I dont regard those who arrive here on leaky boats demanding to be fed, housed, educated, paid Social Security with an agenda to get 'naturalised' as soon as possible to avoid being sent back to which ever rat-hole they climbed out of, as worthwhile citizens.



They are the world's rubbish under the guise of refugees. Too cowardly to fight for freedom in their own country who float past several countries to get here. Why? Because its their choice -- nothing more. All the while genuine people waiting in refugee camps are pushed further down the list.

Bella13 are you being discriminated against ?

Could you explain what you mean by [i]"is this yet another attempt to separate people"[/i]

If you have lived here 54 years and presuming you have Australian citizenship, you should be able to have the same opportunities as the rest of us.



Maybe you could give us more information on what is troubling you.

The Aboriginal/Aborigine people who are the True Blue Aussies.

and I just look in the mirror to know I did not evolve from Australia

as did a full blood Aboriginal person.

have battled to get equal rights so good on them

if they do, and are, as surely they deserve to. I am not saying

more than us born here, but equal rights. Also those Naturalized

Australians are getting everything they are entitled to arn't they?



If people do not like others it is often because of the person

and many settle in any non Country of birth better than others I would think.

If after 54 years you are having difficulties Bella well that is a long time

not to feel "right at home". What do you feel you are doing or not doing

to feel part of Australia? Or what are Others doing to you, that makes you feel

you are not a part of this Country. What do you feel you are missing out on

those of us born here have you do not?

Interesting......All the best.

Phyl.

Thank you to all for your interesting replies to my post … it certainly gets one thinking and exercises the brain! I will do my best here to answer your comments and questions.



[b]THE WORLD’S RUBBISH[/b]: Firstly, I came here as a very young child (almost a baby), not on a leaky boat, not demanding to be fed, housed, educated, or paid Social Security – nor did my parents demand (or receive) these things – both worked and paid their taxes in Australia – my father worked from the first day after we landed in this country. We did not come from a rat-hole and did not ask for or receive public housing.

My Uncle fought for this country (before I was born) and died building the famous (or infamous) railway in a land to our north.



However, although I do not agree with queue jumping I also do not agree that anyone has the right to classify another human being as ‘the world’s rubbish’ – we are all human beings … and you or I could just as easily have been born in another country, at another time, and by that stroke of ill-fortune have been in the same position as those being classified as ‘world’s rubbish’. People who – for whatever reason – set out to sea in a ‘leaky boat’ are far from cowards. Perhaps they simply do not wish to fight in their own country but would rather put life on the line in an opportunity to give their family some chance of a peaceful life – isn’t that what you would strive for for your children?



[b]AM I BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST[/b]? I have never felt that I was being discriminated against … until I read the article about doctors being required to ask if one is aboriginal (and wondered why we had to determine between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Australians) and I started to discuss this with other ex colleagues of mine and then I started to wonder why we have for example an aboriginal legal service or aboriginal medical services (and other such things) when in fact we are all one people in one country? My comments were not meant to be antagonistic, but I do wonder why there is this division or (as I called it before) separation?



[b]TRUE BLUE AUSSIES[/b] I also was not aware that full blood aboriginals evolved from Australia – I understood that they had arrived (all be it many many many many years ago) by island hopping through the Indonesian archipelago? Is this incorrect?



[b]EQUAL RIGHTS[/b] The statement that aboriginals should get equal rights – I would totally agree with that – that is what I would like to see happen – one nation, one people with equal rights for all.



[b]I STILL CALL AUSTRALIA HOME[/b] I feel right at home here – this is my home and has been for 54 years. My family are here, my children, my grandchildren, my heart and my soul. I do not think I indicated anywhere I that I did not feel ‘right at home’ nor did I indicate that I did not feel part of Australia – I am an Australian (regardless of my colour or my heritage), I have everything that I could wish for – and more – I have enough to share with others who do not have as much as I have – and am glad to share what I have.



Again – thanks to all for your interesting comments!

but I do wonder why there is this division or (as I called it before) separation?



The reason is that aboriginals demand it. They demand to be treated differently and have special departments etc created just for them.



While they think like this they will continue to be 'separated'.

People love to denigrate Pauline Hanson and many called her "racist" for her attitude to aboriginals. Her policy was quite simply "equal rights for ALL Australians" and she was upset at the many benefits and incentives available ONLY to aboriginals. Many of these benefits are available to people who CLAIM aboriginal ancestry, and I understand that proof is usually not required

There is no denying that many aboriginals (especially in remote areas) dont have the same access to education, medical care, work opportunities etc as the average Australian and this needs to be addressed. Likewise, there are issues related to native title to lands that need clarification and confirmation. Issues such as these DO require special treatment for our indigenous peoples, but I dont believe that EVERY aboriginal deserves special treatment just because of their aboriginality - this can only cause resentment and widen the rift between black and white Australians

If asked about any aboriginal blood in my family background, I will refuse to answer.

