History can also be selectively quoted to suit a particular agenda and accurate history can be twisted by those who attempt to rewrite it to suit their own purpose.
Shane Lewis attacked me (QT April 13) and mentioned white people kicking the heads off Aboriginal babies and other atrocities. Patricia Thompson (QT April 6) also mentioned the massacre of Aborigines by non Aborigines. It is a pity they were so selective in their treatment of history.
T.G.H. Strehlow is probably the highest authority on Aboriginal culture and customs. He was an internationally respected anthropologist and his memory is revered by black and white alike.
In one of his works entitled "Journey to Horseshoe Bend", Strehlow describes the terrible massacre of one group of blacks by another. The event took place in 1875 in the Finke River area of Central Australia. The massacre was triggered by an act of sacrilege committed by a respected ceremonial chief.
In Strehlow's words "the warriors turned their murderous attention to the women and older children and either clubbed or speared them to death. Finally, according to the grim custom of warriors and avengers they broke the limbs of the infants, leaving them to die natural deaths. The final number of the dead could well have reached the high figure of 80 to 100 men, women and children." The massacre described by Strehlow is just one of the many instances of brutality by black against black.
In "Elders: Hanson ignorant" (QT Feb 22), Aboriginal elder Gladys Graham said "Mrs Hanson should receive a traditional Urgarapul punishment: having her hands and feet crippled."
It is a sad inditement that such savage and primitive sentiments still exist. Inciting violence is a criminal offence. If a white Australian had made such comments, the response from the politically correct would have been deafening.
The greater Aboriginal community is not well served by many of those who claim to be its leaders. Their actions and words only create increased resentment and dissaffection in the wider community.
The growing scandal of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) is just one example. ATSIC is a disgrace and should be abolished. It has helped create two Australias and has failed dismally to help those it was meant to serve.
Senator Herron (Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs) must allow it to be exposed to public scrutiny so that ordinary tax payers know how billions of dollars have been squandered on the whole Aboriginal industry.
It does not serve any good purpose to continually dredge up the past. In the long run nobody profits. We should look to the future, but many activists find this impossible.
There can only be one united Australia if we are to survive as a viable, sovereign nation.
At present, their are divisive forces in our society that put their self interest ahead of the national interest.
Governments cannot continue to listen to noisy, taxpayer funded minority groups at the expense of mainstream Australia.
Pauline Hanson, Member for Oxley.
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