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The path to reconciliation didn’t end with Keating

Melinda Cilento

by Melinda Cilento

10 Dec 09:34am

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Filed under: Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Bill 2012, Gurrumul Yunupingu, Paul Keating, Redfern Park, Yothu Yindi

82 comments

Twenty years ago Paul Keating delivered his famous Redfern speech; five days ago one of Australia’s greatest living musical performers, Gurrumul Yunupingu, was denied access to a Melbourne taxi.

We've still got a long way to go

Two decades earlier his cousin, Mandawuy Yunupingu, lead singer of internationally-acclaimed band, Yothu Yindi, was refused a drink in a Melbourne bar, and last week the Government tabled the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Bill 2012 to the Australian Parliament.

These four events all point to Australia’s ongoing struggle to achieve reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community.

When Prime Minister Paul Keating gave his speech in Sydney’s Redfern Park he became the first Australian political leader to publicly acknowledge the devastating impact of both colonial and contemporary government policies on Australia’s First Peoples.

In his speech Keating spoke frankly and honestly of the dispossession, violence and discrimination suffered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the course of modern Australia’s creation.

He explicitly spoke of the need for “an act of recognition” by non-Indigenous Australians of the First People’s history, culture, and their historical exclusion from Australian democracy.

While we have made progress over the past twenty years Gurrumul Yunupingu’s treatment in Melbourne last week reminds us that Aboriginal people still suffer from racism and discrimination and Australians have some way to go in achieving reconciliation. 

However, despite the experiences referred to above there remains strong support for reconciliation from both non-Indigenous and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and we are currently being offered the opportunity to make a significant step forward in this process with the proposed referendum on recognising our First Peoples in the Australian constitution.

It is ironic indeed that only a week before Gurrumul experienced what is a daily occurrence for so many of Australia’s First Peoples, a Bill for constitutional recognition was tabled in the Australian Parliament.

The tabling of this Bill is a critical step towards a referendum to update the Australian constitution to recognise the unique and special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within Australia.

Queensland, NSW and Victorian state Constitutions all recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Keating ended his Redfern speech by expressing his strong view that Australia would succeed in the challenge for reconciliation and, twenty years on, I agree with his assessment and am confident that current efforts for constitutional recognition will also succeed.

As Keating told the Redfern audience, “we cannot imagine failure”.

Last week in Melbourne a very positive footnote to Mandawuy Yunupingu’s Melbourne experience took place when he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and in his acceptance speech declared that Australians should “come together for a better future by recognising Aboriginal people in the constitution”.

Comments on this post close at 8pm AEST

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82 comments

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    • Borderer says:

      08:52am | 10/12/12

      I’ve been denied cab rides and service at bars as well as entry to clubs, I’m white, it happens to us all, some of us make less of a big deal about it.

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      09:45am | 10/12/12

      Exactly.

      If you’re drunk and obnoxious its not a racial issue if you are refused service - despite people trying to make a racial case out of it. Thats the fun bit of equality - we all get treated the same. Espcecially when we are behaving like knobs.

    • fml says:

      09:46am | 10/12/12

      you were most probably drunk. He was sober, finished a concert and was solely because he was black.

    • egg says:

      10:42am | 10/12/12

      @Borderer, so firstly, this happens to you often? And it’s based specifically on your appearance/race? You’re okay with blatant discrimination then? Or perhaps you just purposely missed the point?

      @ TheRealDave, what makes you think he was drunk?

    • Borderer says:

      10:47am | 10/12/12

      @fml
      I was drinking when denied service at the bar, I didn’t think I was remotely drunk, I walked to another bar and was served straight away. Entry to clubs and denied pick up by a cab, stone cold sober about 50% of the time. I just happen to have what some may consider a threatening visage, even if my wife thinks I’m cute.
      Cab drivers are assaulted all too often and if a driver doesn’t like the look of someone I really don’t blame them for not taking them as a passenger.
      FYI, the ethinic majority of cab drivers aren’t white anglos, they are of African, Asian and Middle Eastern origin, why would they be denying an indigeneous gentleman a ride?

