Great work Kathleen and others- but sorry somehow just doesn’t seem enough
shayne2011
“We apologise for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these, our fellow Australians,”
“We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
“For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
“And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.”
Fuckin’ YAAAAAY! Now let’s look at the 3rd world conditions they live in.
shayne2011
oh, and thanks for doing this kathleen, ur a champ…
Thanks Kathleen, for including my “sorry” as it this is something I feel very strongly about, and more importantly thanks for putting all this together, seeing these collected works makes it powerful and gives me hope that we’re ALL of us about to begin on a new road.
you are most welcome John… and please refer also to the comment in reply to shane :-)
shayne2011
Awww, it’s been a long time since i had a tear in my eye, and a long time waiting to hear this speech in parliament this morning, Thank uo Rudd govt. :>)
you guys have so much respect from me… for being here in your passionate capacity… :-)
shayne2011
SMH Reader Poll Kevin Rudd’s ‘sorry’
Rate the apology Excellent – 49%
Good – 23%
Average – 6%
Poor – 2%
Don’t agree with it – 20%
Total Votes: 9474
shayne2011
I can’t remember a day when i was so happy to be Australian, Kathleen.
shayne2011
“These stories cry out to be heard, they cry out for an apology.
“Instead from the nation’s Parliament there has been a stony and stubborn and deafening silence for more than a decade.
“A view that somehow we the Parliament should suspend our most basic instincts of what is right and what is wrong.
“A view that instead we should look for any pretext to push this great wrong to one side.
“To leave it languishing with the historians, the academics and the cultural warriors as if the stolen generations are little more than an interesting sociological phenomenon.
“But the stolen generations are not intellectual curiosities, they are human beings, human beings who have been damaged deeply by the decisions of parliaments and governments.
“But as of today the time for denial, the time for delay, has at last come to an end.”
shayne2011
At Martin Place in Sydney, hundreds of Sydneysiders from all walks of life gathered to watch the Sorry Day celebrations holding Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
Men and women in business suits, schoolchildren and other passers-by of all different backgrounds cried, smiled and stood in respect as they listened to Mr Rudd apologise.
___________
Many thousands more assembled on a lawn in front of Parliament House to watch the apology on a big screen. As Mr Rudd delivered the first of three sorrys, loud applause and cheering rang out.
Aboriginal flags and Australian flags coloured the air and as Mr Rudd closed his address, the crowd rose to their feet in applause. It was a standing ovation. Many were crying, most were smiling and others just quietly said yes.
As Dr Nelson took the microphone, booing was heard. One woman said he shouldn’t have been allowed to speak.
____________
Mr Rudd’s speech was not greeted with unanimous approval, however, with Mr Tuckey telling Sky News shortly before 9am he doubted the speech – which has bipartisan support – would change anything.
“So the Prime Minister reads a speech, apparently some people stand up and sit down and then a miracle happens over night, there’ll be no petrol sniffing … and girls can sleep safely in the family bed at night,” he said.
When asked by Sky News if he supported the apology, a technical error occurred, with Mr Tuckey telling the camera he was unable to hear the question.
my sister lives in Canberra and can’t make it down there…
here are my images of the Tent Embassy which has camped outside old Parliament House in Canberra since the 1970s to raise awareness for indigenous issues…
Today it is covered with people, these photos were taken in 2006…
Imagine your whole society is stolen away to mars. Everything is alien. You are told not to cuddle your children, for them not to embrace family. Family is taken away .Your religion is desecrated, you cannot even pray to God, there is no solace. You cannot escape on any level. Think about it…………………………………………………………
Sorry business; Sorry to our land the church of its natives. May the land rejoice today, from its red centre a whisper of relief? May the trees relax their battle for the soil? May the soil stand firm, proctor of our souls.
I ask you, the people of the never never The ones who know the dreaming The ones who can sing with the land. I ask you to share, To allow us all to live with pride in your culture. Your history is ours and ours yours. Please forgive and give.
The parliamentary speeches on sorry day gave me mixed emotions. I cried and clapped to the bush, the land, to all aboriginals from the past to present. Its not just about the stolen ones, it’s about all of you, the destruction of your culture, your religion, our shame. I felt the speeches still came from a very colonialist view, aimed at you assimilating to us, the same old story. I’ve read extensively on aboriginal history and would recommend the book “Holding Yawuly” by Zohl De Ishtar, Spinifex press. This book gave me an understanding of the benefits of our aboriginal people living their culture. A culture lived not trapped in museums or tourist venues. I got a glimpse of your religion, how wonderful it is. What was written on that piece of paper in the dish given to the Speaker?
It’s about time we finished that revolution that was started in the sixties. A cultural revolution. We the baby boomers and anyone else that wants to join in can leave this space of time that we live in with pride. We can leave our history pages with substance for the future. All of us as a nation.
I believe instead of compensation being given to individuals, it should go to communities and you educating us, teaching us your culture, sharing.
Michelle Pullen
Add your comment
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Juilee Pryor
fanbloodytastic! great stuff looks fabulous! well done for putting in one spot.
kathleen replied
had to be done…
kseriphyn
Brilliant collection to a just cause.
bellebuckley
brillant plain and simple:)
Bianca Beetson
Thanks Kath you really are to deadly
Patricia L. Ba...
