Your Comments

1. John writes:

   Someone asked me today what I thought of the fact that John Howard was conspicuously absent from Parliament yesterday. I’m actually ambivalent: On one hand I’m appalled that while Gough, Bob, and Paul were big enough to put their differences aside and see themselves as smaller than the event, Howard’s absence was guaranteed to speak loudly, and I take this as a final indication of his small-minded and mean-spirited nature.

   On the other hand, he is such a divisive figure that I’m actually glad he wasn’t there to spoil the joy and dignity of the day.

   Posted: 14 02 2008 - 19:17 | Permanent link to this comment

2. Jonathan writes:

   I was somewhat bemused by the apology for the “stolen generation” when previous aboriginal generations have suffered much worse. Displacement from land, “boundary street”, discrimination, being rounded up and shipped off the best bits of the country, not being able to vote, woomeras v firearm battles etc. I thought we had a lot more to apologise for than some very-mixed-motive and poorly conceived attempts at “child protection” work.

   However what I have realised this week is that although in my (however blighted by conservatism) opinion the Aboriginal race has suffered far worse, it is the separation from families that has really caused emotional pain, and is forefront in the minds of many. I’m glad the apology mentioned more than just the separations. I find it fascinating that it seemed to bring matters to prominence in the order of felt pain, rather than actual injustice (at least in my perception). I resisted the temptation some parents feel when extracting an apology from a recalcitrant child to get them to express exactly what they were sorry for, and why. But that has left some uncertainty in the air, and I wonder how that will play out in the ensuing years. I’m not sure the romantic feelings will keep us going through the hazey and uncertain nature of this apology.

   Posted: 15 02 2008 - 21:00 | Permanent link to this comment

3. Lisa writes:

   In response to Jonathan, maybe the stolen generations became such an issue over the past decade because John Howard and his government made such a big issue of family and family values. These are two quotations from one of his speeches:

   “Ours is a nation in which the family unit is the cornerstone of our lives and where it is the family’s responsibility to raise children to be strong, responsible and independent individuals.”

   “In 1995 I spoke to your Congress of how the family was the foundation of and most stabilizing influence in our Australian society. It is as true today as it has ever been. I passionately believe that the family is and always will be the best welfare system ever devised.” (Speech to ACOSS on 5 November 1998)

   The remainder of that speech is also full of references to family: family farm, family business, family-friendly policies, family benefits. In other speeches he makes a big deal about his values being the ones that he learned growing up in his family.

   When family is constantly being raised by politicians and media as so important, is it any wonder that you feel the separation from your own family all the more. It doesn’t matter that an individual’s family may have been disfunctional, that just highlights the disjunction between their situation and the ‘happy families’ scenario being touted. It doesn’t lessen the prominence of family, just adds a double hurt.

   Posted: 19 02 2008 - 09:31 | Permanent link to this comment

4. best memes ever writes:

   Politics can be done right. But it always seems to fail, I wish they would do their jobs better and respect us people.

   Posted: 19 04 2011 - 16:21 | Permanent link to this comment