Disrespectful Is Not Clever
Last week Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu announced that the former Labor government's policy of acknowledging traditional Aboriginal land ownership at public events would be dropped. Acknowledging traditional owners is no longer official protocol, though it is still optional.
This news is so disappointing. What harm can it possibly do, to give a brief nod to the people who have lived in our country and been its guardians for so many thousands of years, before the rest of us arrived? It's only words, just a moment of respect and remembrance. And if it makes some people feel uncomfortable for a couple of minutes, well, maybe that's not such a bad thing. We ought to pause, just occasionally, and think about our history; think about the way this land used to be; think about the people lived here, and still do.
To say something is "politically correct" is not an argument. It's a pathetic excuse for not thinking hard enough.
Agree. Totally. Perhaps we should also abandon the minute's silence on ANZAC day for being tokenistic then? The Advance Australia Fair that school children all around Australia mumble and mouth each morning? One step forward, two steps back. Sigh..
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