    • Borderer says:

      11:10am | 10/12/12

      @egg,
      Most of the cabs I catch pick me up from my office, hotel or airport so I will only refer to the ones I catch in club districts.
      It happens quite often, particularly if I’m out late at night (not often now, being a dad takes priority). But lets see, white, male, about 6’1” shaved head, muscular build, cabbies more often than not keep driving. I find it annoying, but nobody gives a rats because I’m white. I understand why the cabbies give me a wide berth, I don’t necessary like it but I have to accept it. My appearance gives them the impression I am capable of violence etc. and they, based on experience of similar looking guys may be a little shy of picking me up.
      The point I was making is that everyone of us is subject to discrimination, based on something, only a few of us get national press coverage and politically motivated advocates championing their cause.
      Why do you think a cab driver would be shy of picking someone up who is of aboriginal appearance?

    • fml says:

      11:27am | 10/12/12

      Borderer,

      FYI, the ethinic majority of cab drivers aren’t white anglos, they are of African, Asian and Middle Eastern origin, why would they be denying an indigeneous gentleman a ride?

      It’s true. But on what basis do you assume the taxi driver was ethnic? as far as I saw there was no indication. Even if the taxi driver was ethnic that doesn’t make it any less abhorrent. I find it interesting that most of the white people are making rationalisations to the effect that the taxi driver was foreign. There is no indication of their ethnicity. So that is irrelevant. What is relevant was a sober aboriginal was denied a taxi ride because he is aboriginal.

    • wakeuppls says:

      11:52am | 10/12/12

      fml

      I once got refused entry into a bar at 7pm by a Middle Eastern type when I was as dry as a desert. Dat be racisss.

    • Borderer says:

      11:59am | 10/12/12

      fml
      But on what basis do you assume the taxi driver was ethnic?

      Non-discriminatory probability, simply the most likely occurance.

      Till you address the basic issue of why do you think a cab driver would be shy of picking someone up who is of aboriginal appearance other than to blanket it as being a racial issue you will never correctly address the race issue.

      My point is that the gentleman was denied a taxi pick up based on his appearance, as have a lot of people. He has national media coverage and advocates championing his cause and outrage. He has sucessfully raised his media profile, people no doubt have taken to twitter to vent their spleen etc.

      I just looked for another cab… Shit happens, what defines us is how we deal with it.

    • Phillb says:

      12:05pm | 10/12/12

      fml, I am curious where you got the proof it was because he was black from?  No one else has any proof, only conjecture. 
      What happened to him happens all around Australia everyday to people of all skin colours for a multitude of reasons.  Just because something unpleasant happens to someone who is not white, it does not mean it happened because they are not white.
      Assuming things happened because of race is almost as racist as doing something because of race.

    • wakeuppls says:

      12:05pm | 10/12/12

      fml

      If I am not mistaken, taxis are private businesses. Who are you to say who private businesses can and cannot legitimately provide services to? Why do you not show the same uproar at Islamic organisations, or the LPGA?

    • James1 says:

      12:08pm | 10/12/12

      I’m white as well, and have never been refused entry to a club, service at a bar, or a ride in a taxi that wasn’t already carrying passengers.

      These things don’t happen to everyone.

    • andye says:

      12:10pm | 10/12/12

      @Borderer: “FYI, the ethinic majority of cab drivers aren’t white anglos, they are of African, Asian and Middle Eastern origin, why would they be denying an indigeneous gentleman a ride?”

      Sorry, is the assumption here that only white people can be racist?

    • Bruno says:

      12:14pm | 10/12/12

      its best to ignore borderer and the real dave, they wish it was 1823, even though they probably wouldn’t've survived back then. they also want recognition for a country that they didn’t build and a past they had nothing to do with.

    • Word says:

      12:15pm | 10/12/12

      i agree with borderer. Besides, why would someone feel threatened with a sober person in their cab? They could be anglos, middle eastern or indigenous. Nothing threatening about the indigenous people. If i was a cabbie i wouldn’t deny a passenger unless they were drunk. I think the driver must have had a valid reason.

    • fml says:

      12:30pm | 10/12/12

      wakeupppls,

      Well I don’t know the full situation, if it was because you were white, then yes, it is a case of racism.

