National Sorry Day ?

[AC]

Anyone know anything about this ?

What are we sorry for ? :

[Gunns]

I am sorry for all the people I had to kill cos they really p!ssed me off

[Walkinshaw]

Should be called national PR/Saving Face Day.

Get over it.

[XRchic]

Originally Posted by Walkinshaw

Should be called national PR/Saving Face Day.

Get over it.

Yep, I agree. Its just more PC stuff really....

[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by 2ndOwner

Anyone know anything about this ?

What are we sorry for ? :

"SORRY DAY 2006

National Sorry Day is the annual commemoration of the tens of thousands of Indigenous people who were forcibly removed from their families as children.

Sorry Day is a day to learn about the aspects of our history which non-Indigenous Australians tend to forget, but Indigenous people remember – the destruction of Indigenous culture through massacre, disease, neglect, and the removal of children.
A day to search together for ways to overcome the continuing impact of this history. A day to recognise the extent of discrimination towards Indigenous Australians today, and discover how to work for a fair go.

The removal policies lie at the heart of the broken relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. If we seriously attempt to heal the wounds resulting from those policies, that could start to transform the whole relationship.

It is a day to challenge our Governments, Federal and State. It is shameful that Indigenous Australians die 20 years younger than the wider population when our medical authorities all agree that dramatic improvements are well within our capacity.
It is shameful that so few of the recommendations of the Bringing Them Home report are yet to be implemented – including a Federal apology.

It is a day for each of us to commit ourselves to enabling Indigenous Australia to flourish. We can all help bridge the gulf of misunderstanding and mistrust. It may be through: getting to know a neighbour, or through confronting racism in our workplace, or through organising a Sorry Day event, or by participating in a Sorry Day event.

We live on a fragile continent, and are steadily destroying our habitat. Indigenous people have a vital role in ensuring that Australia remains a viable home for us all. They cannot play that role while coping with tragic health and social conditions. This situation need not continue. Countries such as Canada, New Zealand and the United States are making impressive progress in many areas of Indigenous well-being.

We can do the same, if we make it a national priority. When the Indigenous community is respected and valued by all, we will see its unique contribution to our national life – and every Australian will realise how much we owe to this heritage.

That is the purpose of Sorry Day."

Quote from
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~rez/Journey/

[Pedro]

I for one am sick to death of the aboriginal INDUSTRY continually damning the non aboriginal population of Australia over what's happened in the past. Get over it!!!! We are not responsible for what our forefathers did.

My father was killed by Japanese soldiers in New Guinea but I don't blame today's Japanese for what happened then, nor should I.

Should the Poms ask Norway for an apology for the Vickings raping and pillaging ... it's got about as much relevance.

[b2tf]

this thread won't last long.

and for the record, im not sorry - i havent done anything wrong!

[Dazza XLT]

I did nothing to them, So therefore I will not apologise!

[XAGSV8]

Sad thing what happened to them but I will not say sorry for something I had nothing to do with. It is racist to expect anybody who is white to say sorry for what happened many years ago.

Originally Posted by b2tf

this thread won't last long.

Agreed.

[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by Pedro

My father was killed by Japanese soldiers in New Guinea but I don't blame today's Japanese for what happened then, nor should I.

I never met my grandfather for a similar reason Pedro, and like you I don't hold today's Japanese responsible for what happened.
Interestingly the RSL still lobbies the Australian government, to demand an apology from todays Japanese government, for what was done to Australian POW's in WW2. Far be it for you or I to tell returned servicemen they "Get over it!!!"
I believe one or two Chinese people still have an axe to grind also, some people!

Originally Posted by Pedro

Should the Poms ask Norway for an apology for the Vickings raping and pillaging ... it's got about as much relevance.

Seem's the Poms did alright out of the "culture mixing". If government reports directly linked large problems in the UK society today, with what the Vikings had done may be there would be a case to answer.

[NAK302]

I think Pedro sums it up nicely :

[LTDHO]

We're to say sorry today for something that was done many years ago and has been forgotten by most.
Which is sad really, why can't people forgive and forget?

