13 February 2008 - A day Australia did the right thing and said SORRY

Imagine being taken away from your mum or dad, from people who had cared for you and loved you. From people who never did anything harmful to you.

Imagine when someone came to your home to take you away, your parents had to be held back, screaming your name, begging and pleading for these strangers to let you stay with them.

Imagine that your last memory of your mum was of her anguished face covered in tears.

Then you may understand what happened and why today was important.

Over a decade ago, a report came forth that determined that 1 out of 3 Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their communities and families between 1910 and 1970.

These children were known as the Stolen Generation.

However, there are some who feel that the intentions of this action were not bad, but good and just - take the children away from the poor families to give them a good education and therefore a good life.

But how could this be justified if these children never, ever saw their families again?

How could it be seen as positive if there is also evidence that some administrators had intentions that could be construed as genocide?

All that people wanted was a five letter word to be said by the government of Australia.

A word that would stop the nation to mark this historic moment.

It was a word that made me proud to be an Australian.

Proud that the Government that I had voted for has finally just done the right thing, but the morally correct thing.

I hope that they take some solace in this gesture. Just a word but symbolic and may not mean a whole lot to some, but to those that it did matter too I hope it meant a lot.

Until today, no one ever said "sorry" for this dark chapter in our history.

Australia prides itself on being a developed nation, a first class country where everyone is accepted. We may have our idealistic Jedi ways but there are aspects that could be considered Sith-like.

Yet, there are numbers of the indigenous community who still live in third world like conditions.
Now that the words have been said it is time to progress forwards and take the next steps to reconcile with the indigenous people.

It is time that we take steps to ensure that the indigenous community can consider themselves to be Australian first and foremost, because I get the feeling they do not see it this way.

We should never forget what was done but now we have to make sure that everyone gets a fair go. EVERYONE! Afterall, it is the Australia way isn’t it?