I'm impressed by the caliber of posts in this thread, as I believe most others are/will be
Quote:Australian Aboriginals create most of their own problems.
They bask in the attention and excessive benifits they demand.
To be a truely non racist country...ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE TREATED THE SAME.
No additional benefits because you are an aboriginal
No land rights
No free schooling
No special treatment
ONE RULE FOR ALL
I'm confident the vast majority would agree with the above quote
If only it were that simple
Imagine how much Australians generally would benefit it the financial and other burdens for Aborigines were lifted from us
Years ago, in Queensland, I discovered our neighbor to be part-Aborigine. She was an older woman. We got along well. It was when the Qld. govt. introduced a new, punitive exam to be undertaken by Grade 12 students who'd already passed their exams. The govt. wanted to free up uni places for overseas students. The new 'extra' exam was, quite simply, to knock Qld. students out. Friends down the road were both teachers, old-school. They had three daughters, one of whom had been required to sit the 'new' knockout exam. Both her parents, teachers, stated to me and others that had they been required to sit that 'new' knockout exam, they would have failed it. It was a bas tard move by the Qld. govt., in the opinion of most. Underhanded, badly executed. And the grief it caused students and families was immense, especially for those students who'd undergone twelve years of study, had done everything asked of them all the way through, only to see their goals and future careers tossed into the dirt -- in the name of profit, money, the lucrative overseas student market
My Aborigine neighbor knew what it had done to innumerable students and their families and one day, over the fence, told me that Aborigines, part-Aborigines and those with a miniscule Aborigine component, would never have to go through what tens of thousands of Qld. Grade 12 students were currently suffering
She pointed to a presumably Aboriginal kid with a rat's tail who was racing around on a mini-bike. She said it was her grandson and told me she had high hopes for him. If he gets to Grade 10, she said, the Qld. govt. will 'give' him a place at university. To help him to get to Grade 10, he will have tutors and the tutors will sit next to him, and basically sit exams for him. Further, the exam an Aborigine child is required to sit would be dumbed-down
She said that this would continue all through the Aborigine student's tertiary studies, i.e., all school expenses paid for the State. All accommodation paid by the State. Tutors paid by the State. Special curriculum, a dumbed-down version, set by the State. Spending money provided by the State. Jobs set aside for the Aborigine after he and his tutor have passed the special, 'easier' exams
I told her I hadn't known any of that
She then told me about her son. He was a much lighter shade than many of her other children. He'd been encouraged by well-intentioned govt. persons to apply for a job with Qld. police. He was a good-looking lad. She laughed as she told me that she never had to worry about her policeman son. She said that wherever he went during his police duties, there were two Aussie police with him, making sure nothing happened to him
In the papers about five years ago, there was a photo of her son. He'd been promoted and at the time held a very senior role within Qld. police, although it was only in 'acting' capacity. I'm sure he's risen up the ranks and has been provided every assistance throughout, with the sort of 'assistance' provided Aborigine students, i.e. tutors, exams especially tailored for his Aboriginality. In the process, how many independently capable, unassisted Aussie cops have been passed-over?
My Aboriginal neighbor was fuming. She said she'd just returned from the upmarket apartment where one of her daughters lived. My neighbor said she went there by bus a couple of times a week to clean the place, which she described as ' a tip '. She went on to say that the apartment in an expensive area surrounded on both sides by water and views, was 'provided' her daughter by the Qld. govt. In other words, we rate-paying, tax-paying people in far less attractive regions, were paying the considerable rent for that apartment
My neighbor said her daughter had been 'given' a boutique which specialized in Aboriginal artifacts in again, a very upmarket riverside shopping centre. Her daughter was supposed to manage that business, but as the mother explained, buyers arranged the stock, accountants did the books, the sales-people were Aussies. She said her daughter did basically nothing apart from play at ' Lady Muck'. The boutique was not required to turn a profit. No pressure. Just an Aborigine playing the role of 'businesswoman'
My neighbor said that same daughter had just flown to the United States for a seminar at which Native Americans and other indigenous would be present. All expenses paid: nice hotels, travel costs to and from the US and within the US and possibly Canada, I can't remember
My neighbor said frankly that the seminar was basically a paid holiday. There were no expectations of her daughter whilst there -- just have fun. She said her daughter and the Native American contingent generally held talks and whined about being oppressed by white people
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