The Commonwealth Games

According to Diogenes Lamp a group of Aborigines have banded together, gained employment, saved and invested their money over several generations and ultimately bought a lot of valuable real estate in Melbourne. Well that’s the only take I can get from this statement about the opening of the Commonwealth Games.

After the national anthem the premier,Mr Steve Bracks, will thank the aborigines for the use of their land, and will then be joined by a Koori spiritual leader, and representatives of four branches of Islam, in a euphoric celebration of the world’s spiritual diversity.

With Aborigines representing around 2.4% of our population and Muslims about 1.5% why are just these groups getting such a disproportionate amount of attention? Greeks represent about 7.5% of our population with a huge number of them living in Melbourne. Italians are another larger ethnic group with their highest concentration being in Melbourne (320,000) and yet it looks like the opening of the games is going to be a “euphoric celebration of the world’s politically correct spiritually diversity”. The Greeks and the Italians have contributed a huge amount to Australia’s culture in a very positive manner and yet it would appear they aren’t getting a guernsey. I don’t think the Muslims have been here in sufficient numbers for sufficient time to contribute to our cultural or spiritual diversity and ertainly not to any extent to warrant such centre-stage presence. The Aborigines , of course have been here forever and deserve a part in any national celebration or international event but surely not to the detriment of the rest of us.

This will be followed by notable indigenous sports persons such as Evonne Goolagong, Graham Farmer, Michael Long, Lionel Rose, Cathy Freeman, and Syd Jackson, marching under the aboriginal flag. Other indigenous Australians in traditional dress will perform a corroboree and play the didgeridoo.

If there’s anything that gets up my ribs it is the Aborigine “Flag” being paraded every time we are on the world’s TV screens. I think there should be a parade of notable Australian sports persons whose attendance is based on them having representing Australia in the international sports arenas, whatever their ethnic background …and they should be marching under an Australian Flag. If an Aborigine fits that prerequisite then well and good but while we only recognize them then we are ignoring the hundreds of other cultures that makes up Australia. While our backgrounds are diverse, in the international arena we must become one people, one country and one flag.