"You are the new Australians, but we are the old
Australians. You came here only recently, and you took our land from us by force. You have
almost exterminated our people, but there are enough of us remaining to expose the humbug
of your claim, as white Australians, to be a civilized, progressive, kindly and humane
nation ... We do not wish to be regarded with sentimental sympathy, or to be 'preserved',
... but we do ask for your real sympathy and understanding ...
We ask you to teach our people to live in the modern age
as modern citizens. Our people are good and quick in assimilating knowledge ... Give our
children the same chances as your own, and they will do as well as white children. We ask
you to be proud of the Australian Aborigines and not to be misled any longer by the
superstition that we are a naturally backward and low race. This is a scientific lie,
which has helped to push our people down and down into the mire.
At worst, we are not more dirty, lazy, stupid, criminal
or immoral, than white people. Also, your slanders against our race are moral lies, told
to throw all the blame for our troubles on to us. You, who originally conquered us by guns
against our spears, now rely on superiority of numbers to support your false claims of
moral and intellectual superiority."
[Zitat in: Triolo, Rosalie: The Australian
experience. -- Melbourne : Cambridge University Press, ©1996. -- S. 17.]
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