Here be dragons!
A difficult story in the news at the moment: the appalling child abuse occurring in the town camps in the Territory. When I hear about this, and similar stories, my mind slides around the topic, never actually touching it, never wanting to dwell on it. It's like on the mediaeval maps "Here be dragons...". As a mother of young daughters, I don't want to confront the inevitable pain these stories bring. I still haven't been able to bring myself to watch 'Rabbit Proof Fence'
I have decided I'm dealing with this one.
The crux of the matter seems to be that there is an all-pervading sense of despair, guilt, and neglect in regards to children in the remote aboriginal communities. There doesn't seem to be any concerted efforts to deal with the problems of substance-abuse, of education, of the lack of 'community'. And casually dismissing concerns about systematic, horrific child abuse as being 'culturally inherent' is outrageous. The media went mad when Colleen McCullough excused the sex abuse of minors on Pitcairn as being a cultural tradition. Yet they seem quite happy to ignore the abuse of children as young as 2, simply because it's only what can be expected of the Aborigines. It reminds me of the acceptance within the media of Pauline Hanson's comments about aborigines being cannibals. And interestingly, the same charges have been leveled against the Native Americans - lots of reports about child abuse stemming from substance abuse and neglect... We are all too happy to accept that they are the worst of the worst, the most primitive of people, especially if that gives us leave to ignore them, to abrogate our responsibility as a society to protect the most helpless...
Now, the relevant Federal minister is talking about Paedophile rings operating within the town camps, and talking tough about stamping out 'Mafia-style' crime rings. Which is all well and good, and more power to him etc... But the unscrupulous will always prey on the helpless, and there seems to be an awful lot of helplessness up there...
I have decided I'm dealing with this one.
The crux of the matter seems to be that there is an all-pervading sense of despair, guilt, and neglect in regards to children in the remote aboriginal communities. There doesn't seem to be any concerted efforts to deal with the problems of substance-abuse, of education, of the lack of 'community'. And casually dismissing concerns about systematic, horrific child abuse as being 'culturally inherent' is outrageous. The media went mad when Colleen McCullough excused the sex abuse of minors on Pitcairn as being a cultural tradition. Yet they seem quite happy to ignore the abuse of children as young as 2, simply because it's only what can be expected of the Aborigines. It reminds me of the acceptance within the media of Pauline Hanson's comments about aborigines being cannibals. And interestingly, the same charges have been leveled against the Native Americans - lots of reports about child abuse stemming from substance abuse and neglect... We are all too happy to accept that they are the worst of the worst, the most primitive of people, especially if that gives us leave to ignore them, to abrogate our responsibility as a society to protect the most helpless...
Now, the relevant Federal minister is talking about Paedophile rings operating within the town camps, and talking tough about stamping out 'Mafia-style' crime rings. Which is all well and good, and more power to him etc... But the unscrupulous will always prey on the helpless, and there seems to be an awful lot of helplessness up there...
Labels: Cranky (again)
posted by actonb at 7:46 am
20 Comments:
B I don't really know what to say on this one. Like you - I'm kind of horrified too much to deal with it and process it.
But thanks for facing it head-on.
Isnt it funny they use the words pedo and ring in the one term to describe them?
ewwwww
Um...all jokes aside, just what exactly has Nac faced head-on, Chesty ??
As I understand it, she has accepted the fact the problem exists and needs to be dealt with by someone, though not her.
Or you, paralysed with horror as usual.
What sort of crap are you two serving up here...
Er, yeah...
That's kinda my problem. I have identified said problem, and have no idea what can be done.
Well I do, but didn't put it in because it sounded too sound-bitey. Whereas waffling ineffectually is doing so much to resolve the issues, don't you think?
i have to agree with fingers on this one and almost said exactly the same thing yesterday - but i have my nice hat on at the moment.
No, I just meant that she actually stopped and wrote about it. Which I could not do.
Sorry for my poor choice of words, asshole (fingers not mex).
A friend of mine lives in a camp in northern WA - her partner is the white fella who is the manager of the area.
