Should we change Australia Day from the 26th?

[A Cut Above]

Howdy DHs, Boskndy here with another controversial topic destined to provoke an inevitable mod deletefest rampage.

Jeff Kennett is a buffoon. As further roof of this incontrovertible fact he's jumping on the change Australia Day bandwagon for reasons unexplained, maybe because its horrifyingly been more than 5 minutes since his name appeared in print: The Age article

Of course this would get brought up again right before Australia Day, just as it has been in recent years thanks to the increasing shrill voice of the lunatic left-wing fringe and the depressing seriousness with which we're expected to take them. What primarily shits me about all this is that changing the date of Australia Day does nothing to improve or remove those elements of Australian history the present generation finds objectionable, does nothing to change the present circumstances of the descendants of those adversely affected by them, and is a woefully poor substitute for any genuine attempt to compensate them through material means, something which to an extent has already happened.

Changing Australia Day reeks of a cynical and crass attempt to throw the Aboriginal population an appeasement bone, with the goal of buying ourselves as much white guilt alleviation for the smallest possible amount of effort. A transparently token gesture which disassocaties the nation's day from its founding and colonization, divorces us from the past 73 years of celebrating it on the 26th, and further prompts the question "how on earth are we to determine one day of the year on which horrible things weren't done to Aboriginals by our colonial forebears?". Not only would we be breaking a national tradition to appease 2% of our population for events that (mostly) part took place over 200 years ago, but we'd have no guarantee that 2% might not at some future time find something else objectionable about the new date we choose. In a sense we'd be allowing Australia Day to be held hostage.

Lefty feminist nutjobs may disagree, but its perfectly possible to feel every sort of sympathy for the plight of Aboriginals and indignation towards the horrific manner in which they were treated... AND also prefer Australia Day remains on the 26th. These views are not mutually exclusive, only minds as small as their own are incapable of holding both simultaneously.

That's my view and I'm not above changing it if you can conclusively demonstrate why I'm wrong. In the meantime I'll wander off pondering the uncomfortable strangeness of how it feels at such times to wish Bruce Ruxton were still alive.

 

[harry000]

No.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Oops, better delete that before the snowflakes arrive and button masher Bosk locks his eyes in.

 

[Starburns_]

Pretty certain this thread exists on SRP...

Still, it hardly surprises me to see a Hawf supporter advocating that the date remain the same considering that club's historic attitude to Indigenous players.

Europeans moved in and colonised the place, we essentially took the country from the Indigenous people. Yes, in hindsight it's pretty bad, but that's how things were done back then and there's no coming back from that, doesn't mean we need to rub their noses in it every year though.

Like, who is actually that attached to Australia Day really? 90% of people here would just treat it as an excuse to have a BBQ, sink piss, and maybe hit the beach. Moving it to any other day in January doesn't actually impact that, yet people get so b***hurt over a (pretty flimsy) historical date.

Hopefully when we finally become a Republic our government at the time is smart enough (yes, I know) to pass the legislation on a different date and tie us to that.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

 

[A Cut Above]

Pretty certain this thread exists on SRP...

Still, it hardly surprises me to see a Hawf supporter advocating that the date remain the same considering that club's historic attitude to Indigenous players.

Europeans moved in and colonised the place, we essentially took the country from the Indigenous people. Yes, in hindsight it's pretty bad, but that's how things were done back then and there's no coming back from that, doesn't mean we need to rub their noses in it every year though.

Like, who is actually that attached to Australia Day really? 90% of people here would just treat it as an excuse to have a BBQ, sink piss, and maybe hit the beach. Moving it to any other day in January doesn't actually impact that, yet people get so b***hurt over a (pretty flimsy) historical date.

Hopefully when we finally become a Republic our government at the time is smart enough (yes, I know) to pass the legislation on a different date and tie us to that.

You typed all that without having the guts to vote Yes in the poll?

 

[mike123]

As an aboriginal person I’d like to see it changed but it’s not my biggest concern in life.

 

[Starburns_]

You typed all that without having the guts to vote Yes in the poll?

I forgot.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

As an aboriginal person I’d like to see it changed but it’s not my biggest concern in life.

I myself am indigenous and I say a big **** you to those millennial left wing snowflakes like starbust who have been brainwashed and can't think for themselves.

 

[mike123]

I myself am indigenous and I say a big **** you to those millennial left wing snowflakes like starbust who have been brainwashed and can't think for themselves.

How do you know starburns isn’t thinking for himself?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

How do you know starburns isn’t thinking for himself?

Just a hunch.

 

[mike123]

Just a hunch.

Most brainwashed lefties write worse crap so I’m skeptical.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Most brainwashed lefties write worse crap so I’m skeptical.

Most definitely a politically correct lefty and one of the reasons all the good eggs have disappeared from here.

 

[NorthernLights]

Who actually associates the date with genocide though? Pretty sure it’s only supposed to be thought of as a day to celebrate the good things about Australia.

 

[harry000]

I myself am indigenous and I say a big **** you to those millennial left wing snowflakes like starbust who have been brainwashed and can't think for themselves.

As a millennial he most snowflake thing Ive done regarding this issue issue boycott Triple J when they changed the hottest 100 date away from Australia day.. ****ers

 

[NorthernLights]

As a millennial he most snowflake thing Ive done regarding this issue issue boycott Triple J when they changed the hottest 100 date away from Australia day.. ******s

I only listen to the Double J version these days. A day after the triple J one and they replay the hottest 100 from 20 years prior, this year it’s 1998

 

[A Cut Above]

Who actually associates the date with genocide though? Pretty sure it’s only supposed to be thought of as a day to celebrate the good things about Australia.

