What does Australia Day mean to you?

[Eylandt]

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I have been watching the news regarding all of the arguments about what day Australia Day should be held on, as the aboriginals are saying that the 26th is Invasion day. Something that happened over 200 years ago the people of this generation cannot be held responsible for, We did not personally invade Australia and commit all of these horrible offenses. I understand that what our ancestors did was wrong and should have never happened, but we have no control over what happened 200 years ago and cannot be held responsible.

I dont think its a case of whom to blame, no one can help what happened back then but please take a moment to look on the other side of things. We celebrate the day settlement was made in Australia. They mourn the day their country was invaded.

The reason why Australians are so against changing it is the exact reason why Australians want it changed. Its almost ironic isnt it?

 

[Chris89]

I dont think its a case of whom to blame, no one can help what happened back then but please take a moment to look on the other side of things. We celebrate the day settlement was made in Australia. They mourn the day their country was invaded.

The reason why Australians are so against changing it is the exact reason why Australians want it changed. Its almost ironic isnt it?

I'm easier either way - I truthfully don't care what day it's on lol.

 

[Earthling]

It seems that people dont want Australia Day changed as they feel they are being made guilty somehow.
NO ONE is trying to make you guilty. Far from it.
This Invasion Day is in no way about blaming anybody for what happened.
Its about recognising that some people still hurt from the 'colonising' of Australia. Thats all. Recognition
And I for one can see why.
Every year at this day it gets thrown in people faces who still suffer.
They dont get the chance to forget and move on.
Australia keeps reminding them. Look! This was the day the English came and did you over. Big Time!
Yahhhh...lets all go get drunk and have a day off. Yaaahhhhhhhhh
Not a good look.

If we want to celebrate the joy of living in Australia, as we all have the right to do, perhaps federation day, or any other day for that matter would be better, as it wouldnt matter what date it was, its what we are celebrating that matters.

 

[Jewly]

Here's another spin on things.

If the aboriginals don't want any intervention from the people that invaded their country, why do they accept all the handouts that are given to them? If they don't like what we've done to their country then why don't they go off and live in the bush and live the way their ancestors did years ago. Australia is a big country so it's not as if they couldn't find somewhere to go.

Why can't every person living in Australia be treated the same? Where is my offer of a low interest rate home loan? Where was all the assistance offered to my child when he went through school? Oh that's right, it was all being directed to all the aborginal and T.S.I. children.

I'm not going to apologise for something my ancestors did hundreds of years ago. You have to remember also that a lot of English people had no choice about coming to Australia because they were sent here against their will, away from their home and their families, for petty crimes. Right, I do agree that what the English did when they got here wasn't right, but we've also helped the Aboriginals as well over the years and we've tried to make amends for it.

My own brother is part aboriginal (we were all adopted) and yet he doesn't sit around whinging about how bad his life is. He, like a lot of other Australian's appreciate what they have and make the most of it.

Australia is one of the best countries in the world to live in and our way of life is terrific, except I do think we pander too much to some of the other races that come over here and try and dictate how we should live.

 

[Eylandt]

Here's another spin on things.

If the aboriginals don't want any intervention from the people that invaded their country, why do they accept all the handouts that are given to them? If they don't like what we've done to their country then why don't they go off and live in the bush and live the way their ancestors did years ago. Australia is a big country so it's not as if they couldn't find somewhere to go.

Why can't every person living in Australia be treated the same? Where is my offer of a low interest rate home loan? Where was all the assistance offered to my child when he went through school? Oh that's right, it was all being directed to all the aborginal and T.S.I. children.

I'm not going to apologise for something my ancestors did hundreds of years ago. You have to remember also that a lot of English people had no choice about coming to Australia because they were sent here against their will, away from their home and their families, for petty crimes. Right, I do agree that what the English did when they got here wasn't right, but we've also helped the Aboriginals as well over the years and we've tried to make amends for it.

My own brother is part aboriginal (we were all adopted) and yet he doesn't sit around whinging about how bad his life is. He, like a lot of other Australian's appreciate what they have and make the most of it.

Australia is one of the best countries in the world to live in and our way of life is terrific, except I do think we pander too much to some of the other races that come over here and try and dictate how we should live.

No one said anything about not wanting intervention. If I offered you $50 would you take it? Let me pose this question. Why should they move? Why shouldnt we?

As for your comment about every person being treated the same. If that was the case then individually we would receive alot less. There are over 20 million people in this country. If every single person received the same benefits then we'd have millionaires receiving the same benefits as say single mothers living in refuges which mind you wouldnt be much. think about it.

