Take the Blame

A stonkingly good letter on The Age site in repsonse to the series on Alice Springs.  Love the analysis in this one, onya John!

How could any responsible government expect indigenous people, with no wealth, poor education and no job prospects, which in any society leads to high levels of violence and crime, to create anything less than a ghetto? Pointing the finger at indigenous groups for facilitating this situation is outrageous.

Australia was founded on the back of colonial conquest. People living here were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands, which supported them with food and water, into areas that can't support communities. These nations were evicted, killed and forced into labour; assimilation was used as an excuse to separate families.

These people have had their cultures ripped apart and their families decimated. They are fighting for survival. On the other side, Australia has extracted billions of dollars from these lands. The pitiful handouts given to indigenous survivors are wrapped around oppressive bureaucracies where white Australians make a living from their misery.

It is now up to this and following governments to stand up and show the world exactly where they stand politically and what manner of people we stand for as a culture. Fundamental to moving forwards is the urgent need for a treaty with the indigenous people.
John Davis, Melbourne