I don’t know who wrote this but it sounds like a scripted answer by someone (I wrote this and am a Wirdadjuri man who works with our communities across Australia and am the Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Commission representing communities across Australia) who isn’t listening to the real life aboriginal voices (mine is pretty real) who are representing vulnerable communities (see above) suffering from being run by their harmful and criminal indigenous cultural practices (this accusation needs to be supported with evidence), but instead listening to aborigines enjoying the freedoms and benefits of our national culture (more explanation please – what freedoms and benefits?), and want to push their power agenda to get more control over the government (it’s an advisory body only – give advice as the medical bodies give advice on best practice) and all it can be ‘guilt-tripped’ into giving them! (read the Statement from the Heart – it contains no guilt or shame and makes no demands.)
I say it is time to stop this endemic grievance against a nation that has given far more than is remotely fair to other equally disadvantaged people, (Please read what actually happened to our people – between 1788 and 1910 some 60-90% of the aboriginal population died due to war, massacres, introduced disease – read Henry Reynolds for a start) and not fair at all to all the people who are attached to Australia as their homeland but are not recognised by aborigines have having any right to our (not yours- without the process toward treaty it still remains ours as it was stolen.) country!
PM Rudd said ‘sorry’. (Primarily for the Stolen Generations but he continued with the Northern Territory Emergency intervention and our kids are taken away at greater rates today – fact check please.)
When are the aborigines going to respond with reconciliation, like ‘You are forgiven’? (The Statement from the Heart is a statement on absurd transformational forgiveness achieved through Voice, Treaty, Truth and Makarrata).
Surely this whole aborigine construct of victimhood (Fact check – we did not construct it, it has been imposed on us by people who continue to possess us as a means of maintaining control – read the work of Walter Mingolo) is damaging and it is time to end the whole way of treating them separately by race (Race was at the foundation of colonisation as a project in the 15th century and Australia was built as a White Supremacy project based on worlds best practice – see the letters and transcripts of such as Alfred Deakin, Billy Hughes, Barton and the founders of the constitution) not equally by need, with everyone else?
Why is this futile quest for ‘reconciliation’ being perpetuated? Why have the huge resources not been used effectively, or made available for schools and health etc.? (They have but never in line with cultural practice or in ways elders know work – it is imposed – that’s why we need a Voice) I suspect that these leaders in power positions, who are pushing for more authority over government (It advises, has no veto power and cannot make laws), have no real interest in the needs of the most vulnerable who have no voice – too afraid to speak up or look what happens to someone who does – because if they succeeded in closing the gap their lucrative business and income would come to an end! (Please give evidence) Any other reason why money is being lavished on a highly costly referendum to give a few people more power, instead of education, social justice, medical attention and providing the nurturing facilities, rules and personnel to eliminate crime, sexual abuse and domestic violence in the remote communities where the need exists? (When people are denied a voice, they protest with the only thing they have on, their bodies. To change that we need to give them a Voice, recognise them in the Constitution as equals, and give them a say on how their lives are constructed. The Voice does that)
(Most aborigines are not even in this category of need I understand, as they live in urban areas like the rest of us. (Just because we live in the city and seem successful by your terms does not exempt us from racism, exclusion, poverty etc). This is why it is so unreasonable to have a ‘voice’ to address disadvantage by race instead of need.) (As noted above White Australia has always had a voice by dint of race – read the history of colonisation).)
It has only just hit me that the church as church, has actively promoted this ‘yes’ campaign to government! Done in our name without consulting us! (In 1967 the Church instructed all its members to vote yes for the Aborigines – the slogan. Following the delivery of the Statement from the Heart the Melbourne Synod along with the General Synod supported it and by doing so supported the elements within it including the Voice. Your representatives at Synod have been consulted and said yes.)
I’m just wondering to whom to protest. (Your protest is noted)
Thanks for information that has made me realise how much I have been implicated in this crazy racial issue without my desire.