She tells many stories of the endemic cultural differences, and how the previous conscience-assuaging solution of just throwing money at them to make everyone feel better is not helping. The camp is given a 4WD to get supplies, etc. they just drive it around until something breaks, then they leave it where it lies and ask for another one.
Don't know the answer either, and from my comfy life in the big smoke am a little loath to preach, but I would have thought that getting rid of the grog and making them take some responsibility for at least certain activities, such as child abuse, might be a good start.
I understand your point actonb, as it is much easier not to think about it, but I don't know that we should feel particularly brave just yet...
Listen Nac, I have no idea how you tackle some of the problems faced by this country's Aborigines, but I didn't 'pretend' to raise the subject in the first place.
Two hundred and fifty years ago they were just going about their stone-age business, not really bothering anyone, when we arrived with a bunch of substances they had never encountered and for which they had no natural immunity.
Not hard to guess how that would turn out...
We saw the same things in Tahiti - Cecile was interning in the Pediatrics Ward. They had cases of little 5 year olds raped and it seems to be Tahitian males standard practise to deflower his own daughters on puberty (or before). Also lots of wife-bashing. They were big on animal-bashing, too. Again there's a BIG alcohol problem and pakalolo - strong home-grown weed.
OK, so the way to deal with the problem is: Unless you're out on the coal face (so to speak) then don't think, don't write, don't ackowledge the problem exists.
Because I have no right to be freaked out; no right to openly despair of the situation...
Is this what you're saying?
I've lived for five years in Port Hedland, and doing so has dissolved a lot of the sympathy that bleeding hearts lay on city dwellers about "The Aboriginal Condition". The white fella is damned if he does, and damned if he doesnt. If we leave children to be abused, we are guilty. Remove them for thierown protection, and in 40 years you will have Stolen Generation II - The Trek Home.
Govenments thorw money at the problem, throw aid at the problem, but it will never go away. The cutural divide is too great. It is too easy to get booze, too easy to not got to school, too easy to live on welfare. You can't house these people, because they dont understand the white culture and the expectations on them - and too many people dont understand the black culture. Homeswest has regular problems here with aboriginal families bundling 30-40 people in a house - but it is thier culture not to refuse to help a family member - and the definition of family is pretty loose.
Natives dont understand the responsibility they have as workers - I have seen excellent men, best in their craft - just not show up on a Monday after a year of working for us; they have "gone walkabout" and never come back. The real issue is not what the white man needs to be doing, but that the black leaders need to be setting the example and making changes from within. that is the only way you will see any form of cultural change.
And while you're at it, b. Stop caring. And stop thinking. And start criticising anyone who does ...
we cant expect them to just ignore their culture and come and be on the 'white/right' side... there needs to be understanding from both sides of the fence but no one seems to be listening.
mmmm...is it true that B doesn't do anything? I wonder who she votes for...anybody notice that in the budget not much attention was paid to how much was spent on disadvantaged groups. We were we all too worried about our own back pocket. Now I am not saying that 'throwing money' is the answer but surely it is significant that our present government has consistently cut spending to Aboriginal support. Also isn't B a Christian I wonder if her horror means that she prays... perhaps a hopeless waist of time or perhaps the most significant spiritual act possible.
Nicely put Donnie.
Massive problem of culture-clash and what to do with a 'conquered' people. Bash them into assimilation for their own good ?? Lead them gently into the fold at a great expense no one seems willing to bear ?? Marginalise them in areas so remote the problem is barely visible ??
Ban them from drinking and the civil libertarians will be all over you, force them to attend school and be accused of stormtrooping, give them food stamps instead of cash to spunk and you're a social engineer.
And la Rue...there is a little more to caring than just saying 'I care' before going back to contemplating something more palatable to your sensibilities.
You really are a silly cunt sometimes...
Fingers, get fucked.
You're boring.
Anon: I think you may have a point. I personally know of a christian group with a long-term outreach in Brewarina, at the coal face so to speak. Am hoping to go with them next school holidays.
Be careful with those casual promises, Nac.
I have a sneaking suspicion that 'Anon' might be God...
who is this anon FREAK!!!!???
Am I a freak? Am I God? Possibly both?
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