australia day (written: 2004)
This is the day that Cook landed at Botany Bay in Sydney, and was essentially the beginning of Australian society as we know it. It's a nationalistic day of celebration of Australian acheivements and ideals.
Somehow, it's a little hard for me to commemmorate the day a bunch of people landed over here and then proceeded to commit genocide on the indigenous habitants and attempt to destroy a culture.
You know, I don't fight for many causes anymore. There's been a lot of disillusionment. But to see the aftermath of a destruction of a race is something that deserves to be noticed. Children were stolen from their parents and relocated in an attempt to assimilate them into anglo culture and prescribe them to the Christian faith, which is the dominant religion in Australia.
The Aboriginal community was effectively denied a voice for a long time, not even achieving the vote until the 1960s. This was a time of revelation. The first Aboriginal plays were produced and performed, the very first being Jack Davis' No Sugar. This very simple narrative play laid out the typical lives of the Aboriginal people - now reduced to the loweset socioeconomic group in the country. This brought about a blessed awareness, and some of the stigma was revealed.
However, they're still seen as second-class citizens. I come from a town that lies on what was once tribal area, and we have a large Aboriginal population. You know what sickens me? When I'm away at uni, people say to me (usually older men), when they find out where I'm from, "Do they still have a problem with them blacks* over there?" It's this discourse in society that really angers me.
There are seven stages of Aboriginal History. The seventh is 'Reconciliation'. This hasn't been fully reached yet, but it has begun. This is about making amends for the past. For egalitarianism. I long to see this reached, but you know what? Our 'venerable' PM, John Howard, has flat-out refused to apologise on behalf of the nation for the horriffic events in the past - notably, the Stolen Generation (some who have never found their real names or families) - because he doesn't feel he should apologise for something of which he "is not personally responsible". Bah.
Is it no wonder that to some in the Aboriginal Community, today, Januarary 26, is known as "Survival", marking the survival of a minority race despite constant oppression.
And today marks the handing out of the prestigious Australian of the Year awards, the biggest honour in Australian citizenship. And who won, for 2004? Who is our wonderful Australian?
Steve Waugh, professional cricketer.
I'm not Anti-Australia, don't get me wrong. Although, I'm not this country's biggest fan. I resent the actions of our current government and Prime Minister's actions this year. I regret that my vote in the federal election will be thrown away. I fear once I leave this country, my return will only be brief.
But there is good here. Education is good (despite Howard's claims that public edication here is too "PC and values-neutral"), volunteer services are strong, and while the budget is shaky, there's hope. I still have respect for this nation, the only country I've known, though it may not seem so.
*Or, insert whichever derogatory term you like.