I was unaware of this thread until directed here by Katlaughing - Hilda, for what it is worth, there is at least one 'WhiteFella' weeping with you.

As I wrote in another thread, I am proud to have known many Aboriginals in my life - and yes SOME of them have come from very decrepit and slum-condition communities. More than a few were the products of the Stolen Generation. I was even honoured to be called by an Aboriginal name by one of them. It was at Teacher's College and (to other white guys disgust) I loved hanging out with the eight Indigenes who were there with us on scholarships. At first it was curiosity about them (I'd never met an Aboriginal before this) and it quickly grew to friendship. Rob Kantilla was a kind of leader among them (the only full-blood and not a 'Stolen Child') and after about three months he began referring to me as 'Djambi' (at least I think that was the word - it sounds right these many years passed) I asked him what it meant because I thought he was 'having a go at me / making fun of me / giving me a comic nick-name, or some such thing. He told me it was a word that meant 'brother/friend' but it didn't quite mean a 'blood' kin while it also meant a LOT more than simply 'friend'. I asked him why he called me that and he said simply "because you are one of us. You don't treat us any different, you don't talk down to us, you don't patronise us, if you think we've said something wrong you tell us and don't care if we like that assessment or not. You act with us as if we were all the same colour and I am proud to call you brother"

It was the first time I ever recall crying due to a compliment.

Hilda has raised some really good points:

I was horrified when Howard made his comments and hoped against hope he was simply "tossing political hay" until the army and police vehicles rolled in and there were reports that elders were hiding children because they feared a return of a 'Stolen Generation' situation: rightly since the Western Australian Govt minister has just sent in Non-Aboriginal Social Workers, Doctors, Psychologists to a community with the threat "Any children found at risk will be taken" - did the WA Govt learn NOTHING from the 'Stolen Generations' lessons - - - obviously not. And they can get away with it because we white fellers are quite content to sit on our collective apathy and say nothing - there IS an intrinsic Racial prejudice there and I am ashamed of it.
Ely Weissel once replied to a fellow Auschwitz internee who asked him why they were in such a position, why had God abandoned His people to suffer like this. "Where, in all this inhumanity, is God?" asked his fellow inmate. Ely's reply was simply: "No! The question is 'Where in all this inhumanity is MAN'?"
His words echo today - where is man in this latest injustice?
Are we as a people preopared to sit back and alow another generation to be taken?

Yes there are those deplorable activities - drunkenness, pornography, child abuse etc; in Aboriginal Communities - but they also exist in suburban, rural, farming, city populations of WHITE AUSTRALIA. Is the government and John Howard going to 'send in the troops' to "protect the children" there???? Of course not.

Hilda raises a relevant point: regards the slovenly appearance of these communities - why? she gives several - money awarded but the communities not made aware, monies available but communities not advised how to access it - and so on and the monies simply rebound into the government coffers unused and unaccessed or accessible!

I went on a trip to Alice Springs in 2002 and travelled the Mereenie Loop to visit Hermannsburg as well as other sites: We had to first obtain a permit to travel the loop and then we were questioned as to WHY we wanted to travel it and then our car was checked to make certain we had no alcohol or other contraband with us - I was too scared to even fill a drum with petrol in case we ran out - and we only JUST made it back to the Alice on fumes.
I was disappointed that a place like Hermannsburg could be so decrepit - until I understand via Hilda's explanations as to WHY - they simply cannot access what is required.

We must also look at another side of things - yes there are "suspect" communities out there - - - BUT there are also a grat many (and an increasing number) of communities out there which have stamped out the drug/petrol sniffing/alcohol/abuses problems entirely. How have they done it - by returning to tribal standards, by reverting to 'Elder Rule' in the traditional manner and by taking back ownership of themselves. If Howard wants to be genuine - have him send advisors from the Aboriginal Communities that HAVE cleaned up their act to those struggling to do so. We cannot fix their problems for them - we are not their culture. We need to facilitate in tandem with their own elders, the chance to address their own issues in ways RELEVANT to them that will work for them. The communities that have done so thus far have done so by using their own culture to achieve that success.

John Howards 'Jack-boots and all" approach is simply an attempt (a pathetic attempt) to win unthinking white folk to his forum - folk who don't want to think or are too lazy to do so. He picks on a problem, offers a red-necked, unthinking "solution" to win votes and then does what - allows the removal of permits to travel into 'Aboriginal Lands'. Thus opening the way for illicit products to find their way back into areas cleansed of them.

I guess I've ranted enough: but I am certain that if I were to rant in front of them in this manner, 'Aunty Dot', Banjo Clarke and Rob Kantilla - along with a lot of other past Aboriginal mates would be standing behind me nodding their agreement.

Keep fighting Hilda - there are a lot of White Australians out there who will stand behind you and nod support - and I think a great many more who will see the 'grandstanding' of the current Prime Minister as just that - political grandstanding at its prejudicial worst!

Muttley