If each person got $10 a day in benefits thats $200,000,000 per day. Such an idea would be economical disaster. So what we do is we find those we can help the most and assist them. Dont like it? As you said "go off and live in the bush they way our ancestors did years ago".

As for the apology. No one is asking you to? Nor does anyone dictate the way Australians should live as far as Ive seen.


If your house, your car, all of ur belongings , and half your extended family were taken off you. How would you feel about it being celebrated every year for the next 200 years? What if it was your parents that lost it all? Your Grandparents? Great Granparents? etc etc.

 

[Hetty]

Why should they move? Why shouldnt we?

Why shouldn't we move? Maybe you should move and let an Aboriginal family live in your house.

I'm so sick of all this political correctness. It's sad that we can't have one day of the year to celebrate this wonderful country of ours without people protesting.

 

[Eylandt]

It's sad that we can't have one day of the year to celebrate this wonderful country of ours without people protesting.

I think that is what is trying to be achieved through these date change suggestions.

 

[Chris89]

I don't recall anything coming up about the date change last year? So why did it come up this year? Or have I missed something?

 

[Eylandt]

I don't recall anything coming up about the date change last year? So why did it come up this year? Or have I missed something?

This is an ongoing request that has been discussed for a long time now.


Suggested changes to the date
Due to the controversy relating to 'Invasion Day', and the perceived inappropriateness of celebrating the arrival of the First Fleet,[9] there have been suggestions to change the date of Australia Day. January 1 was suggested as a possible alternative day as early as 1957, to commemorate the Federation of Australia.[


Source: Wikipedia

 

[Jewly]

No one said anything about not wanting intervention. If I offered you $50 would you take it? Let me pose this question. Why should they move? Why shouldnt we?

As for your comment about every person being treated the same. If that was the case then individually we would receive alot less. There are over 20 million people in this country. If every single person received the same benefits then we'd have millionaires receiving the same benefits as say single mothers living in refuges which mind you wouldnt be much. think about it.

If each person got $10 a day in benefits thats $200,000,000 per day. Such an idea would be economical disaster. So what we do is we find those we can help the most and assist them. Dont like it? As you said "go off and live in the bush they way our ancestors did years ago".

As for the apology. No one is asking you to? Nor does anyone dictate the way Australians should live as far as Ive seen.


If your house, your car, all of ur belongings , and half your extended family were taken off you. How would you feel about it being celebrated every year for the next 200 years? What if it was your parents that lost it all? Your Grandparents? Great Granparents? etc etc.

I would refuse the $50 if it goes against my beliefs because I'm not a hypocrite. All you ever hear from Aboriginal groups is what we've done to wrong them. Do we ever here about all the times we've helped them? God, they probably would have died out by now without intervention from white people.

You've taken my comment about everyone being treated the same the wrong way. I'm simply meaning that I don't believe Aboriginals should be given special treatment because the majority of the time they abuse what's given to them anyway. I've seen with my own eyes, an aboriginal couple almost destroy a unit next to me which was rented cheaply to them by the Dept of Housing. They didn't appreciate it one bit. Plus I've heard of how they're given brand new homes and they just tear them up to use as firewood. I believe in helping those who want to help themselves.

I beg to differ about the fact that no one tries to dictate how we live our life. Muslims are forever trying to dictate that we change our way of life. Half the time we can't even sing a damn Christmas carol without hearing how it's offending them. Do they ever stop to think that having our way of life changed to suit them, isn't offending us. It offends me just seeing a muslim woman wearing a berka. They've actually banned the celebrating of Christmas at some pre-schools because it was offending some families. Do you think that's not dictating to us that we have to change because we're offending them.

I don't particularly care what happened to my distant relatives, so I probably wouldn't have cared if I were aboriginal or not either. See, I live in the present, and not the past. I think a lot of Aboriginals just use it as an excuse.

 

[Jewly]

Why shouldn't we move? Maybe you should move and let an Aboriginal family live in your house.

I'm so sick of all this political correctness. It's sad that we can't have one day of the year to celebrate this wonderful country of ours without people protesting.

How about you go first then? :lol:

You move out and give your home to an aboriginal family and then so will I.