[Bluefreak]

I'm not saying sorry for something I had NO hand in and NO control over... Sorry, but I'm not sorry...

[Hardtopxb]

Originally Posted by Pedro

I for one am sick to death of the aboriginal INDUSTRY continually damning the non aboriginal population of Australia over what's happened in the past. Get over it!!!! We are not responsible for what our forefathers did.

My father was killed by Japanese soldiers in New Guinea but I don't blame today's Japanese for what happened then, nor should I.

Should the Poms ask Norway for an apology for the Vickings raping and pillaging ... it's got about as much relevance.

Spot on. I'm sick and tired of bieng blamed for something that occurred 212 years ago.. Even up to this day we are bieng blamed for the plight of the aborigines..Not me...Get over it ...

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Work Horse

I never met my grandfather for a similar reason Pedro, and like you I don't hold today's Japanese responsible for what happened.
Interestingly the RSL still lobbies the Australian government, to demand an apology from todays Japanese government, for what was done to Australian POW's in WW2. Far be it for you or I to tell returned servicemen they "Get over it!!!"
I believe one or two Chinese people still have an axe to grind also, some people!
Seem's the Poms did alright out of the "culture mixing". If government reports directly linked large problems in the UK society today, with what the Vikings had done may be there would be a case to answer.

This is not the place to get into a debate about this subject. I posted my opinion and that's that.
Get over it.

[Work Horse]

Would people be happier if it was called National empathy day?

"Empathy; the power of imaginatively entering into and understanding another person's feelings."

I have never done anything to an aboriginal either. So me saying "sorry" is meaningless. I have no guilt, and I don't believe anyone is trying to make me feel guilty.

I am sorry for "the tens of thousands of Indigenous people who were forcibly removed from their families as children."

The fact that I had nothing to do with it does not change how sorry I am it happened. No matter how well meaning the authorities were at the time.

I'm sorry for Aussie WW2 POW's suffering
I'm sorry for Jews suffering during the holocaust
I'm sorry the people of Ingleton are still suffering in the aftermath of the hurricane
Etc, etc, etc

No matter what I think of Indigenous people, sh1tty things have happened to them. If there was a tad more empathy may be;
"When the Indigenous community is respected and valued by all, we will see its unique contribution to our national life – and every Australian will realise how much we owe to this heritage."

Less than 2% of Australias population is indigenous, yet make up 80% of NT's prison population.

Less than 2% of Australias population is indigenous, yet make up over 10% of the AFL player list.

[4.9 EF Futura]

Originally Posted by Work Horse

Would people be happier if it was called National empathy day?

"Empathy; the power of imaginatively entering into and understanding another person's feelings."

Lol. Nice.

I was thinking that National Lip Service Day had a nice ring to it?? We could also address a few other things which, whilst no one sincerely feels apologetic towards, certain sections of the community like to make us feel bad or suggest that we have some sort of obligation to uphold.

Although it's not entirely a bad idea, i dont think a national day of sorry is going to accomplish much? I mean - maybe we can have some T-shirts made up? And little paper flags. Yes - i'm sure a commemorative 50c coin will achieve a lot.

I'm all for moving forward on the issue. I dont see that we need to apologise for previous generations but surely its our responsibility to attempt to address some of the more contemporary issues. It's going to take a lot more than a publicity campaign for a national sorry day tho.

[willo1]

This topic came up in my English class a short while back. The Indiginous people continue to go on about how the Australian people should say sorry to them.. As Hardtopxb said, it happened 212 years ago! I dont see the Jewish people demanding an apology from the Germans for what happened to them only 80 years ago. And what happened to the Jews was 20 times worse than what happened to the Aborigonals. They wern't gassed, tortured or humiliated. They were taken from their families and given a better life. Although still a thing none of us would like to happen to us, the Jewish people went through a lot more pain and heartache, and much more recently.

And no I am not Jewish.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by b2tf

this thread won't last long.

and for the record, im not sorry - i havent done anything wrong!

correct on both counts.