From: zrepachol@cc.curtin.edu.au (Paul Repacholi)
Subject: Re: Aboriginal policies way out of line.
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:19:51 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.000429.3865@darwin.ntu.edu.au>, nunn@nutmeg.ntu.edu.au (JsNO  BAR---NUNN) writes:
>   First of all, like would like to say that I've got nothing against the
> Aboriginal race and their indiginitive rights. Do do think that the laws
> that protect them and their rights are getting way way way out of line.
> 
The first paragraph seems standard...

>   One of my Uncles 1982 told me that, the Aboriginals will have that many
> rights in the future, that they will be able to walk in to your house and
> claim it as a sacrid site. And you do you know what?,....them starting to
> believe him.
> 

Sounds a lot like what a mob of snotty poms did 150 odd years ago to someones
home. Or can't the aboriginal people invoke 'terra nulius'?

>   Laws like the Alice Springs dam, the Corination Hill, are all subjective
> decisions in favour of the Aboriginals.
> 
>   Take the Corination Hill case for example. Stockmen would tell you that
> they couldn't find an aboriginal within 58km's of that location back in
> the 60's.  

Is this the 1960s or the 1860s? IE, before or after the 'native problem' had
been 'fixed'.

>            When mining companies previously mined it (or an area near their)
> in 1958 not an aboriginal was to be found. That is until Bula appeared and told
> a different story.

Could you provide precise details?

> 
>   Take the user-pays policy for electricity for Aboriginal camps. It has been
> known for years that they have been moderate power abusers. NTEC (as the Power
> and water authority was known back then) have been telling them for years to
> go easy on the power, but with no effect. So they started charging them for
> their power, and according to them, it's been the first they've heard about
> it.
> 

Who has known? What evidence? How do you define 'abuse'? Objective, testable
definitions prefered.

>   With Aboriginal Deaths in custody, it was a serious case in Queensland
> and NSW and I do aggree with the investigations of human rights volations.
>   We must however, look at it from two perspectives. I invite any body to
> come up to a township called Katherine which is 350Km south from Darwin, or
> just about any other Northern Territory outback town.
> The amount of flack that the police have to put up with is incredible. They
> have to pick up the same old people, in the same place, copping the same
> abuse from them day in, day out.

I seems a slight improvment than a letter from the WA govt to a station leasee,
that "... we will endevor to provide a greater number of plice... But you will
have to buy your own amunition..."[1]

>   Of course they are going to hand people like that roughly, no matter what
> your colour is. Now days, if the tourist walks down the street and gets attacked,
> all the police can do now is to tell the person of how silly they were of doing
> such an act. If there is domestic violence, all they do now is inform the
> aboriginal counseling services to influence them to stop what they are doing.
> 

There are many examples from all around the world that this need not be so. It,
however takes a HUGE investment in time, education and patience to show results.

>   This list goes on and on.
> 

I went to school in a larger country town in WA. At 9:50PM every night, the
police would turn up outside one of the hotels and arrest all the 'drunk and
disorderly'. Funny thing... they where all black. They never came near me, even
on a few occasions when I hadn't bothered to change out ov school unlform. Don't
think that being white made any difference do you?

> 
>   In my opinion, It is fueled by greedy solicitors who don't give a flying shit
> on where the countries legal structure is heading. My question is: What will
> happen what the Australian government finally says "NO!". Could there be
> riots?, mass killings?. Will our politicians ignore their perceived duties that
> us white fella's (as they call non Aboriginal people) must carry out.

Given the average poli's 'perceved duty' seems to be centered on his own welfare
this ofers a ray of hope. Yes, not only could there be all of that, every day
increases the chance of it.

>   This seriously cercerns me, and all the money and extra rigths won't
> solve this problem. 

Try sitting down with some of the elders and listening. Then you may uinderstand
why money and words are a waste.

>                     It's creating conflict between 1 race and the other
> 52 racies that are in the NT.
> 
Which is the 1 and which are the 52?

~Paul

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