      Borderer,

      Well from the link provided below he was infact indian, as I said that is still a case of racsim (note even before that link was put up). The point is, cabs once called out are not allowed to refuse fares. He did and should be fined, the reasoning behind the non-pick up is up to the taxi company to find out. But you have to look at the facts. He saw him and then shut the door and left. The only information he had was the persons appearance. Nothing else. So it was based on appearance. Race? Well as I said the taxi company needs to figure that out (they will most definitely never tell us why).

      PhilB,

      “Assuming things happened because of race is almost as racist as doing something because of race.” ICB. there is absolutely no logic behind the statement, calling out racism is racist. That is absurd.

    • James1 says:

      12:41pm | 10/12/12

      “Who are you to say who private businesses can and cannot legitimately provide services to? Why do you not show the same uproar at Islamic organisations, or the LPGA?”

      Are we then to assume you support discrimination by Islamic organisations and the LPGA?  And why are you silent on Christian groups and the PGA?  Why not the same uproar (or support - I’m not even sure what your point is)?

    • Borderer says:

      12:43pm | 10/12/12

      @andye
      Sorry, is the assumption here that only white people can be racist?

      Not at all, I’ve seen what happens in the rest of the world, Australia is pretty tame. I’m of the view that there is little actual genuine racism, there is plenty of stereotyping and a lot of people like to trump that up as racism because it often involves ethnicity.
      @Bruno
      Given that would involve time travel I suspect I wouldn’t have survived either, being crushed by the gravitational forces of a wormhole should do that…. Would I wish it was 1823?? Realestate wise, sure, I would miss my flushing toilet….

    • Phillb says:

      01:03pm | 10/12/12

      fml, if I don’t get a job and say it is because of my race when race has nothing to do with it I am seeing a difference between my race and presumably the interviewer’s and making a judgement based on it.
      If a taxi driver drives away and I have no proof that is is because of my race, nor any hint that it is because of my race but scream that it is because of my race, I am making a race based judgement.

      What do we call judging by race rather then action or merit?

      Calling out actual racism is not racist.  Blaming things that happen on the colour of your skin with no evidence to back it up is racist.

      The taxi driver may have have been assulted by someone resembling the singer, he may have thought the guitar case was a weapon, he may have thought the singer was drunk or any other reason.  Assuming it was because of race is making a race based judgement.  Call that what you will.

    • fml says:

      01:25pm | 10/12/12

      wakeuppls,

      There regulation of taxis in victoria, they need to buy a license to operate. The reason for this is to maintain a level of service (and make money out of registration costs). But, yes they need to adhere to the regulation to operate. It is the same with most private enterprises in certain fields.

      philb

      “If a taxi driver drives away and I have no proof that is is because of my race, nor any hint that it is because of my race but scream that it is because of my race, I am making a race based judgement.”

      Yes, that is true.

      “Calling out actual racism is not racist.  Blaming things that happen on the colour of your skin with no evidence to back it up is racist.” Yes I agree. And people have said the taxi driver was Indian with out actually knowing. The taxi driver was indeed indian but that doesn’t change the fact that Indians can be racist too. I am not saying that racism is confined to any one group of people. I am pointing out people made judgements on the taxi driver without knowing the race.

      Yes, it is hard to know the taxi drivers reasoning. The facts are. Taxi drivers are not allowed to refuse service unless they have a valid reason. Being drunk is one (which he couldn’t have known as he didn’t let him in the car) and whether the passenger was aggressive which is another (which he showed no indication of). All he had to go by was the persons appearance.

    • Borderer says:

      01:55pm | 10/12/12

      @fml
      All he had to go by was the persons appearance.

      Kind of brings me back to my original point, I get taxi’s refusing to pick me up and I have to assume it has to be because of my appearance and despite most of the drivers being of a different ethnicity to myself I don’t vent my outrage in the media every time. As I said earlier
      Shit happens, what defines us is how we deal with it.

    • mark says:

      10:01am | 10/12/12

      the taxi driver made a choice based on color of skin, there is no debate about that.
      but what did he base his judgement on? from all reports he was a “new Australian” from the sub continent, so you cant blame some sort of entrenched racism. my guess would be he based his judgement on previous experience working nights in st kilda - which if you know the area has a population of local indigenous folk who like to drink in the park across the road from the Palais.

      so the taxi driver used his gut insticts based on previous experience, just like when he doesnt pick up the staggering drunk running across the road…

      Reply

    • marley says:

      10:12am | 10/12/12

      @mark - if it’s true that the driver was from the sub-continent, then you absolutely can blame racism - they don’t much like black people there.

