General Chat

about time too.....

Sal x

But is that enough?

At least it is a move in the right direction.

Have many other countries said sorry to the native people they have uprooted etc?. I bet Britain hasn't.

Jacky :-)

I dont think that is ever enough sal, but how can they ever right the wrongs which were done ?

The only way might be to trace & verify each person or their decendant and compensate with money.

Still I think you cant right a wrong of the like what was done.

E x

Interesting . your the first person i heard who agreed to say Sorry.

How can you compensate them money you can't put a price on life.

It's a start, I guess.

I was horrified when watching the news last night about how the Aboriginal people were treated and didnt realise that their children were taken away from their parents.

Sometimes I am ashamed of my "white" colour and things like this get me wondering if any of my ancestors who settled in Australia had any part in such things.

Have to agree Sal,but crikey,if britain were to say sorry to every nation it had wronged ,it would take forever more.
Fred.

It's a start but let's hope this new PM is not paying lip service - I hope it is a genuine apology and that it won't just stop at an apology and nothing more. Britain too has made the most appalling mistakes all over the globe, we are responsible for so much all over the world. I do hope that Barak Obama gets to be US president, and it's looking more and more likely every day. Has the US ever apologised to American Indians? Can't remember if they ever did. Tourists to Oz should also stop treating aboriginals as "sights" to keep in their photo albums. In this country we owe a great debt to the Indians brought to this country to work in the mills of the cotton industry and to the West Indians we brought here to do the jobs Brits didn't want to do following WW2 - so many mistakes made by so many countries and so much discrimination towards people of colour. On times it makes me ashamed to be white.

When tourist visit Australia especially the Outback, They ask why don't we - Australian help them get of the drinks, off the streets etc. WE DO!!!! They get everything and they throw it right back. They live better then a homeless white person this i can vouch.

Its Never enough,Sorry is just a word.

Personally I think the way forward is just to learn from history.

Yes,The English did some awful things,not only concerning Convicts but with the slave trade and plenty more things prior to that.

What about the Vikings and the romans who Invaded the British Isles,Ever heard of "the Blood Eagle"?

You could go on and on,too many cruel things have happened In History, how can you expect sorry to be enough.

learning from History is the best thing and making sure every man/woman is treated as an Equal.

Emma Kate I had to smile at your reply..... so you give them everything do you?

You are so so wrong...... You can't give them back their dignity, you took that away years ago..... maybe that's why they don't accept "outside help" because actually they don't want it, you ruined their lives once and they don't trust you not to do it again!

You may live there but it doesn't belong to you!

Diana

well said Diana - I totally agree with you

Roxanne and Pink - way to go:o))) l completely agree with you. They were treated ............. would'nt like to print my true feelings.

jude x

What is done - is done - saying sorry will not put it right. Atrocious actions have taken place in history - what will help is that we learn from our mistakes - not just us as British - and as from now - try to - 'do as you would be done by' - if you cannot do a good turn - do nothing at all.

Have respect for each other and the laws of the country you reside in.

Chris,

I disagree with this statement

"Have respect for each other and the laws of the country you reside in."

as the laws were created in some countries after the self righteous, all knowing, far superior white man landed.....

I am white before anyone questions that, but I am ashamed to say that sometimes.


Abbo's have a right to live how they wish, its their land and their country!

Pink - we cannot go back but go forward with enlightenment. As a keen historian I am horrified at what has occurred over the ages and a lot of the time because the white man thought he 'knew' better. We are allowing in this day and age terrible things to occur in Africa and the rest of the world is standing by allowing it.

It isn't the white man this time but their own who are bleeding their countires dry and permitting wholesale murder to occur.

We all have a right to say our peice, and the way lots of people around the world then and know are treated is awful - is and was wrong...

Its very hard to understand what happened in Auz, and i have always believed the white immigrant Auz people sud do more for them....
i havent changed all my view of this but having been to Auz on at least 4 occasions , beeen right up north to the Islands that only Abo's live...- western - eastern.... and central round Mount Isa...its hard to feel total sympathy, i have saw brand new houses trashed in 3 mths, then they go to live bye local creek....on days they collect dole they are lying round town drunk.....Will say not all of them but so many....what will help not throwing money at them but maybe giving money to genuine Abo communities to decide there own way forward......
hope this happens........Joanie

perhaps this new PM can put some money into detox units and up the price of alcohol out of the reach of most people, which lets face it is what they should be doing here in my humble opinion.

It's fine for the Goverment to say Sorry. I haven''t a problem with that at all but Like Tony said what about the immigrant children that were sent out here and abused Physically and sexually by priests and Nuns in the homes. Don't they need a sorry also.
My hubby and I had a friend that was sent out in the 50s and he was Mentally, Physically and Sexually abused. He never got over it properly.

I will probably get some back lash from this but I don't think they should be compensated with money.
It would more than likely be a levy that the public would have to pay. We were not the ones who did this to the Aboriginals. I have worked hard all my working life here for my money and would object strongly to paying another Levy for something we did not have anything to do with
I agree with Joanie also I have seen it first hand money wouldn't be spent by most of them to better their lives.

Regards
Jackie

MY THOUGHTS.....

All the human race....every man,woman,child. should learn a lesson from world history of how we have treated ourselves....
This applies to all race,and religion, and every corner of the earth.
We should all hang our heads in shame, that domination of each other has been acceptable in the past, and still seems to be in the minds of some for our 'tommorrows'

Our planet is shouting out for some TLC and urgent firstaid...
Our children are still dying of hunger and abuse.
Our oldies are afraid of their own decendants.
Man is still dominating man, to our ruin....

At times I am ashamed to be a human. we are supposed to be more intelligent than the animal kingdom...
where's the proof?
someone once told me,
intelligence is'nt, 'what you know'
'its,how you use what you know'.

evidence tells me, that does'nt make us that intelligent, does it?

Perhaps we should all say sorry to each other,
and concentrate on the future, so our history will not have been in vain......
so our childrens children will be happy, on a happy peacefull planet.................
I know I am not alone to want this,surely to strive for this would be the best memorial, statue, celebration, any one could want for.
love to all cmd