Apparently because a tiny minority of the population associates this day with negative connotations its irresponsible, disrespectful and probably downright evil of the rest of us to associate it with anything else. Must be something to do with the patriarchy.

 

[Jazny]

If it makes people happy to change the date, then change it. It doesn't really matter.

 

[A Cut Above]

If it makes people happy to change the date, then change it. It doesn't really matter.

Everything matters. For one thing, our neighbors are sure to take notice of a country so ill at ease with itself that it resorts to butchering its own national day to appease 2% of its population because its too afraid, guilty or lazy to treat with them properly.

Imagine lions carefully scanning herds of gazelle for signs of any with open wounds or a limp - that's how international politics works. So yes it matters.

 

[mike123]

Everything matters. For one thing, our neighbors are sure to take notice of a country so ill at ease with itself that it resorts to butchering its own national day to appease 2% of its population because its too afraid, guilty or lazy to treat with them properly.

Imagine lions carefully scanning herds of gazelle for signs of any with open wounds or a limp - that's how international politics works. So yes it matters.

That’s a little dramatic.

 

[A Cut Above]

That’s a little dramatic.

So is my post history.

 

[Socrates2]

Howdy DHs, Boskndy here with another controversial topic destined to provoke an inevitable mod deletefest rampage.

Jeff Kennett is a buffoon. As further roof of this incontrovertible fact he's jumping on the change Australia Day bandwagon for reasons unexplained, maybe because its horrifyingly been more than 5 minutes since his name appeared in print: The Age article

Of course this would get brought up again right before Australia Day, just as it has been in recent years thanks to the increasing shrill voice of the lunatic left-wing fringe and the depressing seriousness with which we're expected to take them. What primarily shits me about all this is that changing the date of Australia Day does nothing to improve or remove those elements of Australian history the present generation finds objectionable, does nothing to change the present circumstances of the descendants of those adversely affected by them, and is a woefully poor substitute for any genuine attempt to compensate them through material means, something which to an extent has already happened.

Changing Australia Day reeks of a cynical and crass attempt to throw the Aboriginal population an appeasement bone, with the goal of buying ourselves as much white guilt alleviation for the smallest possible amount of effort. A transparently token gesture which disassocaties the nation's day from its founding and colonization, divorces us from the past 73 years of celebrating it on the 26th, and further prompts the question "how on earth are we to determine one day of the year on which horrible things weren't done to Aboriginals by our colonial forebears?". Not only would we be breaking a national tradition to appease 2% of our population for events that (mostly) part took place over 200 years ago, but we'd have no guarantee that 2% might not at some future time find something else objectionable about the new date we choose. In a sense we'd be allowing Australia Day to be held hostage.

Lefty feminist nutjobs may disagree, but its perfectly possible to feel every sort of sympathy for the plight of Aboriginals and indignation towards the horrific manner in which they were treated... AND also prefer Australia Day remains on the 26th. These views are not mutually exclusive, only minds as small as their own are incapable of holding both simultaneously.

That's my view and I'm not above changing it if you can conclusively demonstrate why I'm wrong. In the meantime I'll wander off pondering the uncomfortable strangeness of how it feels at such times to wish Bruce Ruxton were still alive.

Just change the date, move it forward a week if you want.My view is that the first Australians, who had 50,000 plus years of continued sovereignty , should have their view respected.What's the big deal about respecting that view? The British were pricks all around the world back then, come to think of ot they're still pricks.Just pick a date that every campaigners happy with.The people who are against the date change , seem to fall into the category of people who use the terms snowflake, left feminist nut job, sjw ect also they are usually 3AW listeners or Hersld Sun/ The Australian readers.Why dont you make up your own mind without Neil Mitchell, Paul Murray and all the other sorry campaigners that exist to provoke and insult .The people against it are 90% against it because they hate the so called lefties so much.In fact most of their positions on issues are made by opposing every 'lefty' suggestion.

 

[Socrates2]

Everything matters. For one thing, our neighbors are sure to take notice of a country so ill at ease with itself that it resorts to butchering its own national day to appease 2% of its population because its too afraid, guilty or lazy to treat with them properly.

Imagine lions carefully scanning herds of gazelle for signs of any with open wounds or a limp - that's how international politics works. So yes it matters.

"Apease 2% of the population", well they used to be 100% of the population for 50,000 years, does that matter to you at all or do you want to ask Neil Mitchell first? Don't get fooled by the Murdoch fake news use your own brain

 

[Jazny]

Everything matters. For one thing, our neighbors are sure to take notice of a country so ill at ease with itself that it resorts to butchering its own national day to appease 2% of its population because its too afraid, guilty or lazy to treat with them properly.

Imagine lions carefully scanning herds of gazelle for signs of any with open wounds or a limp - that's how international politics works. So yes it matters.

I think we can do both things. Treat them properly and change the date, won't it make Australia stronger if everyone who lives here feels included and like they belong in Australia? I don't think this is the biggest issue in Australia right now.

 

[Benny78]

We should change it from the 26th of January (the day the first fleet arrived a Port Jackson) to something that means more than the docking of a ship. It would make sense to celebrate the date first blood was drawn between white man and indigenous, as it symbolizes the start of our conquest as a nation.