    • Its good night from him says:

      10:23am | 10/12/12

      Exactly Marley,

      We better send a team of Politically Correct Educators over to the sub continent quick to educate these new Australians prior to them taking up taxi driver jobs here in the lucky country.

    • Bruce says:

      10:37am | 10/12/12

      Maybe some of our politicians should go and live with the indigenous people of Australia and get a first hand experience of their issues ! Politicians are good talkers from a distance.

    • Phillb says:

      11:46am | 10/12/12

      “the taxi driver made a choice based on color of skin, there is no debate about that”
      Actually there is zero proof it was because of his colour.  His manager decided it was because of his colour with no evidence either way.

    • mark says:

      02:12pm | 10/12/12

      Gurumul is vision impaired, so he would have been receiving guidance down the stairs… so the TD could have quite easily mistaken a blind man, for a Blind man, - which if you know the corner of Beaconsfield parade and Fitzroy street, is not hard to do.

    • Al says:

      10:03am | 10/12/12

      For the information of Borderer and TheRealDave:

      In an episode of Michael Moore’s TV Nation, they showed Famous Actor Yaphett Kotto (a large black man) try to hail a cab, and about 10 feet in front of him an anonymous white man also trying to hail a cab. Kotto was unsuccessful but the white guy would get all the cabs he wanted. The kicker: the white guy was a convicted felon who had been recently released from prison.
      Played for comedy when the TV Nation crew would quiz the taxi drivers who didn’t pick up Kotto, and tried to address the problem — when the drivers said Kotto “looked scary”, they had him hail a cab while holding a bouquet of flowers and a baby, and even standing by an illuminated sign reading “I NEED A CAB”.

      Reply

    • Markus says:

      10:49am | 10/12/12

      Not sure how a bouquet of flowers and/or a baby are supposed to make someone look less physically intimidating.
      Violents yobs often have babies on public transport, generally being held in the arm that isn’t carrying a longneck of VB.

      And you know who else carried a bouquet of flowers? The Terminator.
      Then one day he’s just nonchalantly walking through a local shopping mall and bam, shotgun.

    • Borderer says:

      10:54am | 10/12/12

      Al,
      That must be down to the low deployment of facial recognition software in the taxi industry, apparently it instantly displays the complete criminal, medical and psychiatric history of prospective passengers….
      Michael Moore is renowned for his stunts where he’s trying to make a point, his credibility is pretty iffy to be frank. We are visual creatures, my point was that this happens to everyone that might look threatening to certain people, only few pursue national media attention.

    • freethrow says:

      10:04am | 10/12/12

      “five days ago one of Australia’s greatest living musical performers, Gurrumul Yunupingu, was denied access to a Melbourne taxi. “

      So refused entry to a cab most likely driven by a brown skinned Indian, is that considered black on black racism?

      Reply

    • fml says:

      10:13am | 10/12/12

      It is because you have no idea what color skin the cab driver was.

    • freethrow says:

      10:21am | 10/12/12

      a positive and a negative in 1 sentence, care to make some sense?

    • It's good nite from him says:

      10:29am | 10/12/12

      If he’s one of Australians greatest living musical performers, how come (now be honest) just about everyone on this blog hasn’t heard of him??

      Or is he one of Australia’s greatest living musical performers because he’s an Aboriginal???? Reverse racism perhaps on that front??

    • fml says:

      10:45am | 10/12/12

      Freethrow.

      “So refused entry to a cab most likely driven by a brown skinned Indian, is that considered black on black racism? “

      You are speculating that the driver was indian when there is absolutely no indication that he was, you did so by using the qualifier “most likely”. Even if he was Indian, yes that would still be a case of racism.

      It’s good night from him.

      Yes I have heard about him.

    • marley says:

      10:52am | 10/12/12

      @It’s good nite - umm, I’ve heard of him and I’ve only lived in Australia for a few years.  I’ve got a couple of his CDs - the man has the voice of an angel.  Yes, he is one of the country’s greatest singers, period.

