The Black Diggers and Anzac history

Why does not Ray, who I know has a deep personal commitment to the frontier wars process, lay that wreath? Perhaps Mark Spinks, the MC of the event, could do so? Why is there now silence at the cenotaph relative to our fallen warriors? Is not the laying of a wreath a proper and respectful recognition of our collective Aboriginal struggle and to those who lost their lives to, and as a result of, that struggle? I would say yes.

Why is there now a strong sense that the political correctness of the black-arm-band construct is now being placed in the dominant position? I assume that the answer is funding: the pipers and tunes scenario. But surely no government funding is really required. I believe that the Black Diggers' event can be produced without the need for government dollars from any level.

It is my understanding that Ray and others, including myself, fully support the inclusion of the frontier wars not only in the main cenotaph in Canberra but also at Redfern and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander events to commemorate our fallen warriors in all the wars our people have fought and died. Another aim is to have a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial, at a place yet to be decided. Our own people will manage that national memorial only and we will decide the true history that will be included in that memorial. Our war memorial will remove the white-blindfold and our history of our involvement in all wars will be told, without conditions.

In Canberra, our memorial to our fallen warriors is behind the main memorial up a bush track. Why is it there? In Sydney our Aboriginal Artwork Memorial is also not included in the main memorial building but is to the rear or to the side of that building. Again, why? As in all areas of life, recognition without respect, a proper respect, is truly demeaning. To my mind the racism continues.

Roll on 25th April 2015. Whereby the centenary of a military disaster, defeat and retreat from Gallipoli is to become a nationalistic frenzy as our governments and politicians seek to manufacture a glorification of war over the need for remembrance of the horror of war.

As was said in the 2013 post, never again.