Wonderful work, Kathleen. Very sensitive.
cdwork
Great work Kathleen and others- but sorry somehow just doesn’t seem enough
shayne2011
“We apologise for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these, our fellow Australians,”
“We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
“For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
“And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.”
Fuckin’ YAAAAAY! Now let’s look at the 3rd world conditions they live in.
shayne2011
oh, and thanks for doing this kathleen, ur a champ…
John Douglas
Thanks Kathleen, for including my “sorry” as it this is something I feel very strongly about, and more importantly thanks for putting all this together, seeing these collected works makes it powerful and gives me hope that we’re ALL of us about to begin on a new road.
kathleen replied
you are most welcome John… and please refer also to the comment in reply to shane :-)
shayne2011
Awww, it’s been a long time since i had a tear in my eye, and a long time waiting to hear this speech in parliament this morning, Thank uo Rudd govt. :>)
kathleen replied
you guys have so much respect from me… for being here in your passionate capacity… :-)
shayne2011
SMH Reader Poll
Kevin Rudd’s ‘sorry’
Rate the apology
Excellent – 49%
Good – 23%
Average – 6%
Poor – 2%
Don’t agree with it – 20%
Total Votes: 9474
shayne2011
I can’t remember a day when i was so happy to be Australian, Kathleen.
shayne2011
“These stories cry out to be heard, they cry out for an apology.
“Instead from the nation’s Parliament there has been a stony and stubborn and deafening silence for more than a decade.
“A view that somehow we the Parliament should suspend our most basic instincts of what is right and what is wrong.
“A view that instead we should look for any pretext to push this great wrong to one side.
“To leave it languishing with the historians, the academics and the cultural warriors as if the stolen generations are little more than an interesting sociological phenomenon.
“But the stolen generations are not intellectual curiosities, they are human beings, human beings who have been damaged deeply by the decisions of parliaments and governments.
“But as of today the time for denial, the time for delay, has at last come to an end.”
shayne2011
At Martin Place in Sydney, hundreds of Sydneysiders from all walks of life gathered to watch the Sorry Day celebrations holding Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
Men and women in business suits, schoolchildren and other passers-by of all different backgrounds cried, smiled and stood in respect as they listened to Mr Rudd apologise.
___________
Many thousands more assembled on a lawn in front of Parliament House to watch the apology on a big screen. As Mr Rudd delivered the first of three sorrys, loud applause and cheering rang out.
Aboriginal flags and Australian flags coloured the air and as Mr Rudd closed his address, the crowd rose to their feet in applause. It was a standing ovation. Many were crying, most were smiling and others just quietly said yes.
As Dr Nelson took the microphone, booing was heard. One woman said he shouldn’t have been allowed to speak.
____________
Mr Rudd’s speech was not greeted with unanimous approval, however, with Mr Tuckey telling Sky News shortly before 9am he doubted the speech – which has bipartisan support – would change anything.
“So the Prime Minister reads a speech, apparently some people stand up and sit down and then a miracle happens over night, there’ll be no petrol sniffing … and girls can sleep safely in the family bed at night,” he said.
When asked by Sky News if he supported the apology, a technical error occurred, with Mr Tuckey telling the camera he was unable to hear the question.
LOL
kathleen
my sister lives in Canberra and can’t make it down there…
here are my images of the Tent Embassy which has camped outside old Parliament House in Canberra since the 1970s to raise awareness for indigenous issues…
Today it is covered with people, these photos were taken in 2006…
Michelle Pullen
Sorry
Imagine your whole society is stolen away to mars. Everything is alien. You are told not to cuddle your children, for them not to embrace family. Family is taken away .Your religion is desecrated, you cannot even pray to God, there is no solace. You cannot escape on any level. Think about it…………………………………………………………
Sorry business; Sorry to our land the church of its natives.
May the land rejoice today, from its red centre a whisper of relief?
May the trees relax their battle for the soil?
May the soil stand firm, proctor of our souls.
I ask you, the people of the never never
The ones who know the dreaming
The ones who can sing with the land.
I ask you to share,
To allow us all to live with pride in your culture.
Your history is ours and ours yours.
Please forgive and give.
The parliamentary speeches on sorry day gave me mixed emotions. I cried and clapped to the bush, the land, to all aboriginals from the past to present. Its not just about the stolen ones, it’s about all of you, the destruction of your culture, your religion, our shame.
I felt the speeches still came from a very colonialist view, aimed at you assimilating to us, the same old story. I’ve read extensively on aboriginal history and would recommend the book “Holding Yawuly” by Zohl De Ishtar, Spinifex press. This book gave me an understanding of the benefits of our aboriginal people living their culture. A culture lived not trapped in museums or tourist venues. I got a glimpse of your religion, how wonderful it is. What was written on that piece of paper in the dish given to the Speaker?
It’s about time we finished that revolution that was started in the sixties. A cultural revolution. We the baby boomers and anyone else that wants to join in can leave this space of time that we live in with pride. We can leave our history pages with substance for the future. All of us as a nation.
I believe instead of compensation being given to individuals, it should go to communities and you educating us, teaching us your culture, sharing.
Michelle Pullen