I'm Sorry Too...

Growing up in Melbourne, I've obviously never really met an aboriginal person before, as most of the suburbs are WASP, with a smattering of European, Asian, and Middle Eastern faces thrown in to keep it "culturally diverse". As a consequence, the whole "stolen generation" issue has always been a part of someone else's life experience, and something I've heard about on the news, but not something I have any real perspective on.

That was before Kevin Rudd's speech this morning.

His telling of one person's experience was compelling, and perfectly brought the horror of the experience home to me for the first time. This was a misguided, evil attempt to eradicate the indigenous people of this country, and all I can say is that my grandparent's generation have a lot to answer for. So do my parent's generation whom have filled the media with right-wing messages of paranoia, mistrust & racial hatred. At least Mr Rudd's speech makes an attempt to undo the wrongs of the past by officially saying that we're sorry for what past governments have been too afraid to admit.

That means you John Howard.

Like a lot of Australians, I tuned the radio in to listen to the "Sorry" speech, but was amazed to find that of the 15 people whom I share an office with, no one else seemed remotely interested. Someone made a reference to "Rudd's saying sorry to the Abo's", but that was it.

It was bad enough having to wade through the diatribe of protest & hatred on the only radio station I could pick up in the office, but the apathy of my colleagues saddened me. In my opinion, this is the single most significant moment in Australian political & social history, and all I could hear were discussions of last night's TV viewing, of what's for dinner tonight, and a general disregard for what was happening.

Jesus Christ - our entire nation stops to watch a horse race, but this was ignored!

So for all of those people who don't seem to care, I hereby post Mr. Rudd's speech, and hope that the significance of his words hit home, and eventually might make a difference in the way we treat one another as Australians (and in general for that matter).

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."

God Bless you Kevin...