    • Markus says:

      11:12am | 10/12/12

      @fml, Mark Grose, Yunupingu’s manager, reported that the driver was most likely Indian.
      “Interestingly he was from the subcontinent, that was a double shock to me, you know, an Indian or Pakistani driver to do that.”

      http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3648352.htm

    • fml says:

      11:30am | 10/12/12

      Well there you go. We have a race.

      Now how does that affect my previous statement?

      “Even if he was Indian, yes that would still be a case of racism. “

      Why is it when I say that non-white people are still racist, why people see it as an attack on them?

    • Michael says:

      11:46am | 10/12/12

      It can be hard to say you were wrong, can’t it FML?

      The original question was, is it black on black racism.

      Clearly the answer is yes.

    • fml says:

      11:58am | 10/12/12

      Michael,

      Well no. Freethrow didn’t know either, he assumed it was black on black without knowing. once again the qualifier “most likely” so the my original comment stands. He assumed the cab driver was black without knowing.

      Sort of like if I were assume that the majority of racism is perpetrated by white people because they are in the majority. What proof have I got? Would what I say be racist when I can not back it up? Of course it is.

      Seems like you can’t be racist if youre white in this country <sarc>

    • James1 says:

      12:14pm | 10/12/12

      “So refused entry to a cab most likely driven by a brown skinned Indian, is that considered black on black racism?”

      All I picked up from your comments is that you consider all people with darker skin to be “black”.  Interesting (and highly inaccurate) way of constructing race, I must say.  I guess to you Italians are the same thing as Russians.  And Russians must also be the same things as English.

    • freethrow says:

      03:38pm | 10/12/12

      fml - Speculated yes, but rightfully so(and as it turns out correct!), considering the chances of the cab driver being indian are quite high, you can play your PC “i don’t see things how they really are in the real world” all you like, it doesn’t detract from my original statement/question.
      TBH though I was more just going with a play on “black on black crime”, but it missed everyone…sorry, i will invent a “jest” font.

      James1 - was that a joke i missed? talk to most YOUNG brown skinned people, I can send you some links to my friends FB pages if you like, and tell me they dont affiliate with blacks/black culture, or look up DNOAX, hes pretty big in india, and i think the caste system identifies darker skinned indians as black? hmmmmm…
      And to me, Russians are family, and Italians are….brickies?

    • Anjuli says:

      10:07am | 10/12/12

      The way things are going I doubt very much if we will ever get a society where every one is treat with civility , black ,brown or white.

      Reply

    • Dave Charlesworth says:

      10:40am | 10/12/12

      Finally someone gets it!!

      Your right Anjuli it’ll never happen, and you know why?

      Because when something doesn’t go someones way in today’s (educated and tolerant society), they simply can play the race card, or the sexual card, or the (fill in the blank) card and so on etc etc..

      And you can thank the media and the lawyers for driving this BS on a daily basis.

      Welcome to the new world.

    • John A says:

      10:08am | 10/12/12

      Having read our Constitution a number of times, I am unaware that it mentions any race or tribe of pople. In fact I must have missed the part that discriminates against a person or persons!

      There are parts of our constitution that in my view do need upgrading, but the need to specifically mention one race or tribe of people is not the top of my list.

      Reply

    • Jay Suss says:

      10:33am | 10/12/12

      Were you reading the pre1968 unabridged version where Aboriginal weren’t allowed to vote?

    • John A says:

      10:43am | 10/12/12

      Jay,
      Good point, but as you well know that issue was addressed some years ago.
      You must also remember women weren’t allowed to vote for some years after the constitution was drafted.

    • Dave says:

      10:30am | 10/12/12

      “While we have made progress over the past twenty years Gurrumul Yunupingu’s treatment in Melbourne last week reminds us that Aboriginal people still suffer from racism and discrimination and Australians have some way to go in achieving reconciliation. “

      So one potentially isolated event represents widespread discrimination against an entire race of people?

      What are we supposed to do exactly, self-flagellate to make amends for the actions of one taxi driver whose motives and reasons are currently unknown? Does this taxi driver act on behalf of the entire country, or just the usual suspects who need to be blamed for racism (i.e. whitey)?

