IT is great to see Australians uniting against Aboriginal racism at the footy at least.
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Sadly the Adam Goodes saga has exposed just how low a minority of Australians are, including some past sporting heroes, celebrities and politicians; and some former politicians. Shock jocks don’t count they are just sick morons promoting extreme right wing politics at every opportunity and should be ignored.
Racism against Aboriginals doesn’t end at the footy; Queensland, West Australia and the Northern Territory arguably practice apartheid; I saw this for myself in the NT this year and it is demented stuff. I doubt if anyone will see much in the Murdoch media on Australia’s appalling treatment of Aboriginals and this could be a major reason why it still goes on over 200 years since the Great White Invasion.
Aboriginal funding schemes designed to assist Aboriginal people were cut by over $500 million by Tony Abbott and Aboriginals have been bulldozed off their lands by this same self-proclaimed government of Aboriginal support.
Both Labor and LNP Governments sent the armed forces in to tackle alleged Aboriginal social illnesses in the NT instead of Human Services.
Clearly the Abbott Government sees Aboriginals and all average Australians down on their luck as welfare burdens; loafers not lifters as Joe Hockey put it.
The Adam Goodes saga has been a great distraction for failed and nasty economic mismanagement by a divisive and incompetent federal government; Abbott’s pretentious support for Adam Goodes is noted.
Alan J Lappin
Boorhaman North
A LESSON IN HUMANITY
I WRITE to congratulate Albury City Council for voting to assist Albury Wodonga regional food share.
However it is disappointing that it was not unanimous as being beyond the concern of local government.
I also noted that the same reservations were held by some of the same councillors when it came to support for marriage equality.
Undue caution in assisting others is a familiar theme in the fence-sitting profession – regrettably in church and secular government – but there are some glowing heroes whose wisdom even in retirement shines a bright search light on the quality of political leadership.
The life of Dame Marie Bashir is a potent antidote to popular cynicism toward the helicopter-flying and most risk-averse public servants, as she says: “You can judge a city by the way it treats its poorest citizen”.
She may be over 80 but many of us find it hard to keep up with her humanity.
Peter MacLeod-Miller
Archdeacon of the Hume St Matthew's Anglican Church Albury
A VERY GENEROUS BUNCH
I AM writing to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Victorians for their tremendous support of The Smith Family’s 2015 Winter Appeal.
The Smith Family, a national children’s charity, launched its appeal on May 20 to raise $3.5 million by June 30, for the ongoing support of thousands of disadvantaged children across the country.
This year’s appeal highlighted the vulnerability experienced by the 1 in 10 Australian children living in disadvantage, especially when they are at school and struggling to fit in and keep up with their classmates.
It is heartening that this message struck a chord with so many who responded with great generosity, ensuring we exceeded our Winter Appeal target and raised more than $3.7 million for disadvantaged children.
I would like to thank each and every individual who made a donation, and let them know that their help will have a direct, lasting impact on more than 9000 disadvantaged children in Australia.