 

[inthegrass]

so, what about all the people that die on the roads in the christmas break for example as a result of accidents or the fault of another driver.
every christmas people mourn over the anniversary of the death of loved ones, lets change the dates of the christmas holidays so that they are not reminded of the tradgedies that occured to them.
where do you stop?
cheers

 

[Hetty]

How about you go first then? :lol:

You move out and give your home to an aboriginal family and then so will I.

Er.. read what I said again, and what it was in response to (Eylandt's comment).

January 1 is a silly suggestion, in my humble opinion. That's already a public holiday for a different reason, and is celebrated for a different reason.

 

[Eylandt]

I would refuse the $50 if it goes against my beliefs because I'm not a hypocrite. All you ever hear from Aboriginal groups is what we've done to wrong them. Do we ever here about all the times we've helped them? God, they probably would have died out by now without intervention from white people.

You've taken my comment about everyone being treated the same the wrong way. I'm simply meaning that I don't believe Aboriginals should be given special treatment because the majority of the time they abuse what's given to them anyway. I've seen with my own eyes, an aboriginal couple almost destroy a unit next to me which was rented cheaply to them by the Dept of Housing. They didn't appreciate it one bit. Plus I've heard of how they're given brand new homes and they just tear them up to use as firewood. I believe in helping those who want to help themselves.

A minority abuse it yes. Not a majority. If you have evidence to suggest otherwise Id love to see it!

Ive lived in places like Darwin where there have been Aboriginals everywhere lvigin happily. Have also lived on the South Coast of NSW and seen "White people" do the exact thing you mentioned.

I beg to differ about the fact that no one tries to dictate how we live our life. Muslims are forever trying to dictate that we change our way of life. Half the time we can't even sing a damn Christmas carol without hearing how it's offending them. Do they ever stop to think that having our way of life changed to suit them, isn't offending us. It offends me just seeing a muslim woman wearing a berka. They've actually banned the celebrating of Christmas at some pre-schools because it was offending some families. Do you think that's not dictating to us that we have to change because we're offending them.

Its funny that my residential status has bearing on each of your points! I currently live in Bankstown. Was actually born and raised in the area so I do know exactly what you are refering to. That being said, how would you feel if the Quran was read to students at school? Im sure you wouldnt appreciate it. The removal (by choice, not by banning) of Christmas celebrations in some shopping malls is nothing more then them (the company) simply choosing not to impose certain religious celebrations onto other people.

As for the Berka. In what way does it offend you? They arent making you wear one nor are they doing anything to you so for what reason do you have to be offended. Once again its a Religoous based belief. They should tolerate Christmas yet you shouldnt tolerate them in the street? Bit Hypocritical dont you think?

I don't particularly care what happened to my distant relatives, so I probably wouldn't have cared if I were aboriginal or not either. See, I live in the present, and not the past. I think a lot of Aboriginals just use it as an excuse.

Then why do you celebrate Australia Day? Or ANZAC Day or any other Celebrative day then?

 

[hallie]

It means im stuck working at the aussie open tennis while evryone else has the day off!:evil:

 

[Eylandt]

so, what about all the people that die on the roads in the christmas break for example as a result of accidents or the fault of another driver.
every christmas people mourn over the anniversary of the death of loved ones, lets change the dates of the christmas holidays so that they are not reminded of the tradgedies that occured to them.
where do you stop?
cheers

When it becomes the conquering of a country perhaps?

 

[Eylandt]

Why shouldn't we move? Maybe you should move and let an Aboriginal family live in your house.

I'm so sick of all this political correctness. It's sad that we can't have one day of the year to celebrate this wonderful country of ours without people protesting.

Im not the one telling them to pack up and leave! :lol:

 

[inthegrass]

death and sadness every day.

 

[slim6y]

If you take a family that had to hunt and work hard to find food and then provide them with easy access to alcohol, supermarkets, free money.... hmmmmm makes perfect sense to me....

Australia Day, seems much unlike Waitangi Day in NZ (February 6th).

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on that day after fierce battles that the British could never win.

Yet Australia appeared to be taken over much more peacfully... Is this correct?

Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with a lot of what the Europeans have done in the past few thousand years... but it's what has made humans what we are today... A little greedy admittedly... But we most certainly have a good life (most of us).

I celebrate just like the rest of you - I am in a beautiful country with mostly beautiful people, surrounded by some of the most amazing scenery I've ever seen in my life (and yes, I have experienced a fair whack of scenery in my time hehe).

You are all very very lucky and privileged to be here - to have what you have and to be what you want to be - don't ever take that for granted.

 

[caustichumor]

It's a perfect day to watch a chinese made TV and drink german made beer....