Australia Day - Change the date, or keep it the same?

[SouthAussie94]

Just wondering what people's thoughts are about Australia Day and the debate which is seemingly getting louder each year.

Should the date change, while still calling it Australia Day? Change the date and the name? Or maybe just change the name?

[bits]

To hate Australia Day is to hate Australia as it is now.
The argument makes zero sense to say that the day is not to be celebrated.

This Australia as we are right now would not be this Australia without the very culturally definable moment of the English settlement beginning.

You can not remove the settlement history without removing what is now Australia.

If you hate Australia as it is now, then you should not celebrate Australia Day and perhaps consider moving to a country you would enjoy. Then wait for their locals to complain and need to move to another country for them to complain and need to move?

[SRW]

I think you phrased it poorly.

Very little of the discontent is about having an Australia Day. More simply it's that if the national day is about celebrating our country's achievements and the things that connect us all, then it's exclusionary to hold it on a day that represents dispossession for a sizeable number of not just Australians but this land's first Australians.

I can understand defending Australia Day as a day of national celebration, but that's a concept that's not tethered to a particular date. The day would not be lessened but actually enhanced by holding it on some other date.

If you're defending January 26 because you want to celebrate the arrival of whites on ships and the commencement of colonisation, then I think you're defending a different thing. That's not celebrating Australia as it is now and shouldn't therefore be our national holiday.

[timtam20292]

Keep it.

[[Shuz]]

Keep the date. I'm surprised its even an issue. The left wing mob really need to move on and focus on more important things.

[bits]

I can understand defending Australia Day as a day of national celebration, but that's a concept that's not tethered to a particular date. The day would not be lessened but actually enhanced by holding it on some other date.

What date have you got in mind that has more merit historically than the current Australia Day?

The arrival and beginning of English colonisation is the most definable achievement of the current Australia.
The colour of skin is the most irrelevant thing, except that Australia now has mostly white colour skinned people.
The fact the white comment comes up shows how hung up people are over a skin colour. If Australia were colonised by Nigeria this would be the exact same story.

Nearly everything that we call Australia now came because of that first boat.
The most spoken language, the legal system, the government system, the education system, the architecture, the concept of cities, infrastructure, international trade, nearly all the current people and well almost everything.

The current Australia Day represents historically how we got to now.
January 26 does not represent a day of conflict between Aboriginals and English at all.

English arrived in Australia January 26 and changed Australia in to the current developed country we love.
It is the big bang of Australia and deserves celebration by all that love Australia as it is now.
You can't have it both ways where you hate that the English came but love The current Australia.

[Nathan]

Let's just ignore that January 26 marks the settlement of the colony of New South Wales. If we're going to celebrate the establishment of "Australia", then technically it should be January 1.

To say to hate Australia Day is to hate Australia as it is now is a massive leap, and is on par with those rubbish "love it or leave it" refrains.

[rev]

The issue that people should be thinking about isn't what date it should be on, or what it should be called, but WHY is this even an issue all of a sudden?

If someone doesn't like this country's traditions and holidays, they should feel free to pack their bags and move to a country where they wont be so offended, renounce their Australian citizenship and become a citizen of their new country.

Enough is bloody enough with this political correctness cancer.
It's gotten to the point where the so called "social justice warriors" have taken it upon them selves to do the complaining on behalf of others.

The federal government should also introduce a law that makes it illegal to burn the Australian flag, punishable by a year in jail and cutting off of any welfare payments.
The Australian Federal Police and ASIS should also be investigating whose organizing or funding these groups, because as we have seen with Black Lives Matter morons in America, they were funded by OSF(run by billionaire Sorros), and certain groups or people here in Australia have said they'll be starting a similar movement here. It's already known that OSF(or some other similar nation destabilizing group) has funded certain groups here, I believe it was GetUp.


Instead of constructively trying to better this country, some people act like wankers in public.
They could be over in West Papua, being oppressed and massacred by the Indonesian military.
They could be in Syria, being massacred by terrorists.
But no, they are in Australia, where they not only enjoy safety and freedom and their human rights are guaranteed, they also are the beneficiaries of a generous welfare system compared to most of the other world, on top of universal health care and education.

