Australian news and politics.

[Robbos]

I would have thought , and I can't speak for New Zealanders(happy to be told Im wrong) but maybe the Haka is a heritage expression of the WHOLE of New Zealand. It is a fierce warrior expression of defiance. An NZ vs the World sort of thing that would resonate with all of the New Zealanders no matter where their parents are born or what their ethnicity is. You see NZ schoolboys, whiter than vanilla ice cream doing it, or Asian kids or whatever. Sure it is in the Maori language but it is an example of indigenous culture mixing with all the other cultures to create a unified front.

The WTC is explicitly a particular tribe of indigenous people welcoming everyone else onto "their land". Sure its done in fellowship but if you cannot see how this excludes EVERY other Australian (yes even you) that isnt part of that "mob" then either you don't want to see it or you dont care. Will my kids be able to host a "welcome to country", will yours? Why not?

Anyway, the people who booed at the shrine are the bigger arseholes in my view.. No class, no respect.

No my & your kids will not host a "welcome to country', they are not Aboriginal with ancestral ties to the place where the welcome takes place. I personally don't understand the problem.This is a recognition of the local traditional owners of this country.
This is part of the reconciliation act by our government to the traditional owners.
To understand the issues the traditional owners of this country faces, is that someone as intelligent as you do not recognise or have any pride of the history of Australia prior to European settlement & you are not on your pat Malone.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

No my & your kids will not host a "welcome to country', they are not Aboriginal with ancestral ties to the place where the welcome takes place. I personally don't understand the problem.This is a recognition of the local traditional owners of this country.
This is part of the reconciliation act by our government to the traditional owners.
To understand the issues the traditional owners of this country faces, is that someone as intelligent as you do not recognise or have any pride of the history of Australia prior to European settlement & you are not on your pat Malone.

I appreciate the compliment mate and I hold you in equal respect but I think (as we do quite often) we are discussing two different points.

I understand the reconciliation attempt and applaud it, just as I understand the injustice the aboriginals faced and still face to this day. I sympathise but struggle to empathise sometimes I must admit, but what I can't share is a pride in a history I and people like myself are specifically excluded from. Especially by ceremonies like this. It isn't MY history and instead of trying to include Europeans like the Maori have done in your Haka example, the WTC is NOT for the whittles or the Asians or the Lebs.. sorry mate thats not my Australia.

Anyway we wont see eye to eye, I agree with many that the Anzac Day Dawn service should be something that unites the nation in common respect of the sacrifice ALL Australians have taken in war to create and protect our glorious nation , even though many of us were once enemies on the battle field. The day is about honour, reflection and national pride and should NOT be hijacked but reconciliation to a small segment of our population it should be for ALL of us... I also agree that those who booed it show the MOST disrespect on what is supposed to be a solemn occasion.