I accept that there was a ’stolen generation’ of Aboriginal Australians, and that these children were forcibly removed from their families for political and ideological reasons that had nothing to do with the quality of their lives with their families. Many children were removed because the white government thought it knew best, not because the children were neglected or abused.
Now, white government officials are so paranoid and politically correct that they prefer to allow Aboriginal children to be neglected and abused by their families and their communities than to expose themselves to the accusation that they have removed children from the care of their families for political purposes. It’s deparately sad and tragic that government policy has again failed Aboriginal children.
Lowitja O’Donoghue and other Aborignal activists are determined to see an official government apology made to all Aboriginal people for creating the stolen generation. I think it would be a good thing for the federal government to acknowledge that former policies were not appropriate.
What is far more important is dealing with the current, political correctness caused madness that has the judiciary failing to enforce the law in order to prevent jailing Aboriginal youths and men for rapes, sexual assaults and other violent crimes (usually against other Aborigines). It is apalling that despite their own poor circumstances these men are allowed to make others suffer. Deaths in custody should not prevent violent people from being locked up for the safety of others, especially children.
The Aurukun child rape case is a disaster. The girl has been abandoned by her family, her community and the law. I find it hard to believe the statements of the (then) 10 year old girl’s family that they were let down by the legal system. After all, the girl was first abused by ‘a close family member’ before she was 5 years old according to reports.
They have subsequently failed to protect her from abuse by other members of the community. As for Aurukun Mayor Neville Pootchemunka, his son was one of the rapists. How can he claim the town was let down by the law? He failed in his role as a father and community leader. The people are the cause of their own problems.
Obviously, the broader explanation for community dysfunction is the lack of a point to life in remote communities. There is no economy, no work, no need to plan for the future, no need to provide for yourself or your family, and a never ending flow of money in the form of passive welfare. I totally support Aboriginal leaders like Noel Pearson and Marcia Langton in championing an end to passive welfare. Pearson also advocates permanently removing children being neglected and abused. I agree.
The consequence of removing almost all the children (if failure to be sent to school by their parents is considered a form of neglect) and imprisoning many of the men sentenced to violent crimes would be to empty and close the worst communities. They are already too small and too remote to be viable. This could force them to be closed forever. The remaining people would need to move to larger communities or towns in their regions.
The government now needs to remove many children for their safety. Is the government ready to own the consequences of such actions?