"Welcome To Country" Speeches .......... Gone Too Far Now ??

[Freshwater]

But it was all achieved with a significant level of brutality towards Aboriginal Australians which is still not recognised by a lot of us despite the fact that all of us materially benefit from the dispossession every day.

There was brutality towards Aboriginals no doubt about that. As I’ve said many times I’m glad to a knowledge that. But criticism of Cook is just stupid. 99.99% of the wealth was built by hard bloody work. What we have today was the result of all that hard work. The working classes and the convicts need a knowledgment for the stadiums they are watching these games in and roads and rail that delivered them there etc etc. We have all contributed to our culture, the constant disrespect to our ancestors from the British Isles is just as disrespectful as it is to not acknowledge the Aboriginals.

 

[StillAtLarge]

I have no problem with the welcome to country but I'd probably prefer a new national anthem that has at least one verse in a first nations language.
Every time I hear the NZ equivalent I feel equal parts sad and envious that they have a rousing Māori opening that everyone knows the words to.
Our anthem is complete horseshit

 

[Bostonian]

Couldn’t agree less…. You’re making excuses for the English wiping out people because you’ve been put out by an Aboriginal man telling you WTC wasn’t invented for you.

Stop bullshitting everyone.

Well if you disagree then exactly where in history do you think it all started?

I have a feeling you have **** all idea about history so will be good to see why you think it all could have gone a different way.

You do realise the "English" only exist because of multiple invasions of Briton by multiple different culture yes?

You think English is a language that the Britons spoke?

 

[eastfreo75]

We benefit from it, however we still can’t quite get our heads around it to acknowledge it. Or the racists can’t. Was it that offensive what was said in that WTC speech? Are you that offended by it? Again, looking for excuses to derail WTC by thinking it’s ‘divisive’.

It’s really pathetic….

Such a crap stupid argument.

British brought common law which poor people can't access. You get the justice you can afford.

Democratic process where first nations didn't get a vote because they were considered subhuman.

My sister who is has Indian heritage did something with 10 other white kids. The cops confused with being first nations and charged her but not the other 10 white kids. On the court date, they offered Aboriginal legal. My dad who is white said that she wasn't first nations. Guess what? They dropped the charges.

Aboriginals' death in custody NO ONE POLICE OFFICER has been charged.

Great argument, that we brought common law and you should be grateful.

 

[demondavey]

Well if you disagree then exactly where in history do you think it all started?

I have a feeling you have **** all idea about history so will be good to see why you think it all could have gone a different way.

You do realise the "English" only exist because of multiple invasions of Briton by multiple different culture yes?

You think English is a language that the Britons spoke?

You’re doing nothing but make excuses for it. It’s not about understanding history, it’s about understanding tolerance. You’re still offended by being told WTC isn’t for white people.

 

[Cleric]

But it is

It's conquered land, in an era of conquest, just like one Aboriginal tribe would conquer and take over a rivals land and woman.

 

[burge13]

We've reached a new low of stupidity. People judging Cook by todays standards
Good grief, words cannot describe that lunacy

 

[Bostonian]

You’re doing nothing but make excuses for it. It’s not about understanding history, it’s about understanding tolerance. You’re still offended by being told WTC isn’t for white people.

I'm not making any excuses.

Quite the opposite.

I'm saying this kind of shitty tribal behaviour has been going on since the dawn of man.

Nobody is special, nobody was spared this kind of behaviour.

I haven't said I'm offended. That's you making it up.

I just think it's a massive grift.

 

[eastfreo75]

We've reached a new low of stupidity. People judging Cook by todays standards
Good grief, words cannot describe that lunacy

What? murdering and raping wasn't considered wrong in that time.

 

[Cleric]

To even think the welcome to country at a football game is welcoming you to Australia is ridiculous.

Specially when it's been said over and over again.

It was even said in the speech that sparked this thread, let alone the whole current debate.

Wether it's a country, or a capital city it still stands. I was born and bred in Adelaide, and certainly don't need to be welcomed to it at every sporting event I attend. I am just as native to this land as an Aboriginal. Do you say an African immigrant isn't a true Australian and as equal here as I am?
When you do something too often it loses it value, and this is the case here. Do they do the Haka in every game of Rugby in NZ? Or, do they leave it just to international games to where it holds its uniqueness?

If you are claiming the ceremony is a traditional thing, then let's look at what it was.
Traditionally, it was a protocol observed by Indigenous Australian groups to acknowledge and seek permission to enter another group's land. This practice has deep cultural and spiritual significance, recognizing the boundaries and authority of different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups over their territories.

Before entering another group's land, a visitor would be required to wait at the border and only proceed when the hosts performed a formal welcome or gave permission, which could include speeches, songs, dances, or a smoking ceremony.

If it's not being used in its historical way, then it's a modern invention and shouldn't be used as traditional ceremony.

 

[HairyO]

Still seems incredibly self centred. You can’t be grateful for something you had no choice in. I mean if he didn’t come here then we wouldn’t know.

