Sorry Proof Country - Part 1 of 3

[anatheistmyself]

So!

Native Americans were abused, but so were White Americans. And vice versa.

It is about the attitude of those different cultures, which make or break a society!

Color, simply, does not matter!

[LordOfTheStrings06]

If all Australians were like most Australians, none of this would of ever happened...

[tittymumma]

Australian Aboriginals are an absolute scourge on society. They are a sub human species. DNA analysis indicates their species was probably spawned from the dregs of the ancient bacterium, winus bladderus, commonly known as a cask of Fruiti Gordo Moselle.

[liketammysaids]

yeah and they better be sorry. B aboriginal and proud to those out there who are, man!

[alchemist7414]

this the same kind of thing that happened to native americans in the united states, we dont have a sorry day though.

[numbat16]

Director Steve well done a good production thank you for your effort

[itachizlastresort]

um...hm.....i wish america had a sorry day

[TimmahUK]

I think you are wrong too, what if it had been coloured people who had done this? Would you then say that coloured people are taking advantage? I doubt it, i think you'll find the vast majority of whites are sickened by things like this, i know i am.

[XLongbeachX]

Stop ignoring the truth its been done to all coloured people for instance I am Native American the same has been done to my people by a white government and The Negro's have been mistreated and the Indo's from India have been sent as slaves to south Africa, Fiji ect. if you can name a country where white people ruled and treated everyone equal then you are right but in reality you can not. If you can name me a country where black people ruled and mistreated white people than you win your case.

[bellyd4me]

The poor aboriginal people much of the same as the US here had done to the american indians

[DirectorSteve]

Santokh2008. I believe you are wrong. Very wrong. Your answer presupposes that "whites" have some super powers and are morally corrupt. There is no way you can remove those traits from the human race as a whole (all colours have a tragic history of terrorising the powerless), as well as bestow virtue upon us all too (all colours have stories of bravery, wisdom and love).

This story is much more complex than you have shared, and I lament you are using it to make groundless generalisations.

[machintruc313]

The answer is: for every action, there is a reaction.

[Gindelbi]

A question for everyone who wants to answer.

When whites are expected to say sorry, but during their lives have had to fight or run from gangs of aboriginal people, how are they supposed to apologize to someone who wants to see them injured, or dead? This is not a personal question either. It happens a lot where I am and other places around. I'm asking for an intelligent answer, because I am not trying to sound racist. I look forward to the responses, if any.

[DirectorSteve]

Gindelbi, thanks for your question. I am not an expert in this field at all, and can only offer a personal reflection. Firstly, there are two issues - the corporate injustice of past decisions with their ramifications in broken families and lives, and individual groups and people responding to the world as a result of their upbringing, social pressures, and material/spiritual wealth/paucity.

To get clarity, we must separate individual aberrations from the generalities ... cont

[DirectorSteve]

For example. I recently was part of a conversation where a woman was hurt by an ex-boyfriend and her friend said it proves ALL men are evil. Obviously that is not true. And I am sure the conversation is repeated in many forms, with many subjects, daily. Certainly, in the heat of a break up or, in your situation, when you are facing physical threat, the feelings are real - but using these situations to discount our need to address broad, underlying issues is flawed. Personally, I have faced ...

[DirectorSteve]

threats from fellow whites. Does this mean I write off my "type" as all being violent thugs? Not really. There are good and bad, peaceful and angry, gentle and aggressive peoples within all "types". Some of the historical residue of stolen generation policies might have been a contributing factor in your experiences, but there would have been other issues in the mix. I hope these thoughts are helpful - it is hard to put into words. A good cross-cultural workshop might offer further clarity.

[sillyposter]

Not to be racist to you or justify what they did, but consider that it may be common for aboriginal kids that live in predominantly white areas to have to fight and run from gangs of white people on top of dealing with the effects of bigotry, and discrimination. Those kids are wrong if they are harming people who have not provoked them!But the same way they have to deal with the aftereffects of being dominated, y'all suffer their response. We all pay for the sins of our forefathers!

[Escekar]

@sillyposter I don't know what video you are responding to?

I thought we just watched one about Aboriginal Australians?

Not America...!

[Applebaum]

Theres no need to be an Apologist

Just be an Equality-ist

[DirectorSteve]

I agree. And reflecting on your fear of Oz it prompts me to also ponder how difficult it is to get the balance right when critiquing our past or making comments about other nations. If we go too heavy and get bogged in generalisations and stereotypes we can do more harm than good (we get left preaching to the converted). If we go too lightly, maybe we miss out on pricking consciences. Ultimately, I sense we share the same wish of wanting to move humankind forward for everybody's sake.

[Applebaum]

Australia scares me

[DirectorSteve]

Applebaum

I am sorry to hear this sentiment because it was certainly not my intention to tarnish all that is good about Australia. In fact, you should see in this documentary just how much goodwill was pouring through the hearts of average Australians on this issue.

I would like to hear a little more detail behind your comment to find out what aspect of Australia scares you. I am confident I could create a similar documentary about just about every nation on earth and draw this same response.

[Applebaum]

Australian tv especially Home& Away scares me. I dont think thers eva been an Aboriginal character in eva soap. The sheer utter lack of Aboriginal representation on Oz tv is a scary reflection of just how disclusive a society it is to 'un-white' people. Oz media likes2 perpetuate the poisionous myth that every1 is white,blond&sunkist ther we no about the Heath Ledgers the Kylie's where r the Aboriginal celebrities? Cathy Freeman is that it?....i mean doesnt this scare u. tht can b ur next doc.

[DirectorSteve]

Ah, I see where you are coming from now, thanks for the extra info. As an ex-media person, I too find home and away and so many of the popular programs disappointing for so many reasons. Mostly though, it is the machinations of big business making lowest common denominator decisions. If we had more diversity in channels, we would see more diversity in programming. The Secret Life Of Us springs to mind as an example of a powerful aboriginal character, and I just found ... more

[DirectorSteve]

continued ... this paper which actually shows that there have been/are aboriginal characters/actors in Australian soaps and general television. Whether that number represents the 1 percent of population or not, I do not know. I do know that Australia is ever changing and growing, as is humankind. Our task must surely be to move us all forward to better understandings about each other and pursuit of equality and fairness.

[tink1307]

thanx for posting this video lub'd it even though it was sad had me teary lol

[BJOXT45]

Why is it that some people refuse to see the truth? There is a woman in this video who suffered through this so called governmental help initiative telling you of her pain .Why is that whites feel everyone needs to be saved, educated or endoctrinated to things like them. These people were stolen like Africans during slavery and like the Indians were treated in America. Stolen from their family history and heritage. Their culture existed before the first whites ever landed in Australia......THINK

[Razzyo]

Great video, I just wish more people took the time to understand without making their ridiculous judgements

[DirectorSteve]

Thanks sk9utube. Yes, I came across these common stories during the research period. There is quite a burden of misery borne by many indigenous communities around the globe. I have heard the Canadian Prime Minister or President was one of the first world leaders to send a message of support to our PM, Kevin Rudd, after the official apology.

[sk9utube]

They did the same thing to Indian children in America and Canada and there are plenty of youtube videos that tell the same story.