----------------------------
John Howard is a racist, I opine,
And a more racist Australia he'll leave behind,
A sty of racists he's further begrimed,
He'll leave behind,
The racist swine.
------------------------------
Laurie Forde.
-----Original Message-----
From: Graham Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Friday, March 03, 2000 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: [recoznet2] Sigh!
>Trudy,
>
>I don't want to get into an argument about what Howard did or did not do,
or
>what he does or doesn't think, but even if he was everything you say he is,
>he is not a major contributor to the attitudes expressed in that report.
>Political leaders only shape public opinion at the margin. More often
than
>not they say what they do because that is what the public wants to hear,
not
>what the politicians really believe. That is one reason that the public
>despises politicians and politics.
>
>It wouldn't matter whether Hawke, Howard or Keating were Prime Minister,
the
>focus groups would be saying the same thing. Pauline Hanson got elected
>not when John Howard was Prime Minister, but when Paul Keating was. She
got
>a huge head nod from the electors of Oxley because she was saying what they
>thought, and what no mainstream politician would say. People didn't
>suddenly wake up in 1996 and change their minds about reconciliation when
>Howard got elected. The Australian people haven't changed (although I
>would bet when they leak the quants that the younger demographics will be
>more reconciliation friendly). It is no use hoping that Howard will go
away
>and that things will change. They won't, although he may go away.
>
>So, that being the case, we have to seriously look at the situation and say
>"How is reconciliation to be achieved given that the majority of white
>Australians aren't interested?" That means engaging with the views of
those
>Australians and accepting them as being genuinely their own. Everyone who
>cares needs to see if they can get hold of at least the executive summary
of
>that focus group research, and we need to talk about it and explore it.
It
>will reveal ways in which people might be persuaded. But if they can't be
>interested and persuaded, then reconciliation will never happen. You
can't
>impose reconciliation.
>
>Part of this process is accepting that these people genuinely hold
different
>views from us, and that they are averagely decent Australians. But if we
>take the position that their beliefs are really false consciousness caused
>by somone else, then we will never persuade them.
>
>Unfortunately Karen seems to have gone away. A dialogue with her would
>have been very valuable for all of us, Karen included. I don't think she
>was saying anything much that wouldn't have been said in those focus
groups.
>
>Graham Y
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Trudy and Rod Bray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 10:56 AM
>Subject: Re: [recoznet2] Sigh!
>
>
>> Graham,
>>
>> The reason I said what I did is because the leadership of the country
sets
>the tone.
>> Howard did nothing to educate Australians on Aboriginal disadvantage or
>their rights. In fact he did just
>> the opposite. He supported Hanson. He made political mileage out of
>racism. All the excuses mentioned in
>> this report quote Howard word for word.
>> There are many Australians who haven't thought this through. Have never
>bothered to think deeply at all
>> about it but they can read headlines and if they don't think any further,
>the headlines will stick with them
>> next time someone asks them about it. Or if there is a mention of it in
>conversation, people will quote what
>> they remember in the headline in order to be included or seem
>knowledgable.
>> Headlines such as Howard says 'No apology' or Howard says 'we're not
>guilty', Howard rejects 'black-armband
>> view of history'..etc ad nauseam.
>> I came back to Australia in '89 when Hawke was in. At that time,
>Australians were much more tolerant,
>> outward looking and hopeful among other things. I remembered Australia as
>it was when I left in '65 and this
>> was quite different.
>> Under Howard we've gone back to the hardened, intolerant attitudes of
that
>time. He set the tone, not just
>> in his rejection of reconciliation but it has had an effect on people in
>other areas too. Australians today
>> are far less tolerant, more vindictive and selfish. The mythical 'fair
go'
>attitude that many tried to live
>> by, largely died four years ago.
>>
>> Trudy
>>
>> Graham Young wrote:
>>
>> > Trudy,
>> >
>> > How could you possibly say that a man who just scraped into office at
>the
>> > last election with slightly less than 50% of the popular vote is in a
>> > position to dictate public sentiment?
>> >
>> > I've sat through a number of focus groups, and am not one bit surprised
>that
>> > this one confirms the results of the others. This report is a pretty
>> > accurate assessment of where things stand and how people feel. If
>there is
>> > to be genuine reconciliation within any sort of reasonable time span,
>then
>> > this is the reality that has to be grappled with. A change of
>government
>> > won't make reconciliation easier. If anything it will make it harder
>> > because the rednecks will feel they have less of a seat at the table.
>> >
>> > Someone in an earlier post talked about the need for an education
>campaign
>> > on reconciliation. I agree, but you have to understand the terrain on
>which
>> > you are operating, and this report (from the press reports) provides a
>> > reasonable map. You (this is not directed personally at you Trudy)
also
>> > have to be prepared to meet people like Karen where their beliefs are
>and
>> > try to understand why they feel the way they do before you can ever
hope
>to
>> > change things.
>> >
>> > I feel a lot of frustration with a lot of people involved in
>reconciliation
>> > because I think there is too much of what Paul Keating called the
>"politics
>> > of the warm inner glow." There is too much of an "us" and "them"
>attitude.
>> > A tribal cosiness where we reinforce each other's beliefs, and dump on
>those
>> > who are unbelievers. And by dumping on them reinforce their own
>beliefs.
>> >
>> > I hope that this report gets wide circulation and causes people who
want
>to
>> > see reconciliation occur to think really hard. I am also somewhat
>shocked
>> > that it appears to have taken the Reconciliation Council about 10 years
>to
>> > get around to commissioning such a report. Maybe I am wrong. Perhaps
>there
>> > have been earlier ones, but without basic research like this they may
>well
>> > have been blowing most of their $4.5M annual budget chasing the wrongo
>> > rabbits down the wrong burrows.
>> >
>> > Graham Y
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: Trudy and Rod Bray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> > To: RecOzNet2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> > Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 9:56 AM
>> > Subject: [recoznet2] Sigh!
>> >
>> > > 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.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > *********************************
>> > > Make the Hunger Site your homepage!
>> > > http://www.thehungersite.com/index.html
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>> > >
>> > >
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