grodscorp@grods.comSorry
 | Posted by The Editor on Wednesday 13 February 2008, 9:20 am Categories: Politics, Society Tags: Australia, IndigenousIssues, reconciliation, sorry |
This day has taken far too long to arrive but I feel privileged to have the chance to experience it. Truly the proudest moment in our nation’s history. On this day I feel the deepest pride in being Australian. As a citizen of our united country I wholeheartedly endorse the words of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
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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 fathers, the brothers and 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 Australian.
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 changed.
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.
GrodsThink Ep.31 (16/9/08)
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 9:28 am #single mum of two
It certainly has taken far too long….
I also am proud to be an Australian!
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 9:39 am #Bron
It’s about time. A truly historic and memorable day and one that I am proud to partake.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 9:44 am #Wah
It sounded better than it read.
As you can see by the faces in the crowd is all that people wanted is for the hurt to be acknowledged. I think the parents of the stolen children have been forgotton in all this.
Not saying sorry said it didn’t happen.
I am proud to be Australian today, but I also feel shame that so many of my countrymen still can’t see why we should be proud.
P.S. How was Tony Abbott’s form on Lateline last night? “If we had written this we wouldn’t have included certain things”. Well you didn;t write it - you had 11 years to and you did fuck all.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 9:59 am #Bron
Brendan Nelson showed a lot of emotion. Always knew he was in the wrong political party.
Thank God I missed Tony Abbott in last night’s Lateline, Wah. That man is truly despicable.
Speaking of despicable, a lot of ranting and frothing on the comments pages on various News Ltd newspaper websites. Two “reasons” not to say sorry seem to stand out (as they have for over a decade): “I didn’t do it” and “This will open the flood gates to millions of dollars of compensation claims”.
Fuck. The ignorance and mean-of-mind of many Australians is appalling.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:10 am #The Editor
Just finished watching the broadcast in the hall at school with all the students, teachers and a lot of parents. I don’t mind admitting that I teared up a few times.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:15 am #Bridgit Gread
Compensation claims are decided by the courts on a case-by-case basis, as anyone with a skerrick of intelligence knows. Sometimes I think these people use ignorance and stupidity as a convenient cloak for their malicious bigotry.
To be honest, I thought Nelson’s speech was better than Rudd’s. He said the right things in support of the apology but nor did he shy away from the ugly reality that still confronts us. Saying sorry is not the end, it is merely the beginning, and there is much to be done.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:16 am #Bridgit Gread
Me too Ed.
I wonder where John Winston What’s-his-name and the Executive Limpet watched from?
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:16 am #Wah
Ed, did the kids appreciate what was going on?
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:17 am #The Editor
I think Rudd did a good job of acknowledging that there is a tough task ahead, though. He certainly set some tough goals to be achieved in the near-term.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:22 am #The Editor
Ed, did the kids appreciate what was going on?
The older kids did (grade 5/6) and those in my grade did some tuning in work yesterday. The younger kids weren’t quite as aware. However, all of them will do work on the topic for the rest of the week. Most importantly I think it’s significant that when they do properly understand the issue they’ll appreciate the importance of having watched the broadcast live and feeling the sense of occasion. I remember watching the Berlin Wall coming down on telly when I was twelve and even though I didn’t really get it then I value the memories of seeing it.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:22 am #Bron
Me too, got very teary several times. You couldn’t not be moved.
Bridgit, I agree that wailings about compo is just a mask to cloak (not very successfully) bigotry and racism. I’ve found that if I scratch a little deeper, there’s an ugly racist imbecile beneath the facade of false concern over compensation. Pathetic.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:24 am #The Editor
I really liked Nelson’s sideswipe at people who think Aboriginal people have it too good.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:26 am #Bridgit Gread
I thought both speeches were grand but I thought Nelson’s was a shade better; just my personal opinion. Not that I’m giving the Liberal Party any credit in this instance, since they’ve had 11 years to write their speech.
I can remember being shown the live coverage of the Challenger disaster in 1986… and our idiot teacher explaining that “Don’t worry, they’ll be alright, those shuttles have escape pods.”
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:27 am #Bron
I too remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. I didn’t understand or know the full story behind it, only that it was repressive and unbelievable that it even existed (even to this day, I can’t comprehend keeping people ‘inside’ if they’re not prisoners for crimes committed), but I fully recall knowing that it was a significant occasion and I was glad to be there to watch it. Watching the jubilant faces of the Germans climbing over the Wall to freedom was deeply engrained into my memory, and made me value human rights more than ever.
Your students will always remember this day, I’m sure.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 10:27 am #The Editor
“Don’t worry, they’ll be alright, those shuttles have escape pods.”
Brilliant.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 11:49 am #jLo
I’m all overcome.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 12:27 pm #Wah
Now for the next act, the lovely Julia will seek to repeal WorkChoices.
What a great day.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 1:39 pm #Ant Rogenous
I heard the speech on the radio and wasn’t as moved as I expected to be — maybe I needed to see the vision. That said, it was a great moment.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 2:03 pm #Danoz
A brilliant symbolic gesture.
I’m not into symbolic gestures.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 2:08 pm #The Editor
Noted.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 2:11 pm #Wah
Ant,
What made the vision more moving was the camera panning around the Indigenous people in the gallery and outside Parliemant House - with tears in their eyes and little nods whenever they associated with one of Rudd’s anecdote. It showed a sense of relief that their pain was finally being acknowledged.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 2:13 pm #The Editor
Dunno what it was, but there was an unmistakable sense from the vision that you were part of something really big and really good.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 2:24 pm #krypto
I signed the “sorry book” years ago but it’s great to see this day finally arrive.
I have no smart alec remarks to contribute on this thread, just a sincere and austere appology.
Sorry.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 2:30 pm #Ant Rogenous
Just watched the video of the apology. Duly moved.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 3:15 pm #Ray Dixon
Rudd - brilliant & genuine.
Nelson - at times brilliant, at times a redneck … but at no time, sincere. He caved in to the party’s far right.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 3:18 pm #The Editor
I don’t think anybody could really argue with any of the individual points in Nelson’s speech but its “yes, but” tone just ruined the spirit of the day — wrong time and place.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 4:52 pm #Damian
Yes, pretty bloody important day. I am as cynical as the next GrodsReader when it comes to Strayern politics, but the significance of this happening now - with Howard nowhere to be seen - is impossible to overestimate. Reconciliation has to begin with an acknowledgment, and this is it. There’s hard work still to do, but Rudd’s articulation of Labor’s vision in that regard gives me a bit of hope, too.
Wednesday 13 February 2008, 6:55 pm #Magic Bellybutton
I was at work listening to it on the radio and had to stop myself from getting all teary. It was difficult.
Rudd was just fantastic.