Aboriginal Children Deserve More

The recent report into the terrifying conditions endured by Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory seems to have come too late for an entire generation of young indigenous people.

The Prime Minister, John Howard, has finally done something to stem the tide of abuse. He has banned alcohol and X-rated pornography (is there any other kind?) from Aboriginal land for six months as well as a string of measures linking welfare payments to child health and school attendance. Source

Predictably, and fairly, many Aboriginal groups have given the PM a bucketing and praise in seemingly equal amounts.

Then white people weigh in. Senator Lynn Allison (who?), the leader of the Australian Democrats (the what?) has carried on about it being a 'jackboot approach' and 'authoritarian.' She is seemingly at odds with the National Indigenous Council and Reconciliation Australia. Ms Allison, telephone call - it's the 1980s, they want their political cliches back.

At what point will the people governing this country realise that indigenous people's problems cannot be solved by white people's solutions. While you can't agree with everything Howard has done, especially not his methods or timing, at least he's done something. Where's Aunty Lyn when proper, real life issues like this are doing the rounds? Where are the Democrats when the media aren't talking about this when they should. Nowhere, that's where.

Alcohol and pornography are white man constructs, along with nasty diseases, that have helped Aboriginal Australia into the mess they're in now. Welfare is another white construct where, poorly and thoughtlessly applied (as it has been) digs them in even deeper.

If nothing else, the report has highlighted just how little hope these people have of ever breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect. What's Lyn Allison got to say? She grabs the lyrics from an early-80's punk song, practises here Rik-from-the-Young-Ones impersonation (right down to her lack of alternatives) and off she goes. I don't doubt she genuinely cares because she does appear to be quite compassionate, but where are her alternative suggestions? I refer you to my earlier comment about her position when she should be rustling up trouble.

At least Bob Brown attacked the Government for taking too long. When will Champagne Socialists like the Democrats finally realise that sometimes removing the rights of someone to drink themselves to death and abuse the hope out of someone less fortunate can possibly be the right thing to do?

Howard clearly hasn't thought through the ramifications of some of his decisions - removing permits to allow anyone on to Aboriginal land is disrespectful and is fomenting land-rights-related opposition. Which, while I'm here, is another one of my problems - what the hell are selected members of the Aboriginal community complaining about when they dredge up land rights into the debate? Are you serious? Big picture guys - your people are being destroyed before they even learn to speak and that's all you've got? Land Rights?

ATSIC was destroyed by people like this, people like Geoff Clarke who brought a union-thug stance to its leadership (along with a boxer-style entourage). Were they caring for their people? No, they were busy scoring cheap political points and pulling stunts rather than trying to convince the Government that Aboriginal self-determination and in many cases, self-regulation may just be an answer.

White people don't know how to save Aboriginal Australia, both Howard and Allison have shown that. White people are the ones who've plunged indigenous Australians into this mess. Rather than properly consult with the people we've done so little to help, white governments have successively tried to apply a Western mindset to a distinctly different-thinking culture. We're just not getting it. If we don't act as a people, black or white, to save an important and irreplacable part of the Australian - no, the global - community, they will sink lower and lower. Never mind Queensland being like Zimbabwe, this whole country will rightfully be labeled just as bad.