Recently the issue (issues ??) of apologizing to the Aboriginals in Australia has been widely debated in (among ? ) the society. The Aboriginal Australians are the natives of Australia before the ‘colonization’ of the British people. It can be said that the ‘Aboriginal peoples are the original owners of this continent’ (Attwood 200: 256). Therefore, it is important that an apology is given to the Aboriginals. In a recent news poll survey, approximately six out of ten Australians believed that the present Australians were not responsible for what had happened to the Aboriginals in the past (Newspoll, Saulwick, Muller & Mackay 2000: 34). It can be seen that a majority of people believed that apologizing to the Aboriginals is not required. However, I disagree that apologizing to the Aboriginal Australians is not necessary. This essay will consider arguments for the necessity of giving an apology to the Aboriginals regarding cruelty towards the Aboriginals, discrimination and to prevent rebellion.
Cruelty towards the Aboriginals has been a contentious factor in this debate. The total absorption of the aboriginals which is being practice is one of the reasons why the Aboriginals deserve an apology (Manne 1997: 24). By total absorption it means that the Aboriginal children would be removed from their parents (Manne 1997: 24). Removing the children causes a separation between the young ones with their parents. At the same time, the child loses their common knowledge (mother land perhaps ?) of their cultural origin. Neville (1937, cited in Manne 1997: 23) himself believed that removing the child has its’ complications when he says ‘it is well known that colored races all over the world detest ‘institutionalism’ and that ‘they have a tremendous affection for their children’. No matter what race or religion one is, he/she has a bond with his/her child. By separating them, it is like dividing a person into two parts. Separating the children was just an assumption that it.
