Feb 13
the apology
Today the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Kevin Rudd apologised on behalf of the nation to the Indigenous Australians. Everyone of course has an opinion on this event, some people agree with the Prime Minister’s apology and say that it was long overdue, some disagree on the grounds that the current government should not have to apologise for a previous governments actions.
I personally agree with the apology on the grounds that I think it will move us forward, enable us to tackle the important issues like health and education and in the eyes of the rest of the region, will remove the view that we were the ‘colonialists that won’, which in the past has hurt our trading relationship with many Asian nations that were previously colonized themselves. So to the Indigenous Australian’s, sorry for the past injustices.
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You missed the part about it opening the floodgates to a million aboriginal compensation claims.
That, and the admission of guilt for something i, or anyone today hasn’t actually committed is pretty absurd. I do not deny that aboriginal people were treated less than poorly and in some cases inhumanely, and i will acknowledge such things happened and their current plight as a result; but apologising for something a previous government has done is ludicrous. This won’t move us forward as a nation, with white and blacks holding hands; instead it will further enhance the victim mentality held onto by many Aboriginal people, and thus reinforce their current social standing.
Should the government apologise to all conscripted war veterans, or the Australian soldiers who have died in previous conflicts?
Should Spain say sorry to modern day Peru or Argentina for the ransacking and plunder at the hands of Spanish conquistadors 400 years ago?
Sorry pal but i disagree big-time on this one.
Dobbo, the prime minister of australia is a representation of us as a nation, both past and present. Despite the fact that these events occurred long ago and that Kevin Rudd or anyone else didn’t play a part in it, Australia as a nation needed to apologise. Kevin Rudd represents the population and in representing us and australia, including our past, he was right in saying sorry on our behalf. Yes, there may be compensation claims, but for the vast majority, the word ‘Sorry’ will do just fine. This official recognition of the plight of indigenous australians was well overdue and many indigenous people will just be relieved that it has finally come.