Sorry

Maybe it is because I listen to the ABC more than anything else but it seems that the media community is writhing in collective exstacy at the prospect of our recently elected Prime Minister offering a formal apology to the so called 'stolen generation'.

For those not familiar with Australian politics, I should explain what 'stolen generation' refers to. Up until fairly recently (the 1950s I think), some government agencies removed some aboriginal children from their aboriginal families and placed them with caucasian foster families or orphanages to improve their situation. The point that has rankled so many for so long is that at least part of the assumption of the government case workers was that a child would be better off within a caucasion familiy than in an aboriginal family.

If this pressuposition were made on the basis of an opinion that aboriginal people are less human in some way than caucasian families then I would share the outrage at such a shocking thing. I hope, however, that the 'apology' will take into account the possibilitiy that some government workers may have had very good intentions, and even some good reasons, in doing what they did.

If family A comes from an area, community or ethnic origin that has a significantly higher statistical rate of poverty, abuse, substance abuse, early death, lower life expectancy, while Family B is part of groups and communities with significantly more positive results, one would imagine that a responsible decision would consider this factor.

Don't get me wrong, I am NOT suggesting this would be excuse enough to warrant removing a child from their own family. What I am suggesting is that the attitude that all things in aboriginal culture are good by definition is ludicrous and dangerous. As a result of this absurd assumption that we cannot say 'white' society is better in any way than aboriginal society, we have government workers now who are too afraid to remove aboriginal children from situations of extreme risk because they fear the political backlash from political activists and leftist media. Case after case has been reported where a child was not removed from custody and has suffered repeated abuse, assault, rape and neglect while the workers wring their hands on the sidelines.

My sincere hope is that this 'sorry' will pull the sting of the political activists and allow us to get back to treating these families with the same standards of any Australian family, and to get on with working towards solutions to bring results in health, order and happiness of aboriginal communities, for the sake of the children!

I only hope we do something positive with the current mood of reconciliation before opportuinistic lawyers sieze the chance and launch compensation claims against the government. Not that I don't think the government should be held accountable, but because I tink a pack of money grabbers will turn public sentiment away from the plight of the aboriginal communities at a time we most need to support them.