      As painful as it may be to realise, it is impossible to eradicate racism and other forms of discrimination from a people, because of our inherently fallen nature. This is not helped by waxing indignant about specific cases and blowing them out of proportion and charging that an entire country bears responsibility. Nor will expanding the power of the federal government in various ways prevent this from happening.

      What we can do is treat these cases on their individual merits. Should the taxi driver have picked Gurrumul Yunupingu up? I don’t know. I wasn’t there and don’t know the circumstances. But perhaps that should be investigated before the shrieking about “institutionalised racism” and all the rest of the tired, boring charges are made.

      Reply

    • Achmed says:

      10:34am | 10/12/12

      It didn’t end with Keating but it certainly stalled duting thr Howard years of Govt.  He and his cronies just couldn’t say the “S” word…....sorry

      Reply

    • Rose says:

      10:46am | 10/12/12

      Dead right, Howard’s insistence on belittling Aboriginal history by referring to it as the ‘black armband’ version of history set reconciliation back decades. So it wasn’t just a case of Howard not saying sorry, he basically dismissed the truth of what had happened to generations of Aborigines, that is unforgivable.
      I’m certain that if Keating had not lost that election to Howard that there would have been far greater strides made in reconciliation and the improvement of outcomes for Aborigines in terms of health, education and living standards. Not because he would have pumped more money in, but because he demonstrated that he understood the cause and effect which led to the current situation.
      Howard and his government failed Indigenous Australians, and in doing so failed us all!!

    • Michael says:

      11:23am | 10/12/12

      Kevin said sorry and it isn’t enough, you are still banging on about it. There can be no reconciliation with those that don’t want to reconcile.

    • marley says:

      11:47am | 10/12/12

      “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”  Saying “sorry” is not going to do a damn thing about addressing aboriginal disadvantage; well designed programs might.  Fat chance of that happening under either party.

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      10:47am | 10/12/12

      There should be no distinction or special recognition of aboriginal people. They are just Australian citizens, simple as that. All special government departments and legislation directed specifically at aboriginal people should be abolished (as well as multiculturalism). One set of laws and rules for all, no recognition of differences. This bill for constitutional recognition is entirely the wrong step for government and should be repealed at the earliest opportunity.

      Reply

    • Kassandra says:

      10:56am | 10/12/12

      There has already been a referendum to include a preamble to the constitution recognising indigenous people in 1999 which was unsuccessful. Can’t see another one being any more likely to succeed in the foreseeable future.

      Reply

    • vox says:

      11:47am | 10/12/12

      Kass, when the PM of the day decides the wording of a referendum the result will always go the way that PM favors. We saw that in the Republic referendum and we saw it in the question of the Preamble to which you refer.
      Howard phrased both of those. That’s why the Conservatives threw him out. No, not the Party, the Liberal and National Party voters. They at last realised that he was a liar, and a cheat.
      Now they have Abbott. He will be given the heave-ho for the exact same reason. And the world will be a better place…....

    • John L says:

      11:48am | 10/12/12

      That’s because that conniving little gnome Howard tacked it onto the doomed-to-fail republic referendum

    • Jaqui says:

      11:37am | 10/12/12

      It disgusts me that new immigrants from India bring with them their entrenched caste racism!

      Reply

    • KJ says:

      04:33pm | 10/12/12

      I agree Jaqui.  Why can’t they just accept our entrenched racism

    • hammy says:

      05:21pm | 10/12/12

      I agree KJ,

      It’s okay for every other country and race to be racist, but continue to provide excuses for them and pretend they are not.

    • AFR says:

      12:00pm | 10/12/12

      A lot of assumptions being made without any real proof. As the saying goes: “assume” only makes an “ass” our of “u” and “me”.

      Reply

    • CarbonDogg says:

      12:34pm | 10/12/12

      My (Caucasian) son was called a “white c***” by an indigenous kid at his school the other day, and the administration (which is happy to have all sorts of special awards for Aboriginal kids including trips to the fireworks just for turning up at school) did next to nothing. You can only imagine the scandal if the roles had been reversed. Reconciliation, if that’s the right word, is a two-way street.

      Reply

    • fml says:

      01:15pm | 10/12/12

      Actually, reconciliation is a one way street as only one group was initially discriminated against. Respect and adherence to etiquette is a two way street though and this should be thoroughly observed. What happened to your son is abhorrent and the other kid should be disciplined.

