For years upon heaped years indigenous Australians in remote rural communities have been neck deep in widespread serious problems to quote one of the authors;
“Breakdown of families, alcoholism, drug-taking, pornography, unemployment, overcrowding, lack of discipline, children not going to school — everywhere we went, they were the running themes”
These problems are all related of course and build on each other. Nor are they restricted to such communities but are far more public and widespread there. It took ABC lateline TV program (a curious mix of conservative and leftist ideologies that report on rural issues) to jolt an official government report into it. That too would have been ignored had it not been for the eager media and the child abuse in the report to corner the election sensitive Federal government into action.
It’s sad isn’t it? Everyone has minimised attention to this issue. You can’t absolve or fully blame Howard and the Liberals. It’s been on in Labour times too and before we blame the state, it’s not just in the NT where the report was centred that this happens. The police and other authorities have failed to deliver on criminal prevention and services. Australians have ignored it too. Even many Indigenous people.
So now PM Howard has acted. The action decided is quite authoritarian which is good in terms of getting things done which is definitely plus. Of course it is less good in terms of dependency and freedom. It remains to be seen what is actually done of course and how much real improvement results. On the whole I support the actions, they are late and easily debatable but we need immediate improvement not hand wringing, before we can move these places on into functional free communities.
That second step is going to be much more difficult.
I have to remember that when you use the designation “ABC”, you are referring to Australian Broadcasting Company, vice American, most likely
“I accept that but what matters more – the constitutional niceties or the care and protection of young children?”
Very true, and very important. Get the good work done, then worry about blame and/or kudos.
Yes The ABC here is not your ABC. Ours is government funded, fairly lefty too and they are more than news they are an entire channel.
Ahh, government controlled media … what fun. (Not)
Ours is a whole channel as well, and is owned by Disney. What’s that say about us? LOL!
I did a double take when I first heard about this problem and Howard’s solution. Now I’ve expanded my snippet of knowledge I’m none the wiser on the connection between pornography, booze and child abuse.
Neither of these things turns loving parents into child abusers. That sort of pathology is a bit more deep-rooted in my opinion. Isn’t it a wee bit patronizing too to say that decent, normal Aussies can handle booze and porn, but Aborigines must be baby sat?
Interesting to see the old argument about condoms encouraging underage sex rearing its head. Didn’t the pope try that one? We all know how clued up he/they are.