Where next for Indigenous youth?

With all due respect. When some forum members are incapable of even recognising the basic foundation of truth when it involves Aboriginal issues and topics. Then what is the point of having a rational intelligent debate?

When certain people start to argue about, and change the factual meaning and definitions of the term "terrorism" to justify their own agendas to always portray the Aboriginal people in a positive light, then what hope is left in thinking these individuals will construct an intellectual debate or conversation? There is none.

 

Back to the point. Back in the 1970s when I was a young copper I had a lot to do with Indigenous people. Much of it not positive. It took me a while to understand that I was dealing with the effects of dispossession. As soon as I worked that out a lot of stuff made sense. I used to get hot under the collar with the radicals such as Gary Foley. How could they just lie like that? I kept that dismissive attitude for quite some years. But then after learning a few things I started to begin to understand a little more. I was focused on what was happening in 1970 or 1980 or whenever. I was focused on the drunkenness and hopelessness of people I had to deal with. I couldn't see past the immediate behaviour in front of me. When I got to learn a little more I started to feel not ashamed, after all I hadn't personally done anything wrong, but I could see a couple of hundred years of history and realise that I was dealing with the effects. Problem for coppers was and is that they only see the bad side and only deal with the effects without understanding the causes. It's why a lot of coppers are prejudiced against Indigenous people. Not all of course and not in huge numbers but my experience was that there was a lot of casual prejudice rather than the sort of active prejudice that hate groups develop.

Okay, got to take the newly adopted greyhound (I can recommend the breed) for a walk. I'll try and follow my thinking on this thread a bit later.

 

I don’t care if you are white, black or brindle. This constant “feel sorry for me” bull carp has gone on long enough, and created most of the problems we are experiencing today. No one wants to take any responsibility or accountability for themselves and their circumstances. The majority of these individuals with a so-called victim mentality of circumstance just want to laze around doing nothing to help themselves, and want everyone else to pay for their lazy habits, and feel sorry for them.

Everyone has the ability to change their own situation and circumstance if they really want too - no more excuses.

Everyone can try and find a part-time job, or enrol in a TAFE class to further their own education and standing in life if they choose. The majority of 16 year olds - and even younger kids can get some form of Government welfare assistance and support to help finance their education and lifestyle requirements to change their bad situation IF they want to change.

I am done with people thinking they can bludge their way through life under the disguise of a victim mentality.

No one has an easy ride though life unless you are born wealthy with a silver spoon in your mouth. So these drug addicts and criminals who refuse to help themselves, but want everyone else to help them, need to think again. Because I have no bloody empathy or sympathy for them at all.

In my world it would be 3 strikes and your OUT. I have no intentions of wasting time, effort and finite resources constantly showing someone the right path and leading them on the right path, only to have them fall off it time& time again.

You can only help some people for a certain period of time before you realise that certain individuals are always going to be life’s losers no matter what you do for them.

In this instance, a modern society with finite resources should not be wasting those resources on individuals that cannot be helped; they should be using these finite resources on individuals who actively contribute back to our society and who are participating in our society. Individuals not willing to contribute or participate in our society should be all sent to “idiot Island” for the remainder of their lives to make straw baskets.

 

TV sometimes it is a sad truth that hides behind satire. As untasteful as this cartoon is to some, there is a sad reality to it. In many communities some children have no idea who their father is. I was visiting a regional community up here in QLD some years ago and there was this fifteen year old girl who had given birth to her second child. She needed some money for the eldest child and I asked her who the father was and she rattled off four possible candidates. It was a slap in the face, but unfortunately not a rarity in some communities.

Sometimes the truth is hard see. Hard to cough up to as it is a stain on Australia as a whole. As I have said many times, we are only as strong as our weakest members.

Having said this, it is not limited to the Aboriginal communities, and can be seen almost anywhere there is low socio economic groups where education is poor. It is just that it is more prevalent in remote communities.

If you look carefully the cartoon depicts very cleverly the situation in regards to these remote or even regional communities. A government official, a drunken black man, and the poor forgotten innocence.

It is only political correctness that thwarts the debate on this situation.

 

You do realise do you not that many indigenous societies were and are matrilineal but patriarchal. The tradition for some was that sex had nothing to do with reproduction and therefor it was the woman's brother who was responsible for being the father figure.

But I would rather a young indigenous mother because she is often supported by her mother or Aunties whereas many of the young women getting pregnant for the sole intent of receiving the single mothers benefit often have only sporadic support from family

 

I don't disagree with what are you are saying Bowerbird, although I do not think the cartoonist was alluding to pre white man society among the aboriginal tribes.

Having said that I can only go off what I have witnessed and must disagree with your differentiation. I don't see any difference in general. I am not sure it is a black versus white situation, more so a socio economic situation. Unfortunately a majority of aboriginal people fall into the lowest section of our social economy, and I believe that is why it seems more endemic in indigenous groups.

The cartoon is harsh to some, but not untruthful. Sometimes through Political correctness we can be breed blissful ignorance. As hard as the truth is to swallow, it is necessary to digest it in order to make sense of it and find an answer for it.

The situation for indigenous Australians is at a very important cross roads, and answers must be found quickly. Throwing hush money at the problem has only made it worse, but perhaps that was the point of it. If you constantly hand feed a child they will never learn to use a knife and fork.

 

A stereotype is a stereotype. If it is a quality or lack thereof that doesn't belong to one single group then it is simply a slur. Really what you are raising is a subsidiary of the more deep-seated issues. I don't think a stereotype(slur) is necessary to address the more profound issues Slippery, it just doesn't make much sense.

I do agree with you that the issue is related to socio-economics and this can be substantiated by many whites in the same predicament. The twist is those from higher socio-economic circumstances tend to simply have abortions. A young relative of mine lives such a deep guilt and obviously made the decision based on reputation, economics was certainly not an issue. The parents were deeply saddened and would have liked a role in the decision making as budding first time grandparents. There are a few situations that I'm aware like this.

 

Excellent and well balanced post. Paul Keatings speech in Redfern was like getting something off your chest that you were uneasy about admitting but needed for your own Peace of mind. I can't change the fact that my family and I live on this beautiful land and certainly don't feel personally responsible for how it all eventuated. I know no other land as my own despite my British roots so Australia is my home. I think in all indigenous societies, they would have freely come out of their own cultures without our meddling but now are left with the remnants of bad decisions, which I feel a sense of responsibility to speak out about. We certainly wrecked their way of life: to us it was primitive, to them it was life......my young nephews and nieces see me as a primitive because I grew up without mobile phones, cars without electric windows and black and white television and non existence of WWW. Advances in society occur because of one main element....necessity. Personal wealth saw massive leaps and bounds in the way of technology. But anyway, how on earth did I live without a mobile phone or computers with Internet....how on earth could you enjoy watching a black and white television. I learnt how to touch type on the old type writer. How quickly did that tool lose its relevance.
40 years ago was a primitive lifestyle.

Back on points you raised. I certainly have no qualm with invasion, what have I got to lose by thinking and saying this. In any instance as you say, we dispossessed them of their land. My house is built on something that is stolen....gee somebody please change the history books, I feel uncomfortable.