TRUE BLUE AUSSIES I also was not aware that full blood aboriginals evolved from Australia – I understood that they had arrived (all be it many many many many years ago) by island hopping through the Indonesian archipelago? Is this incorrect?



It is correct.

Aboriginals were the real founders of Australia because they came to this land thousands of years before white people discovered it. In 1988 white Australians celebrated 200 years of white settlement in this country. But Aboriginals have been here for at least 40,000 years. When white people came to Australia, they invaded a land that already belonged to the Aboriginals.



No one knows exactly where the Aboriginals lived before they came to Australia. It is known that Aboriginals came from somewhere in South-East Asia and that they left their homes and traveled to Australia in canoes or on rafts or maybe they travelled via Gondwanaland.

The aboriginal people were invaders. It is amazing the number of do

gooders who will defend with massive finances the inalianable rights

of a few people who were born here when they dont know when they

came nor where they came from or how they got here. We don't have

the faintest idea whether the Aboriginal was the founder of Australia

or the Torres Islanders. What we do know is that one or the other was

an invader. The last census that seperated the full blooded Aboriginal

was in 1954 which recorded 80,207 full blooded Aboriginal & Torres

Straight in Australia. It has been recently estimated that there are now

less than 20,000 full bloods in Australia. Does that mean that the others

are half Aboriginal or that they are half Caucasian? If they are half

Aboriginal, why do they get full Aboriginal rights? If they are half

Caucasian, why do they not get Caucasian rights?

It might be fair to call the Aboriginal people "invaders" if they supplanted the rightful (and original) owners of Australia as the British did. I understand however that the Aborigines migrated here some 40,000 years ago and populated an uninhabited continent. I think that gives them the right to call the country "theirs".

Unfortunately, it cannot be argued that Australian Aborigines as first encountered by the British "invaders" were a primitive, stone-age people who had done nothing to cultivate or improve the country. History always favours the conqueror and like most other indigenous people, our Aborigines have been marginalised in their own land. They intermarry with whites, the numbers of "pure-breds" steadily declines and they will eventually be integrated completely. I cant see any alternative for them other than to embrace modern life and become simply Australians. Those that still live a tribal lifestyle (very few) or those that are semi-integrated, especially in remote areas, need special assistance to lift their standard of living to that of the general population. I think that is fair and reasonable.

To my way of thinkng our Aboriginal people will always

be True Blue Aussies and I feel I am also having been born here but

that is not to say others are not Aussies also.



I still find it difficult to get my head around the fact many people

living around us and an Italian couple next door having lived here

for well over 50 years still talk Italian all day and do not speak

English very much at all and even when I am speaking to them revert

to speaking to each other in Italian when it is not necessary and so I feel

affronted and always end up by saying "See you later" as I find it extremely rude.

We Aussies are beyond tolerant but do not always receive tolerance back I feel.

All the best

Phyl (home with heaps of bargains) lol

Phyl - I am glad to see you are home with heaps of 'bargains' ... you must tell us where you shop (city, suburb - or shop name) - if you lived near me I would be joining you!

We live in Latrobe Valley and shop Traralgon, Sale, Morwell and Moe

and I am a hopeless addict where a real bargain is. I mean good stuff reduced to half

price not el cheapo all the time goods.

.

I do have one problem I cannot stop saving more by buying more because it is

1/2 price now this IS a problem. I have SO many of a lot of stuff lol but I do

love the fun of the chase so what does it matter if I have 15 green polo neck

jumpers or a dozen pink cotton nighties or or or lol. I always have a full cupboard

of things for gifts :) I would still hold onto the sleeve of one of those jumpers if

another shopper tried to take it from me but if she had a tear in her eye would

give her half of them.

All the best

Phyl.

Aaah - I am just south of Sydney so it is a bit far to come down to the La Trobe valley just for a bargain!



I know your feeling though - it is such a good bargain that I can't leave it there - even though I don't really need it ... or - it just might come in handy one day and it IS half price!!!!



As long as you are getting enjoyment from your shopping, it isn't killing you, isn't harming other people - and you're getting a kick out of it - and somewhere along the line, someone benefits from a surprise gift!!!



Have fun!