‘Left behind’, sometimes it’s ok not to have everything.

Yeah Cook was a bad man.

Of course, if China or Japan got here first things would have been better.

 

[schneebly111]

Wether it's a country, or a capital city it still stands. I was born and bred in Adelaide, and certainly don't need to be welcomed to it at every sporting event I attend.

What you said there has just been debunked multiple times on this thread. It’s pretty ignorant if you haven’t read through the explanation that has been given multiple times and deliberately ignored by yourself.

I am just as native to this land as an Aboriginal.

We’re talking about a culture, not a people.

When you do something too often it loses it value, and this is the case here. Do they do the Haka in every game of Rugby in NZ? Or, do they leave it just to international games to where it holds its uniqueness?

Firstly Australia does not have a national Australian football team competing against other nations. But the purpose of the Haka as a part of the national team’s culture is different to the purpose of a Welcome to Country.

A WTC is also not performed at every AFL match; just indigenous round and finals. Special occasions, which is where a lot of the “it should only be reserved for special occasions” people say it should be, but even that offends them.

Truth is you just want it totally abolished don’t you?

 

[Chief]

If it's not being used in its historical way, then it's a modern invention and shouldn't be used as traditional ceremony.

Garbage.

 

[eastfreo75]

Yeah Cook was a bad man.

Of course, if China or Japan got here first things would have been better.

The one old argument, you should be glad that you were r*ped because the other group would have gang r*ped you.

 

[Muddiemoose]

Yeah Cook was a bad man.

Of course, if China or Japan got here first things would have been better.

Dutch probably
We would of had some sick windmills

 

[burge13]

What? murdering and raping wasn't considered wrong in that time.

Invading and taking over was kind of par for the course. Every country was invaded at some point in time
Aboriginal tribes didn't commit these crimes? They were living a complete harmonious utopia?

Such revisionist shite

 

[Chief]

Yeah Cook was a bad man.

Of course, if China or Japan got here first things would have been better.

I remember when this was a Courier-Mail opinion columnist theme.

In the 1980's.

That's the level this post is at.

 

[Bostonian]

The one old argument, you should be glad that you were r*ped because the other group would have gang r*ped you.

Human history shows everyones culture got murdered and r*ped along the way.

Even yours.

Not nice but that's the timeline of humankind.

 

[schneebly111]

Yeah Cook was a bad man.

Of course, if China or Japan got here first things would have been better.

Probably. Better tech, infrastructure, more collective thinking in society and family not bowing to individual wants. Education valued not belittled. Better food.

 

[eastfreo75]

Invading and taking over was kind of par for the course. Every country was invaded at some point in time
Aboriginal tribes didn't commit these crimes? They were living a complete harmonious utopia?

Such revisionist shite

Don't excuse horrible acts with other horrible acts.

Plus, I don't think that somebody acted in this way in the past.

 

[eastfreo75]

Human history shows everyones culture got murdered and r*ped along the way.

Even yours.

Not nice but that's the timeline of humankind.

I'm white.

 

[jakson68]

I know 200 years of murder, slaughter, dispossession, stolen lands, rape, stolen families, lowered life expectancy, worse health outcomes, was just not enough. It could have been a hell of a lot worse.

See now you are just grandstanding.
YES it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

As a society, we have (by the most part) recognized and acknowledged the wrongs of the past.
As a whole, Australia is doing what it can to not make things right (because some wrongs just cant be made right) but make things better.
So the main issue I have is instead of constantly going on with what happened generations ago (which were not in our control), embrace the changes and opportunities that are the here and now.

Indigenous Australians have a voice in every corner of Australia, they are heard, respected and the admiration in the heritage grows each year.

The world has a dark past (not just Australia) and the atrocities you mentioned above were horrible, no one would doubt that (even in other countries where it has also happened). However without the use of a time machine, it cannot be changed, no matter how many times people bring it up.

So we can dwell on the past, or embrace the now and be the change we want to see.

I stand by my thoughts (and the original premise for this thread) that the WTC was disappointing and the use of the terminology BC (before Cook) was unrequired and did more harm than good.

 

[Gough]

Invading and taking over was kind of par for the course. Every country was invaded at some point in time
Aboriginal tribes didn't commit these crimes? They were living a complete harmonious utopia?

Such revisionist shite

Revisionist history was what I got taught at school, Aboriginal Australians had assimilated with the rest of the population and we lived happily side by side more or less, all to the tune of current hit song Living next Door To Alan by Kevin Wilson.

 

[burge13]

Don't excuse horrible acts with other horrible acts.

Plus, I don't think that somebody acted in this way in the past.

Not excusing it, being realistic. You could do with a dose of that

 

[Chief]

See now you are just grandstanding.
YES it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

Creepy coercive control vibes here.

Indigenous Australians have a voice in every corner of Australia, they are heard, respected and the admiration in the heritage grows each year.

As shown by the population's willingness to formalise a voice to parliament...

Oh wait. No. My mistake.

Thoughts and prayers.