    • S says:

      03:38pm | 10/12/12

      No, it is a two-way street. No matter how sincere you are in your recognition and apology, it is not reconciliation unless there is acceptance and forgiveness.

    • Just say'n says:

      12:52pm | 10/12/12

      Australian’s should come together and recognise Chinese people in the constitution. If the aborigines get a guernsey, It’d only be fair.

      Reply

    • Chris says:

      01:17pm | 10/12/12

      How do we know that Gurrumul Yunupingu is Aboriginal?

      Reply

    • Al says:

      01:35pm | 10/12/12

      Quite right! Whats wrong with our home grown Aussie variety of racism!

      Reply

    • Black and Deadly!!! says:

      01:48pm | 10/12/12

      It doesn’t matter what nationality the cab driver was, get that out of the picture!! And FYI - Gurrumul was not drunk so don’t make assumptions. The traditional owners of this land, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have faced and continue to face racism in this country because of the colour of our skin. And if any of you had some sense and respect, Gurrumul Yunupingu is an international Aboriginal artist who is blind. He comes from strong proud black people, called the Yolngu of North East Arnhem Land. Why don’t you all go and get educated about the attempted genocide and assimilation of my peoples culture that this country tried to do to us! We were forcibly removed off our lands and placed onto missions and reserves, given rations to live off. We had to stop speaking our language and living our traditional ways of life all because of the colour of our skin! Not to mention that many of our women were raped by the white man and many of our brothers and sisters were stolen from their families. The experience that Gurrumul encountered last week is embarrassing for Australia as a nation and the cab driver should be ashamed of himself and that goes for anyone else who wants to discriminate against any culture. All you people came here on a boat, the same way the cab driver did! Wake up to yourselves, some of you might have been born here but Australia has a BLACK history remember that!! This country was and always will be ABORIGINAL LAND!!

      Reply

    • Borderer says:

      02:06pm | 10/12/12

      What you are referring to has occured in nearly every single country in the world, yours is not a unique case, not even remotely, its just better documented than most. While Aboriginal people spend their days continually looking back they will never be able to overcome the hurdles that are in front of them.

    • Phillb says:

      02:34pm | 10/12/12

      And right here we have the reason reconciliation will never work.

      And Mr B’n'D the land was not always yours.  Aboriginals immigrated here same as everyone else.  They just did it earlier.  I refuse to be judged on deeds I had no part in nor had the power to stop.

    • ronny jonny says:

      03:00pm | 10/12/12

      So much delusion. How sad. Mate, your people came here and then spent the next 40,000 years wandering about knocking each other on the head. It was only a matter of time unitl someone came and took it away from you. Sure we can recognise you in the Constitution, throw you a bone, no worries. Will that do? Is that enough? Now, how about you all get off your arses and get on with it? Stop bleating and crying and banging your chest about how it’s YOUR LAND and how special you are, get off the piss, get a job, tidy yourselves up a bit and maybe then you will earn the respect you so regularly demand. Until then you will be treated as the contemptible joke that you are. Maybe if a few less of Gurummals “brothers” stopped doing runners and expecting free taxis the cabbies would pick him up?

    • ramases says:

      03:30pm | 10/12/12

      You may say that your the traditional owners of the land but frankly I don’t think so.
      Like the Europeans who came and conquered this land your people were also conquerors and unlike the Europeans wiped out the original inhabitants to take over.
        Going over things that happened years before your own birth but used as a weapon against those that you put your hand out to every fortnight to get paid is wearing thin and personally I don’t think the Europeans owe you or your people a bloody thing. There will always be racial prejudice but that’s the nature of man and unless we learn to live with it there will never be any peace or proper reconciliation except some lame sorry by a Politician speaking as he said for himself as he certainly didn’t speak for me or mine. I’m not sorry for things that happened before I was born and I don’t see why I should be held to account for the actions of those who came before me and if you cant see past your prejudices then its you and not the average bloke in the street who should feel ashamed of themselves.
        By the way the colour of the Taxi driver has got a bearing on the case whether you like it or not but it does make your rant seem a lot less sincere acknowledging that he wasn’t white doesn’t it.

