AUSTRALIA DAY - A REASON FOR CELEBRATION?

[Maureen K Clifford]

As an Australian I too celebrate Australia day but a coin has two sides and here is the other one.


AUSTRALIA DAY – A REASON FOR CELEBRATION?

http://www.pool.org.au/audio/mahalia/au ... elebration


Dat old man Cook...he bloody crook....he help steal our land away.
He come in boat, dem things dat float, landed at Botany Bay.
We came to greet – but dem not meet – dem just see paint and spear.
Dem folks go back and tell old King big lie – say no one's here.
Dem more boats come, filled with white scum – many in bright red coats
Some men in chains – we hear dat pain – the groans deep in dem throats.
At Stingray Bay. dem raised a flag and cheered an served sweet rum
we cried out “ Warra! Warra !” –( Go away) – but still dem fella's come.

Then squatters came and took more land, no fee was paid to us
No beads, no cloth, no knives changed hands - sheer theft was what it was.
They drove our people from their lands and from their hunting grounds
and still today the fight goes on – legalities abound.
We were massacred in hundreds and our land they stole away.
You wonder why we don't celebrate Australia Day.
Invasion Day more to the point, for we were overthrown
and for justice still today fight on, for land we once did own.

Not owned with title deeds as such, for in those days there were none
but we were the keepers of the stones, happy beneath the sun.
Squatters they came with sheep and cattle, fenced the land with wire.
Showed no respect for sacred sites. Greed drove their desire.
But we are the land, the land is us , it is part of our dreaming.
We care and nurture Mother Earth, her heart we are not stealing.
We never stayed in one place long, we'd hunt and then move on.
To let animals and earth replenish ....we always knew her song.

But white man he don't know that, he builds cities big and tall.
He cuts down trees, pollutes the streams, runs rampant over all.
No kangaroos or wallabies to hunt, no fish to spear
and he thinks he's the smarter bloke, but what I see I fear.
For Mother Earth is crying out, her people heed her call.
For centuries we nurtured her, her heart is in us all..
Our stories tell how Rainbow serpent made the rivers run,
created rocks, and stones – provided food for everyone.

But now she shows her rage. We have flood and fire and drought.
The days are getting hotter, and dust storms block sunlight out.
Green grass swallowed by concrete, tall trees replaced by towers
clean creeks and waterholes dried up, and weeds replace the flowers.
Australia Day is not for her. You celebrate the thieves
who stole the land from us and now bring her to her knees.
In years to come, when kangaroo and wallaby are no more.
Will you celebrate Australia Day on fouled polluted shores?

Maureen Clifford © 01/10

[manfredvijars]

Reason for celebration? ... It is for me!!

[william williams]

what mate wid a name like dat you now become an aussie, beudy manfred

dat old fella dah battler

[Bob Pacey]

Just you try and bloody stop me !!!

I'm a sixth generation Australian whose ancestors came from Ireland. My family also by marriage has connections to the traditional owners of this land the Darumbal tribe and they will be there in celebration as well.

[Neville Briggs]

In 1066 my ancestors stood on the hill at Hastings and shouted " Away, away " as they wielded their battle axes against the army of the Dule of Normandy.
They lost their land and their Kingdom. And no one ever apologised or handed anything back.

What we have got is what we have got, let's get on with it.

[william williams]

good on you marty some one once said united we stand divided we fall thats why pollies keep us apart

Bill the old Battler

[r.magnay]

I think you spend too much time listening to the bleeding hearts and not enough time seeking the truth Maureen, I am a great believer in everyone having an opinion but lets make sure at least some of it is based on fact!...one fact that no-one, and least of all the bleeding hearts ever bring up, is the fact that this country would well and truly belong to the Dutch, Japanese Indonesians and probably countless other races if we hadn't got here first, and let me tell you, if you think the blackfellas are hard done by now, have a think about that lot! I have a long heritage in this country, including the odd convict I believe, and sure, there are some injustices done against allsorts of people by allsorts of people, but that is in the past, when are the narrow minded bleeding hearts going to realise that squarking about the past and their version of injustice is never going to fix anything? Let's just get on with celebrating what we ALL have and spend a bit more time trying to close the gap rather than broaden it! There is far more racial tension between black and white now than there ever was before the do gooders got involved.....I'm gonna stop now....(you should see what I have already deleted)...have a happy AUSTRALIA DAY, everyone that wants to!

[Maureen K Clifford]

Don't worry folks I am celebrating Australia Day as much as any of you, but have a full appreciation as to why SOME folks don't see it in the same light..

Ross I think you and I agree to disagree over the subject of our indigenous brothers - the thing is it is a fact, it is our history, and one can't and shouldn't ignore history no matter how personally displeasing it may be - I don't think the current generation can be held responsible on either side for what happened hundreds of years ago - but it certainly can not be swept under the carpet and sanitized either.

As a pommie by birth I think that the British race has done some terrible things over the centuries to indigenous people in all countries not just Australia.....it is history, it is fact, it can't be changed - but certainly we should be open to it and learn from it.


I don't listen to bleeding hearts Ross - I am quite capable and able to make my own decisions, and have been doing so for a very long time. I don't have a particular bent towards anything apart from animals, and as long as I have a voice I will speak out for animals or people when I see injustice, cruelty,neglect in whatever shape or form it takes. I choose to call it a social conscience.
I am sure it will come as no surprise to you to also know that I offer support to those who seek asylum in our country, and have also been known to feed and house stray dogs.

Cheers

Maureen

[r.magnay]

...have a happy Australia day Maureen....your dogs too!...

[Maureen K Clifford]

Thanks Ross - you too Mate. I am going over to Redcliffe with my brother to see our Mum. Haven't seen her since Christmas Day with all the drama here and my first venture out of Ipswich since the floods. Not sure I really want to see the harsh reality - seen enough here...

The girls are doing really well - they benefited out of others misfortunes and this week are eating beautiful pork fillet and chicken breasts - my neighbour lost his power and had to ditch his meat etc as his freezer was off for 3 or 4 days. The meat was still frozen but council advised everyone to do this.... M and E weren't concerned with that - they think it is great...don't know if they will take to roo after such delicate fare. Last week they had bacon and Beef sausages and there is still some fillet steak and meat pies for them to chomp through.

Cheers

Maureen