Karen, you inadvertantly hit the nail on the head when you said there is one
law for them and one for us,I imagine you probably get the "special
treatment " cliche, arse-about as well. I too have worked on Aboriginal
communities in the territory (please don't offer your snide congratulations,
as they only reveal your ignorance.) "homesick ! So what.-- what an
unfortunate bit of vitriol from someone who is obviously oblivious to a
deeper understanding of this boys experience of loss( for eg:culture, hope,
economy, freedom. Any comparisons made between yourself and Howard, hold
credence for me I'm afraid ; get some life experience or at least some
education in cultural understanding. Your insensitivity is offensive but
hardly surprising. Just to offer some explanation for the attacking tenor
of my argument . I have lived in the N.T for a number of years, I worked
with many men on offshore oil rigs who spoke of Aboriginal Australia with
nothing but disgust, who regaled the changerooms with stories of bashings
and sexual assaults they had visited on any "blacks" they might encounter. I
could go on with many shocking stories , I only hope to make clear to you
that the boy died because he was black, he would not have been jailed if
white, his life chances were severely limited because of white Australia's
racism, I realise this may upset you, but ignorance needs upsetting and
Karen you have a lot to learn, Dave Sjoberg [08] 82962401-----Original
Message-----
From: Karen Crook <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Sunday, 27 February 2000 2:32
Subject: RE: [recoznet2] Australia not breaching international treaties - PM
>I will not apologise for my thoughts because as it is obvious, everyone has
>different opinions and different encounters. You know nothing about me.
>Congratulations for having worked in the NT.
>
>"Homesick! So what. Well for anybody who has had contact with these people
>knows that what we glibly call home sickness can kill them. Why did
>mandatory sentencing kill this boy - well he should not have been there in
>the first place. And that it is not racist?"
>
>No, I still don't see how it is racist! Nobody has actually proven to me
yet
>how this situation is actually a racist situation yet people are declaring
>it as one. As for being homeseick, how do you explain the white people
>killing themselves - or are they not affected by homesickness? You cannot
>just say Aboriginal people kill themselves just because they are homesick.
>Teenage suicide effects everybody and it usually stems from a combination
of
>many factors, not just one.
>
>You say he should not have been there in the first place!! Why? He
committed
>an offence and was served his punishment. It was his choice to take his own
>life. Nobody elses but his own. Again, the blame is being layed on
>someone/thing else. Why am I not surprised?
>
>"Well I still have friends and relatives in the Territory and they are
>telling me what I have long suspected, that white people who the same
crimes
>as these Aboriginal Peoples
>are not being reported because they could go to jail."
>
>So why aren't you friends and family reporting the people, if they seem to
>know something about these events? Who is not reporting them, as you say???
>Who is at fault? This does not make sense at all.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Ian Henderson
>Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2000 2:00 PM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [recoznet2] Australia not breaching international treaties
>- PM
>
>
>Karen,
>
>Obviously you have very little knowledge of Aboriginal culture. Most of my
>sixteen years in Darwin and the Northern Territory was spent living and
>working with these people. Toward the end of my stay I helped at a drop in
>centre. One evening there was a kafuffle concerning four Aboriginal boys
>from the remand centre; they were coming to visit. There were all sorts of
>requirements for: if they became violent or tried to escape. When they came
>in they were very reticent and I said to them, "Where do you mob come
from."
>One said Port Keats, another Remangining, another Umbakumba, and the last
>from Milingimbi. As I had lived in each all of these communities I began to
>speak about each in turn and their families. Their faces lit up for they
>were homesick. Three hours later four very animated Aboriginal boys left
>with smiles on their faces. Afterwards during the debriefing I was asked
>what magic I used. I replied that I just took a knowing interest in their
>country. This story was repeated many times after that event.
>
>Homesick! So what. Well for anybody who has had contact with these people
>knows that what we glibly call home sickness can kill them. Why did
>mandatory sentencing kill this boy - well he should not have been there in
>the first place. And that it is not racist? Well I still have friends and
>relatives in the Territory and they are telling me what I have long
>suspected, that white people who the same crimes as these Aboriginal
Peoples
>are not being reported because they could go to jail.
>
>Before you start sounding off and making crass generalisations like you
have
>might I suggest you go to the Territory and spend some time, like a couple
>of years, living with these People and then see how you feel about
mandatory
>sentencing.
>
>________________________________________________
>Ian Henderson Murdoch University
>24 Harfleur Place Murdoch 6150
>Hamilton Hill Tel: 61 8 94183972
>Western Australia 6163 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>'Freedom is having nothing left to fear.'
>_________________________________________________
>
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