Comments on: Some reconciliation, indeed http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/ perspectives on stuff from an angry feminist Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:08:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5-RC2 By: Rebecca http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-105 Rebecca Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:49:27 +0000 http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-105 That's a crock. We deliberately used disease for the purposes of killing the indigenous population. Smallpox wasn't all that big in the Sydney community of the time. This is the sort of thing that makes me very cynical about nigh on all attempts by white Australia to "reconcile" in the light of past abuses: when it comes down to it, white people would far more often make excuses than rewrite their own history books. That’s a crock. We deliberately used disease for the purposes of killing the indigenous population. Smallpox wasn’t all that big in the Sydney community of the time.

This is the sort of thing that makes me very cynical about nigh on all attempts by white Australia to “reconcile” in the light of past abuses: when it comes down to it, white people would far more often make excuses than rewrite their own history books.

]]> By: Jean Louise Finch http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-104 Jean Louise Finch Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:01:43 +0000 http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-104 Re: diseases - because of European diseases, as in the Americas death rates of 90+% were going to occur following *any* contact between the hemispheres - and there was no way Australia would stay isolated. Re: diseases - because of European diseases, as in the Americas death rates of 90+% were going to occur following *any* contact between the hemispheres - and there was no way Australia would stay isolated.

]]> By: Rebecca http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-97 Rebecca Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:24:16 +0000 http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-97 Rudd spoke rather well actually (they showed it before the presentation I was making to the university's Senior Residents as part of their training), making clear that mere words weren't going to cut it, and promising major new commitments on indigenous education (he basically promised to rebuild the entire school system covering remote communities over the next decade or so) and indigenous housing in the territory. However, perhaps y'know it might have been better to pull the soldiers out of indigenous communities *before* attempting to distance oneself from past abuses... Rudd spoke rather well actually (they showed it before the presentation I was making to the university’s Senior Residents as part of their training), making clear that mere words weren’t going to cut it, and promising major new commitments on indigenous education (he basically promised to rebuild the entire school system covering remote communities over the next decade or so) and indigenous housing in the territory.

However, perhaps y’know it might have been better to pull the soldiers out of indigenous communities *before* attempting to distance oneself from past abuses…

]]> By: Rhian http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-96 Rhian Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:07:21 +0000 http://burningwords.net/2008/02/12/some-reconciliation-indeed/#comment-96 I didn't go watch it, on the big screen with the rest of my department... Instead I sat here and did a Workplace Equity Course. The Northern Territory intervention makes me sick. They are repeating the exact same mistakes! I didn’t go watch it, on the big screen with the rest of my department… Instead I sat here and did a Workplace Equity Course.

The Northern Territory intervention makes me sick. They are repeating the exact same mistakes!

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