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Makedde · #26 (**permalink**) 04-30-2008, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

What I'd like to know, is why they are NOT entitled to compensation?

Because I don't feel our current Government should have to admit responsibility for something that a past Government was responsible for. Offering compensation is basically admitting fault on our behalf, when our Government had nothing to do with the decisions that were made back then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

They didn't. They very specifically apologised on behalf of the government and parliament ONLY. And he covered the `past' issue as well. Some of the members of parliament today were members of parliament when this happened. So it's still a current issue, in that sense.

But should our Government of today have had to apologise on behalf of a past Government? I believe this is the issue that most divided the country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

Not everyone supported the apology, no. But the very vast majority did, and just about all politicians, too, of all political viewpoints.

Hmm, which State are you from, again? Your polls would have been different to the ones shown here, I'd imagine. If I remember correctly, the polls varied day to day, but they seemed to be split down the middle. Not sure about the national polls, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

Perhaps nothing will. Which is why you were wrong to state that it was `always about money' and that the first thing the Aboriginals did was turn around and demand money.

I will admit I was wrong in saying that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

I don't disagree with this - and it was something that was acknowledged during the apology.

Fair enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

Yes. It was written in the legislature, and quoted by Kevin Rudd during his speech.

Fair enough again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

What made you change your mind?

I thought about it. I didn't know everything at first, I had supported an apology because I just knew that these people claimed to have been treated unfairly, and I thought they should be compensated for that. Then I began thinking, and reading and hearing what people thought, and many people seemed to think that the Government should not apologise for something a previous Government was responsible for. I could see the logic in that, so I started to sway in my views.
I then started wondering if all Aboriginals claiming to be part of the 'Stolen Generation' were actually part of it all. I began hearing about Aboriginal children taken away for good reasons, like the reasons I have already stated, and I thought those children could not possibly claim to have been 'stolen'.

I ended up seeing both sides, but I felt stronger about not apologising.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

For what reasons?

Honestly, I am not sure. Obviously, that isn't a good enough excuse, but then, the people who also doubt the existance of the SG don't really have good reason to, eithor. They just do.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that what happened to those people wasn't wrong, and unfair, because if that happened to me, I'd be pretty angry and upset, too. I just dislike calling this time in history a 'Stolen Generation'. Surely there is another name for it?

I don't know if we have evidence to prove that every Aboriginal claiming to be a victim of the SG is actually a victim, but if there is evidence to prove this, that is all well and good, and I will acknowledge that these people were unfairly removed from their homes, but I draw the line at compensation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chesby05

Well, not according to Mercedes Corby.

She's a very strange woman, that one...