Too bad we have even bigger wankers as political leaders in this country otherwise these drop kicks would have been drop punted back in to place.

[Nathan]

The issue that people should be thinking about isn't what date it should be on, or what it should be called, but WHY is this even an issue all of a sudden?

If someone doesn't like this country's traditions and holidays, they should feel free to pack their bags and move to a country where they wont be so offended, renounce their Australian citizenship and become a citizen of their new country.

Enough is bloody enough with this political correctness cancer.
It's gotten to the point where the so called "social justice warriors" have taken it upon them selves to do the complaining on behalf of others.

The federal government should also introduce a law that makes it illegal to burn the Australian flag, punishable by a year in jail and cutting off of any welfare payments.
The Australian Federal Police and ASIS should also be investigating whose organizing or funding these groups, because as we have seen with Black Lives Matter morons in America, they were funded by OSF(run by billionaire Sorros), and certain groups or people here in Australia have said they'll be starting a similar movement here. It's already known that OSF(or some other similar nation destabilizing group) has funded certain groups here, I believe it was GetUp.


Instead of constructively trying to better this country, some people act like wankers in public.
They could be over in West Papua, being oppressed and massacred by the Indonesian military.
They could be in Syria, being massacred by terrorists.
But no, they are in Australia, where they not only enjoy safety and freedom and their human rights are guaranteed, they also are the beneficiaries of a generous welfare system compared to most of the other world, on top of universal health care and education.

Too bad we have even bigger wankers as political leaders in this country otherwise these drop kicks would have been drop punted back in to place.

Rubbish. One can disagree with things about the country they live in without being told they should move away.

[bits]

Rubbish. One can disagree with things about the country they live in without being told they should move away.

To dislike the English colonization of Australia is a pretty fundamental problem considering it is the basis of the current Australia.
It really cuts through and means they are incompatible with the country as they are against what it is.

[Nathan]

Rubbish. One can disagree with things about the country they live in without being told they should move away.

To dislike the English colonization of Australia is a pretty fundamental problem considering it is the basis of the current Australia.
It really cuts through and means they are incompatible with the country as they are against what it is.

You can like what the country has become whilst disliking parts of how it got there. Just because we enjoy many things now does not excuse terrible things that were done to people in the process and I don't think it's unreasonable that some people object to that being celebrated as our national day.

[Aidan]

The issue that people should be thinking about isn't what date it should be on, or what it should be called, but WHY is this even an issue all of a sudden?

All of a sudden???

'Twas as controversial in 1988 as it is now!

The difference is that the case for change has gradually been building up popular support.

If someone doesn't like this country's traditions and holidays, they should feel free to pack their bags and move to a country where they wont be so offended, renounce their Australian citizenship and become a citizen of their new country.

Most people who dislike things aren't actually offended by them.

As you know, Australia is not perfect. What I don't get is why you are so opposed to people trying to improve it.

Enough is bloody enough with this political correctness cancer.

If there's one thing worse than political correctness, it's oposing common courtesy on the pretence that it amounts to political correctness.

The federal government should also introduce a law that makes it illegal to burn the Australian flag

When Americans proposed a siimilar law, not only was it pointed out that it would be illegal undet the First Ammendment, but also the officially recommended way of disposing of a damaged American flag is to burn it!

punishable by a year in jail and cutting off of any welfare payments.

Why such a harsh punishment for a victimless crime?

The Australian Federal Police and ASIS should also be investigating whose organizing or funding these groups, because as we have seen with Black Lives Matter morons in America, they were funded by OSF(run by billionaire Sorros), and certain groups or people here in Australia have said they'll be starting a similar movement here. It's already known that OSF(or some other similar nation destabilizing group) has funded certain groups here, I believe it was GetUp.

Why should cops and spies waste their time doing the job of journalists? What would they gain from knowing who's funding perfectly legal activity? And unprofitable activity at that!

And when so many people in America were acting as if black lives didn't matter, why do you regard BLM as morons?

