Filed under: Thoughts | Tagged: aboriginal, australia, australia day, celebrate, change, day, death, debate, fun, invasion, morning, native, settle, settlement, Work
Australia Day aka Invasion Day; What it means to me
Posted on January 26, 2009 by Brodhe
Get off ur soapbox mate. Australia day is not invasion day. it has nothing to do with the desicration of aboriginal people. It is to celebrate the federation of our country into a civilized community. one that lets you live ur ‘SSA’ (read: gay) lifestyle, one that lets aboriginal people live their lifestyles as well as the myriad of other cultures to live theirs without fear of death or persecution.
Sure there was the stolen generation. But we’ve moved on. Our country has apologised. Thanks to our federated country we can live in a demographic society that acknowledges mistakes and promotes growth by learning. Would you rather be in another country? Perhaps you should try to live your lifestyle in a country not as lucky as ours. Then see what you have to say about this block of land ur happy to call home.
The date that weas chosen to celebrate Australia Day was January 26th. This was the day that Australia “settled”. I say it in quotations, because that is how history has written the books. To settle an area means that you are arriving at an empty block of land, and you proclaim it yours. You then go about and make it habitable. In fact, the land was coined Terra Nullius, as most are aware. This directly translates to No Ones Land. All through History, right up to now that gets taught in Schools- everyone is told that white people ame to Terra Nullius and Settled. Well, thats wrong isn’t it? Anyone with half a brain to think for themselves knows that the land was never Terra Nullius. It was already an inhabitat world with one of the worlds oldest cultures. & there was no settlement. Out of the different ways to create a country, settlement is one of them. Invasion is another. What happened back in 1788 was the Invasion of Bunabi & Bunna Bunna. People were killed- slaughtered. And, continuing for years the stolen generation, degradation of rights.
Sure, things are getting on the right track and as you say, some people have moved on. YOU have moved on. The government has moved on. Do you think that most native people have moved on? I doubt it. When a mother tells her child to say sorry, does it make the child sorry? No. Same thing here with most Australian Citizens. A lot don’t know why the government said sorry, and even more don’t think they ment it.
For a lot of people, the 26th of Jan marks the beginning of the end of a historic culture and way of life. As others have put it, leave this day (if there has to be) for as Reconciliation Day. Australians have little to celebrate on this day. Why can’t we choose a different date? The opening of parliament, or the first game of footy date? Something more suitable to the traditions that we hold on the day.
We do have Sorry Day B, it just isnt a public holiday. Is on May 26th. But great vlog nonetheless.
well, lets get it recognised as a ph
Write that whole thing again verbatim with references and I might hold credence to the prejudicial arguments you are making.
i understand what you mean, and I appreciate the comment. But, I say this also- this is simply my blog. It holds no scientific study or otherwise. I don’t quote reference because it is just that- my blog. My own opinion of the happenings of the world.
I dont think we need to look much further than this to see where pride can lead some people. Of course the hilarity is that if Indigenous people were to say ‘go back to where you came from’ Anon would be all sorts of offended. But when it is white people ‘enjoying Australia Day’ it’s all good?
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24966331-948,00.html
Thanks D. That was a point I was tryign to make to a friend of mine the other night. We were [drunkenly] talking about it, and I was asking him why he celebrates Australia Day.
His reasons we broiled down had nothing to do with the date- but the simple fact because he was told to. Sure, it is now a tradition which I uphold, but it was a tradition made by the same white people who were killing the natives.
So it is very understandable that Australia day was built upon an unfair foundation.