apology. It is not right to receive money by apologizing in any circumstance.
I believe that the apology from the Prime Ministers wasnt worth the time to listen to. The damage has already been done to the people and families that were forced out of their culture. I believe that people wouldn't forgive the people that caused their family to be separated and i believe that when the Prime Minister was apologizing to the people, it seem like he just wanted the citizens that were effected with the problem to just move on and forgive and forget. I just feel that the apology didn't mean anything to the government and they just wanted to move on to the future.
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