Black Aborigines Get Apology From White Australian Leader

Its important that we deal with facts and not emotion, when we talk about the global pattern of racism. The long held belief by some whites that they are inherently superior because of their race. The systematic use of governmental laws to uphold this belief  and perpetuate hate and inflict pain on a generation of people. There are stricking similarities between slavery in the US and todays demand by some Blacks for reparation and the  attempted genocide of the Aborigines by white Australia, with the blessing of this countries laws. The Aborigines too, are demanding reparation. In both cases the US and Australian governments have been slow to admit guilt , let alone seriously address the reparation debate.

Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, today made a comprehensive and moving apology to the Stolen Generations, the ten of thousands of indigenous children who were removed and sometimes forcibly, from their families in a forced apolicy of assimilation that only ended in the 1970's. In some states, it was part of a policy to "breed the color out" in the words of Cecil Cook, who held the title of Chief Protector of the Northern Territory in the 1930's. "We apologize especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their community and their country," Mr. Rudd said, as hundreds of members of the Stolen Generations listened, some with tears in their eyes. To the mothers and fathers, the brothers and sisters, for breaking up families and communities, "We say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture we are sorry."

Although the Aborigines are asking the Austrailian government to back up their apology with reparation, this demand is being ignored. Many indigenous Austrailians live on the margins of society. Aboriginal life expectency is 17 years shorter than for the average Austrailian, indigenous unemployment runs three times the rate of the country as a whole and the incidence of crime and alcoholism is significantly higher in indigenous communities.