Re: Rudd to say Sorry on February 12
Oh shit! You mean the f*in blacks might get money?! And dignity?!!
Please, get out of the panic room. Rudd will apologise on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for mistreatment during the era of the 'Protection Policies', from roughly 1866 - 1960's.
It is, as Rudd said in the earlier quote from Sunrise, a symbolic and well-overdue apology. It is about generating respect, and an acknowledgement that many of today's problems can be sourced back to horrific abuse generations ago. It will not result in widespread lawsuits or anybody stealing your backyard, as there is no possible ground upon which one can claim compensation on behalf of those now deceased.
In reality, those directly affected by the Protection policies (i.e were actually put in a mission of foster home in the 50's or 60's) probably should recieve compensation. But I can't imagine this ever happening - it'd take years and years of action in the High Court that no Aboriginal group can afford, and have little chance of suceeding. Without the help of Justice Michael Kirby, maybe.
Why shouldn't the Australian Government apologise? What harm can simply saying sorry do? Aboriginal people are people, not the monsters so many here seem to believe them to be. Land on a freehold title cannot be claimed in any circumstances; Mabo, the Native Title Act, Wik and the Ten-Point Plan all made that clear. Compensation cannot be paid to the descendants of others; if my Grandfather had've been run over by a bus in the 70's, I couldn't sue State Transit for it tomorrow.
Put away the pitchforks, take off the robe and hood, and get back to reality.
