Sorry - Political Forum

The Wicked Weasal · #1 (**permalink**) 02-13-2008, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Thousands greet Stolen Generations apology

Thousands of people have celebrated outside Parliament House in Canberra in the wake of Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations.

Crowds in the Great Hall and on the lawns outside Parliament cheered and clapped after Mr Rudd said "sorry", in scenes which were repeated at gatherings across the country.

In Canberra Aboriginal flags flew and Indigenous performers performed for the crowds, many of whom have travelled to the city specially for the occasion.

Dallas Wellington brought his young family from Jerringar Aboriginal community near Jervis Bay on the New South Wales south coast to witness the apology.

He says the apology is necessary for future generations.

"Everything is connected in our culture for Aboriginal people, the acts of the Stolen Generations have affected us so much that it will also affect our younger ones, it's not just in the past, it's here with us today," he said.

Maureen Riches, who travelled to Canberra from Shepparton, Victoria, says it is "by far, the most momentous day" in Australia's history.

"I've been working for this for 11 years, ever since [John] Howard refused to apologise," she said.

"I was thrilled with what Mr Rudd said, I fully support and agree with it, and I'm really encouraged that we now have a Prime Minister that thinks that way.

"Unfortunately the leader of the Opposition started out to sound as if he was in full support but then he destroyed the day for some people.

"We just have to be grateful that the elders that were there [in the champber] were big enough to forgive him and embrace him and they showed that they are bigger. They won."

Another onlooker said Mr Rudd "has shown true leadership in his reconciliation of the whole of Australia."

But Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson was not so well received, with groups in the crowd turning their backs when he was speaking.

"I feel somewhat shamed at Brendan Nelson and his attitude in his speech, I shake my head at that," a member of the crowd said.

Across the nation

Earlier people gathered in schools and around big screens in cities and towns across the nation to watch the apology being screened live.

Watching in Melbourne's Federation Square was Ti Hannah, a descendent of the Gunditjmara people in western Victoria who was adopted and raised by white parents.

He said he hoped the apology signalled a new beginning for Koori people.

"We're not going to stop suffering just because of what was said today but, we still are suffering," he said.

"It's just good to know that the Government and the nation have seen what has gone wrong, and are trying to move forward and rectify that."

At Martin Place in Sydney, several thousand people gathered in the rain to watch the speech on giant TV screens.

The crowd, of mostly city office workers, cheered loudly several times during the Prime Minister's speech.

In Redfern there is a big gathering of Aboriginal people at the Community Centre in the area known as 'The Block'.

In Hobart more than 300 people braved the chilly weather to watch the apology on a big screen on Parliament House lawns.

At the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg in southern Queensland, elders were moved to tears after hearing the Prime Minister's apology.

Elder Beryl Gambrill said Mr Rudd was sincere and respectful.

"It brought back memories of what happened to our people when Kevin Rudd was talking about saying sorry to families," she said.

"I didn't think it was going to be that powerful. But I thank Kevin Rudd for what he said in his speech and thank him for all Aboriginal people."

In Perth it was standing room only, even for some dignitaries at a large auditorium on the foreshore.

In Broome people enjoyed a barbecue breakfast during the morning's celebrations.

Teachers and students at Sydney schools gathered in halls to watch the apology.

Glebe Public School Year 6 student Jaylene Bolt says she hopes the apology will bring people together.

"It will help us live together in peace and help us get along, so we can live happily together, and just have a great life like we should have," she said.

I am so glad this day has finally arrived. I watched PM Rudd's apology at school today, and it seemed eloquent and appropriate. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Leader of the Opposition Brendan Nelson. His speech was overly partisan and provocative, and really wrecked the spirit of the day.

Any thoughts on the apology? Was the wording appropriate? was the apology actually necessary? And what do you think about possible compensation claims?

Aya · #2 (**permalink**) 02-13-2008, 06:07 PM

@The Wicked Weasal
I saw it at midday today and it made me feel really good. I believe that this apology was really necessary and a very important step. The wording was perfectly. Well, I can't say so much about compensation claims but I think it would be part of the apology.

And of course to increase the life expectancy of Aboriginals up to the life expectancy of white Australians and a better integration would be fantastic and is hopefully realisable soon.

Pawn · #3 (**permalink**) 02-17-2008, 03:51 AM

who are the stolen generation?

Martin · #4 (**permalink**) 02-17-2008, 07:41 AM

I'm at this time viewing a documentary on the Oz network about "the secret Australia tried to hide".

FYI:It was worse in Northern America, mostly in today's USA. You reckon they will apologise?
Yeah... when hell freezes over.

ISaberhagen · #5 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 11:48 AM

Hopefully under this new government Australia will make the kind of progress Canada has made whilst we have been sitting motionless, tacitly approving of the racial inequities present in this land.

Eilish · #6 (**permalink**) 02-22-2008, 03:20 AM

I like many other non-Indigenous Australians rejoiced with Indigenous Australians. The truth has been acknowledged, the recognition of the deep wounds that have bled into the 2lst century have been treated with the balm of truth. The healing process has been furthered... Recovery from genocidal practices is ongoing... but there is now a foundation of truth/recognition to build on. "...our revenge will be the laughter of our children" - Bobby Sands Words so applicable. What moves me so deeply is the forgiveness of Indigenous Australians. I don't know if i could muster that forgiveness. I am glad i lived to see this apology happen but cannot ever forget the faces of the old Aboriginal men who drank themselves to death - their culture decimated, their land raped by greed, their women raped, their children 2nd class citizens... Their stories they told me in sobering up times in treatment centres. I cannot ever forget the faces of young Indigenous kids & their stories of self-hate because society told them they were less...The compensation claims are valid claims. What price can you put on human lives... We also need to rewrite alot of Australian history with the truth & expose colonization, 'scientific racism' ='s for what it is, what it did. There is real hope now for the future & i feel great hope for more unity. The apology was an enormous, significant move in the right direction. Am amazed ur post has not got more responses. There is no such thing as races - only diverse cultures One race ='s the human race.

Dreaming Online: Family

The Koori History Website

Stories of Stolen Generations. Koorie Heritage Trust

Eilish · #7 (**permalink**) 02-22-2008, 03:52 AM

Dreaming Online: Family

The Koori History Website

Stories of Stolen Generations. Koorie Heritage Trust

sirhc · #8 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 01:09 AM

the claims are valid, but the compensation isn't. for one most of thoes responsible for it ARE DEAD. secondly paying out will not help, money dosen't fix anything it is how you use it. i would completely support a sysem that put compensation towards a foundation for repairing the damage done.

finaly, stop being so dramatic, while the people back then were ignorant asses. they weren't a bunch of rapeists, bad things (includeing rape) were done to aboriginals but that was the vast minority and they still had to do their crimes in sectet. over all it was a flawed narrow minded system.

one last thing i have only read bits of the Brendan Nelson speech (i actually cant find a full version of it) but stop being such cry babies. if anyone on that day pulled their fingers out of their ears they would have realised his speech was a apology. but form what i can tell he said 5 words the crowd didn't like and the reast fell on death ears.

(can someone give me a link to a page with the FULL speech on it)