    • Al says:

      03:42pm | 10/12/12

      Black and Deadly!!! - you do realise that by your logic England should be returned to the various tribes from which the populace originated, that America should not exist, that Mexico should be returned to the few remaining Incan decendents, etc, etc.
      The fact is, Australia was conquered (call it what you like but that is what it is) and at that point in history it was quite common for the winners to wipe out the lossers entirely.
      The fact that there are Aboriginals left actualy means that Australia woke up to itself (to a certain degree).
      Re: “This country was and always will be ABORIGINAL LAND!!” is blatantly FALSE.

    • Paul (Average White Fella) says:

      05:20pm | 10/12/12

      @ Black and Deadly: If I’d have been driving the cab, I’d have given Gurrumul a ride on the house. His music is beautiful and as Rolling Stone magazine points out, ‘Gurrumul is Australia’s most important voice’, with Sting quoted as saying, ‘His voice is that of a higher being.

      Did you know that Gurrumul flies economy and is quite happy with it?

      You could take a lesson from this gentleman’s humble approach.

    • Augustus Caesar says:

      02:02pm | 10/12/12

      What punishment was meted out to the taxi drivers?
      Did they instantly lose their Taxi Driver Licences? If not, why not?

      Reply

    • Borderer says:

      03:55pm | 10/12/12

      I believe social media are arranging some sort of crucifiction….

    • Bane says:

      02:09pm | 10/12/12

      ‘We’ as in you as well was it? And sorry to disappoint, but all of us didn’t come here on a boat. No one is any more entitled to or owes anyone anything outside of their own deeds actions and life span.

      Reply

    • Bane says:

      02:29pm | 10/12/12

      Response was to ‘Black and Deadly!!!’ above

    • Black and Deadly!!! says:

      02:30pm | 10/12/12

      @ Bane ... ye I was born here on my land!!! ABORIGINAL LAND!!! Where did you fall from, the sky? or did you fly here? your ancestors would have travelled here some how, ask you parents!! Obviously you don’t have an understanding of the traumatic history my peoples faced by the white man and acknowledge the horrific events that occurred before and since 1788. Us black fullas never chose to live the white mans way of life, they did and tried to control us! Its called the WAP Policy, which stands for White Australia Policy, research the history! A good resource for you to utilise is this website - http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html .. educate yourself! And no one saying we are entitled to or owed anything, cause if that was the case I’d be a millionaire.

    • Swamp Thing says:

      02:29pm | 10/12/12

      I don’t even try to understand the PC mess this country has turned into anymore - let alone conform to it. For every one of you who believes what you are told to think from one year to the next, there are a hundred of us who draw our own conclusions.

      Reply

    • fml says:

      02:54pm | 10/12/12

      What makes you think that people who are “PC” do not draw their own conclusions?

      A better indication would be if you have a set of beliefs which are different to your parents or those who make up your close environment.

    • Borderer says:

      04:05pm | 10/12/12

      It’s a mess because people like to be outraged, they like to feel good about abusing someone without consequences and when it can be done from the safety of social media, so much the better. There are no big bad enemy’s any more so PC is your modern day witchhunter.
      You’re a witch/ You’re Racist
      I was brewing herbs / I said he was black
      You’re in league with satan / Nazi
      Burn them / Burn them

    • Mr Smith's Apple says:

      06:18pm | 10/12/12

      ronny jonny and etal;
      This is black fellas land, and our being here is a blink in comparison to how long Aboriginal people have been here.  To say they migrated from somewhere else is to assume that the world looked pretty much like it did 40,000 - 60,000 years ago, and then some.  As for you quip about being conquered, well no.  The Aboriginal people actually staged some pretty fierce campaigns, that prevented themselves from being wiped out against systematic genocide, forced assimilation and adverse negative government legistlation and yet they survive and thrive.  You really should visit that link posted by the other commentator, get yourself educataed. As I get older the more open my mind becomes (probably has something to do with not being warped continuously by the school “process”) but the more open my mind comes to different ways of living, being and imagining - you ought to try it some time.  However, I am sure the western ideology wouldnt accept anything that isnt both highly individualistic nor “progressive.”  All the best.

      Reply
 
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