07-31-2011, 11:02 AM
It's the same one, Billy, I'm still working on it. These poems are variations on a theme, I suppose.
There has been much debate in recent years as to whether the Australian government owed apology to the Aboriginals for what's known as the "stolen generation" -- ie rehoming Aboriginal children with white families to aid "assimilation". Misguided at best, reprehensible at worst (an official apology was issued in 2008) -- but some take it even further and insist that we, descendents of convicts or other European settlers, should return the land to the traditional owners. This to me presumes that because of the colour of our skin, we can feel no deep connection with the land nor be subject to the power of the Dreaming. I can only submit that this is the only home I've known; I belong to the land and while I feel regret for the suffering of the Aboriginal people, my own ancestors weren't exactly free of suffering themselves. I don't believe it's a matter of forcing people to take blame for the past, but I will happily take responsibility for the future.
There has been much debate in recent years as to whether the Australian government owed apology to the Aboriginals for what's known as the "stolen generation" -- ie rehoming Aboriginal children with white families to aid "assimilation". Misguided at best, reprehensible at worst (an official apology was issued in 2008) -- but some take it even further and insist that we, descendents of convicts or other European settlers, should return the land to the traditional owners. This to me presumes that because of the colour of our skin, we can feel no deep connection with the land nor be subject to the power of the Dreaming. I can only submit that this is the only home I've known; I belong to the land and while I feel regret for the suffering of the Aboriginal people, my own ancestors weren't exactly free of suffering themselves. I don't believe it's a matter of forcing people to take blame for the past, but I will happily take responsibility for the future.
It could be worse