From short-sighted political wavering arose grassroots leadership, inspiring in its quality and breadth. With widespread media support, it is reducing many fears in making mainstream Australians aware of different cultures and hopes. This process is vital to our feeling sure of ourselves and confident about the elements of our culture we will refuse to surrender as we become part of the modern, global landscape. He meant, of course, those of Anglo-Celtic descent, those of indigenous origin and those descended from migrants from outside the British Isles. In each of those mobs lie other mobs, of course, but those differences fade with distance and time.
Hatreds never assist unity, but healthy cultural diversity does.
The successful Olympic Games reminded us of that. With Cathy Freeman as our symbol of unity, we are gaining a shared sense of national identity. That does not mean that all wishing to live in their vision of the past will cease hurting new-wave migrants with their ignorance. I am afraid that is always the experience of such migrants. It has happened to the eastern and southern Europeans but, within a generation, they were appreciated for being themselves.