Unlike the columnists, I do not believe that Howard has tapped into
public sentiment but has dictated public sentiment. Howard's
attitude has given the mean-spirited, the racists and the ignorant
encouragement to blame the victims. He has set the agenda and
he should be held responsible for it. --- Trudy
================================================
The Sydney Morning Herald
The past is the past: most reject apology to Aborigines
Date: 03/03/2000
By MICHELLE GRATTAN and MARGO KINGSTON
Most Australians are strongly against apologising to Aborigines, fearing
this could lead to compensation claims, according to research for
the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
The study of 14 focus groups across the country found deep opposition to
key parts of the Draft Reconciliation Document, which
includes an apology.
"Many saw it as divisive, backward-looking, based only on the Aboriginal
perspective, requiring a series of concessions from
non-Aboriginal Australians without any corresponding 'give' by
Aboriginal people, and a high-risk document which would probably be
used as the basis for claims for land and monetary compensation," it
said.
The qualitative findings are a blow to reconciliation and reinforce the
thinking of the Prime Minister, who this week abandoned his 1998
reconciliation timetable and has consistently opposed an apology.
But a member of the council, Mr Ray Martin, said last night that
quantitative research had found a much more "balanced" picture,
including on an apology.
The focus groups, conducted by the pollster Saulwick in areas of high
and low contact with Aborigines, found that community leaders'
attitudes were usually more positive than those of the general public.
Opposition to an apology was one of a number of very negative attitudes
towards Aborigines, who were seen as getting special treatment.
People wanted special help cut off, believing it to be unfair and
perpetuating "a culture of dependency".
Although there was a "widespread feeling" that Aborigines had been badly
treated in the past, there was little recognition of how this
affected them now.
"It is as though people do not have the imagination to look at the world
through the eyes of a victim," the report said.
Most people had said "with some vehemence, that one cannot judge past
actions by today's standards". An apology was opposed
because "we did not do it", the past is the past, and reconciliation was
about the present and future. But although most opposed an
apology, some felt it "would help the healing process".
People worried about the document of reconciliation being put into
legislation, preferring it to be available to be signed. They also
tended
to see people with less than 50 per cent Aboriginal lineage as not
"real" Aborigines.
"They claim that many of these people have been brought up on welfare
... that they expect it, that they do nothing to help themselves,
and that they do not take responsibility for themselves."
There was a willingness to treat Aborigines like any other Australians
provided they were prepared to "play by our rules".
This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying
or mirroring is prohibited.
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