Aboriginal & TSI Mathew Stokes' letter to Tony Abbott

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bigfarter said:
I think this is a bit ridiculous. Stokes made a poor choice, was punished and then punished himself (there's been many stories since of his great shame and refusing to sing the club song for over a year because he felt he didn't deserve to, etc.) and has since gone on to, by all accounts, become a better person. To completely write off a person's opinion due to a past mistake is silly. Often it's people who have made mistakes and seen the uglier side of life that have deeper insight than perfect people who've never strayed from the normal path.
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His opinion matters the same as everyone else's and I applaud him for the amends he's made. I'm in no way writing him off. I just don't want children looking up to him. I personally don't think he should have been able to play footy again if he was found guilty of trafficking. AFL players are role models for good and bad. It's very admirable he wants to be that for good but he can't, unless he wants to speak out against drug use.
 
Rimbaz said:
His opinion matters the same as everyone else's and I applaud him for the amends he's made. I'm in no way writing him off. I just don't want children looking up to him. I personally don't think he should have been able to play footy again if he was found guilty of trafficking. AFL players are role models for good and bad. It's very admirable he wants to be that for good but he can't, unless he wants to speak out against drug use.
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I don't think it's the worst thing if a kid looks up to a bloke who made a bad choice, suffered the consequences and rebuilt himself as a better person. Good lessons there, I reckon.
 
bigfarter said:
I don't think it's the worst thing if a kid looks up to a bloke who made a bad choice, suffered the consequences and rebuilt himself as a better person. Good lessons there, I reckon.
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Agreed it is a good thing. Ill use my backyard in this example. Injunction, no one cops anything, it just stinks. The problem is that someone needs to suffer the consequences which didn't occur with the alleged offence. He got a fair punishment for the end offence however. Kid feels inspired by Stokes letter to PM, great. Kid Wikipedias stokes, he reads about deals to avoid trafficking charges. No winners.
 

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Damon_3388 said:
Nice.

This line stood out to me:


Not to divert too far from the specific issue, but I didn't vote Liberal at the last election, and I don't hold the passionate hatred for Abbott and the Liberal Party that other non-Liberal voters do, either. I think that some of Abbott's ideas are decent in theory, but he and his party's presentation of them, and the choices of words that they use, are utterly cringeworthy, and it creates and image and idea of them that is just ugly, arrogant, entitled and abhorrent. I don't know whether it's a deliberate choice or they really are just ignorant to the power of their words, but geez, the Libs need to think a lot less about what they're saying, and a lot more about how they're saying it.
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Yes, I've been asking for some time who is writing Abbott's material. Whoever it is should be sacked.
 
I like the way many city folks who have never been bush or know an aboriginal person have so much to say on the issue... It is hilarious.

The government has for years been pumping millions and millions of dollars into remote communities. Go to some of these communities and you tell me if the aboriginal bureaucracy is spending the money on the correct things or where the money is going at all? It is obviously not working in many places. The govt is not wanting to close down all of them just the ones that are leading to more destruction than good.... how is that bad? Why should my tax dollars go to someone who does not want to work, not take responsibility to send their kids to school, not look after the millions of dollars off assets given to them as in power generation, houses, land cruisers, fixed community facilities.... if anyone has been to these places (and I have been to many) it is a disgrace. There are some fantastic communities that will continue to get support and now will GET MORE support as we can concentrate money and resources to areas that are providing good results in closing the gap. Places I have been to and spent time at that are wonderful for example Mount Margaret in WA, Ngukkur in the NT (awsum fishing and people) are not being closed down. But many of the places around the Kimberley that have huge grog problems need to be consolidated. WA govt tried to set up some grog management in law but it got closed down many due to ignorant city folk saying its racist to ban selling alcohol (Link)

Have a look at how many separate communities there are in the Kimberley alone? (Link to map)
Surely we can consolidate these. Why should someone who chooses to live their life away from where the current services and schools are expect to get al these services duplicated for only a few people. If we had that n the city we would have a primary school in every block and 20,000 hospitals. And to have this we would all pay 98% tax FFS

Closing communities doesn't mean aboriginal people can not choose to go live there, they will just have to pay for services them selves just like all other people in Australia have to if we decide to live in a remote area.

And the funniest thing is that many Western Australian ABORIGINAL LEADERS support the move, Ian Trust is one for example (Link). So you city folk should stay out of arguing something you know nothing about... This is not aimed at Stokes, who by the way grew up in Darwin and not in a community, but at clowns on here arguing based on political correctness rather than what is best for people.
 
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The reason why "lifestyle choice" is offensive is because Aboriginal people in remote places don't chose the life. They inherit it from their elders and it is their responsibility to look after the land. They are obligated to live that way.
 
mike123 said:
The reason why "lifestyle choice" is offensive is because Aboriginal people in remote places don't chose the life. They inherit it from their elders and it is their responsibility to look after the land. They are obligated to live that way.
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Are they obligated to live off handouts?

I agree with Smoocher - if they want to stay remote they can be left to their own devices. If they want to move to find work, education for their kids, support them to the extent anyone else would be supported.
 
LOL at the people who think a huge amount of these people have the skills, means or desire to "simply" relocate. All you'd be doing is making an even more disadvantaged group of people. It would be even more of a national disgrace.

Let's forget that for a second and look at it practically. So we get an influx of thousands into towns like Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. Where are all these jobs and advantages going to come from? These towns struggle with these issues already. So where do they go? Perth? How do they get there and get housing? Where do they live, Midvale? That's about as much struggle as it gets in the city.

The logistics of the proposed plans even if everyone is on board is an absolute nightmare. Does anyone actually think about this?
 
ApplecrossWC said:
Didn't take long for the racists to appear in this thread.
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Mate, nothing in the thread up to the point of your post was even remotely racist (unless since been deleted).

It's people like you who wrongly and slanderously cry racism when a white person discusses Aboriginal problems re poverty, etc that stifle debate and allow third world standards to continue to exist.

Stop trying to take the moral high ground and stop casually and groundlessly accusing good people of being racist.
 
Smoocher said:
In this politically correct world there is no debate. If anyone has an opinion that is centre of left they get shot down.
Like I said I am very hopeful that these remote communities stay remote if that is what they want. I also say if they want to live in a remote community with no chance of finding work then pensions should be cut off just like they would for someone who lives in suburbia and isn't able/trying to find a job.
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Brilliant post.
 
Rimbaz said:
I think it's fantastic that people are comfortable enough in our society to openly criticize the Prime Minister. It's one of the foundations of our society. What I'm not comfortable with however is a man charged with drug trafficking doing this. Should his message resonate with young people and they start idolizing him what example does he set?
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I'm confused? Are you not comfortable that the foundations of society allow people who have committed a crime and paid for it to have a voice in society......?
 
Rimbaz said:
I think it's fantastic that people are comfortable enough in our society to openly criticize the Prime Minister. It's one of the foundations of our society. What I'm not comfortable with however is a man charged with drug trafficking doing this. Should his message resonate with young people and they start idolizing him what example does he set?

I think Mathew Stokes is a fantastic footballer, however after questionable decision he's forfeited his right to speak out on such matters. Better that he funnels such through better indigenous role models of which there are dozens throughout the AFL.
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What a load of s**t.
 
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