[bits]

You can like what the country has become whilst disliking parts of how it got there. Just because we enjoy many things now does not excuse terrible things that were done to people in the process and I don't think it's unreasonable that some people object to that being celebrated as our national day.

That is a major point, January 26 has nothing at all to do with any terrible things done to anyone.

Australia did terrible things to people, totally unrelated and at a much later date than on January 26.

All you are arguing is that Australia has nothing to celebrate about because in the past bad things happened.
Australia Day on Jan 1, May 8 or whatever does not change what happened in the past.

Jan 1 infact is surely worse. It is the day the English signed the constitution which deliberated excluded Aboriginals from the constitution and gave the right to discriminate against them.
There was direct intent to harm Aboriginals on that day unlike on Jan 26.

You can't remove the English settlement from Australia's history. It is part of the Australia we want to celebrate.
Not just a part but the main part and reason to celebrate Australia.

[Nathan]

You can like what the country has become whilst disliking parts of how it got there. Just because we enjoy many things now does not excuse terrible things that were done to people in the process and I don't think it's unreasonable that some people object to that being celebrated as our national day.

That is a major point, January 26 has nothing at all to do with any terrible things done to anyone.

Australia did terrible things to people, totally unrelated and at a much later date than on January 26.

All you are arguing is that Australia has nothing to celebrate about because in the past bad things happened.
Australia is horrible place no one should celebrate because bad things have happened here at some point in history.

But to the indigenous community, Jan 26 absolutely does represent bad things that happened to them.

No one is saying there should not be a day to celebrate the Australia of today (I certainly didn't suggest we have nothing to celebrate about), people are just suggesting that the anniversary of that event isn't a particular good one to do it on.

[rev]

The issue that people should be thinking about isn't what date it should be on, or what it should be called, but WHY is this even an issue all of a sudden?

All of a sudden???

'Twas as controversial in 1988 as it is now!

The difference is that the case for change has gradually been building up popular support.

Where's this so called popular support?

If someone doesn't like this country's traditions and holidays, they should feel free to pack their bags and move to a country where they wont be so offended, renounce their Australian citizenship and become a citizen of their new country.

Most people who dislike things aren't actually offended by them.

As you know, Australia is not perfect. What I don't get is why you are so opposed to people trying to improve it.
[/quote]

People are trying to improve Australia by disrupting peaceful parades, burning the Australian flag and fighting with police in the streets?
If you don't know why I'm opposed to that, and why so many other decent normal Australians are opposed to that, then perhaps you don't understand anything.

punishable by a year in jail and cutting off of any welfare payments.

Why such a harsh punishment for a victimless crime?[/quote]

That sort of behavior breeds hate. That's why.

The Australian Federal Police and ASIS should also be investigating whose organizing or funding these groups, because as we have seen with Black Lives Matter morons in America, they were funded by OSF(run by billionaire Sorros), and certain groups or people here in Australia have said they'll be starting a similar movement here. It's already known that OSF(or some other similar nation destabilizing group) has funded certain groups here, I believe it was GetUp.

Why should cops and spies waste their time doing the job of journalists? What would they gain from knowing who's funding perfectly legal activity? And unprofitable activity at that!

And when so many people in America were acting as if black lives didn't matter, why do you regard BLM as morons?[/quote]

Because those sorts of groups are intolerant groups who preach and breed further hate, and aren't about unity, but division and hatred.
If Blacks cared so much about Black lives, they'd be standing up against the black street gangs which take more black lives then any police department. All silent on that front though. Just as they are all silent on black police shooting black suspects. Just as they are silent when a black police officer shoots a white person. Or when a white police officer shoots a white person.

What people should have been focused on should have been police brutality and excessive force and the overall violence in American society(on both sides of the law), but instead what could have had a positive outcome for American society, was hijacked by George Sorros and his OSF backing of BLM and the riots and trouble on the streets that ensued.

Have you stopped to think that there's better ways to achieve something, besides violence?
We don't live in a war zone, or an oppressive, brutal dictatorship.
Why does any group need to resort to violence and hate-filled acts? Both here and in America.