Originally Posted by whoever

Honestly, it's such a difficult situation. We can say to them ' look forget your past, and your traditions, and values, and here live in this nice big house, buy this nice car, go to uni and get a good job'. But, believe it or not... many do not want this.

At my school they DID try to do this, I went to a private school and Aboriginal kids went their to learn ENGLISH for free, they lived at the school as well. However... lo and behold, they didn't want to go to class, they preferred catching frill neck lizards in the playground and frying them up on a makeshift fire. And to be honest, most teacher's didn't want to push them to class like they did with the white kids, because it is such a sensitive issue.

They way they are brought up is so different, if you take an Aboriginal studies class or something you will see what I mean. Their culture is that all people are automatically an individual who can make their own choices. Regardless of age, many parents will NOT tell their kids what to do. Instead of psychical space they believe in mental space, which gives reason to why 20 extended family members live in one house, and also why young kids are allowed to play outside until late at night.

Given this, you cannot force these kids to go to school and learn white people's values. It is insulting to them to take instructions from some stupid white woman or a white government. At the end of the day Aboriginal people and leaders need to help themselves because we as white people literally cannot understand all their traditions and we cannot speak for them. They need to create law and order and societies based on their own culture and they need leaders who are Aboriginal so people will listen and respect them.

I don't mean to be harsh, but living in England where it's all about class and pretending to be posh when your not, poms really have no idea who Aboriginal people are and how to help them.

Originally Posted by soapy

hey mackinnon, thats u telt :p :D

Originally Posted by mackinnon

Yeah, telt by someone who says I haven't stepped out of Perth, pity they didn't read my location under my avatar. :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by whoever

I think Poms who obviously have NO IDEA about the Aboriginal people and their culture are EXTREMELY unequipped in answering any questions regarding Aboriginals, Australia's opinions, and efforts to help their situation.

I suggest poms go and check out places like Darwin or maybe Nhulumbuy before you sit here and decide what Australians are doing.

As for the comment we ' really' tried... again, really... give up mate. Get out there and see what's really going on before you decide that it's easy to solve the problems Aboriginal people face. If it were up to the English the Aboriginals would have been forced to join in Australian society and leave their traditions behind.

Your comments only prove that you are an ignorant pom who has not stepped outside Perth.

Originally Posted by mackinnon

First point, xxxxxxx. I'm in Melbourne.

Second point. I'm Scottish, not a Pom, I believe the term you may be trying to say is English? In which case you'd be wrong again. You're probably used to being wrong by now?

Third point. If I want to offer my two cents to any post on this forum I will.

Fourth point. I have been around enough of Australia to see drunken Aborigines, be racially abused by one in Cairns, and to have heard some white Australians disgraceful attitudes towards them. So don't tell me I shouldn't comment on this subject.

Fifth point. My Australian wife thinks you're a xxxxxxx as well.

Originally Posted by mackinnon

Fifth point. My Australian wife thinks you're a xxxxxxx as well.

Originally Posted by annqldau

As someone who lived an hour from the Scottish border, have to agree with Mackinnon that there is a border and despite having invented Tony Blair and Ian Brown to torture the English, once they are born across said border they are Scottish not English. Clue is in his name... it alludes to the fact that Mackinnon has different blood, traditions and ways to the Pom's (like wearing tartan and kilts) and as such this probably gives him a different and possibly more empathetic view of their needs, him being from a minority himself.

Originally Posted by annqldau

As someone who lived an hour from the Scottish border, have to agree with Mackinnon that there is a border and despite having invented Tony Blair and Ian Brown to torture the English,

Originally Posted by Gibbo

It is shocking that anyone ,regardless of their ethinticity, is that a word, should be living in these conditions, but I question your use of the word "exploited".

Originally Posted by The Bloke

eg emu farming.

Originally Posted by seang

And therein lies the problem. Emu's couldnt drive a tractor or milk cows. god how silly

Originally Posted by The Bloke

Can you?
At least they are trying different types of farming since the traditional farm in Australia maybe be a thing of the past very shortly.