JUNGLE DRUM: One Australia? Thoughts from the Jungle
LAWRENCE MASON COLUMN
Every Australia Day the same images and thoughts appear, and certain media outlets fuel the flames. First nations people burning flags.
More recently, "March for Australia" has turned up, giving media another illusion of division to focus on. It is a fertile ground for rage baiting stories.
Meanwhile, back in the real world those of us with businesses grapple with the extra holiday, and my thoughts are that most people don't carry flags or march. But those that do get a disproportionate amount of media.
What is sad is to see people burning the flag. I do get that there are Indigenous people who are offended by the date, but burning the flag only enrages those who love it, or those whose relatives fought and died under it. Worse is what some of them say when doing it.
Let's be clear, I and other Australians did not steal land. The at times brutal occupation of Australia occurred long before we were born. And with a mass voluntary handback of freehold land not happening, even in the leafy Green voting suburbs, it is a fair bet that the majority of landowners don't intend to hand over freehold land.
I am a sixth generation Australian on both sides, and given that at least some of my relatives left parts of the world because of land ownership changes, I wonder how I would go if I went back now and claimed it? Not very well I suspect.
Not only that but where would I go? Ireland? Germany? Switzerland? England? Scotland? It would be hard for me to go 'back where I came from' without a lot of separation of body parts! I am being silly of course because I am Australian.
The other issue I have is that I consider myself to have a strong and deep connection with the land here. And I don't think it is comparable to other's connections. Each of us has our own relationship with the land, and I don't see that one person's can be valued higher than others. Respected yes, but placing different values on people's connection based on race is fraught with problems. Instead, as Australians we should all celebrate our MUTUAL connection with the land.
So instead of focussing on what will never happen, maybe protesters should try and bring the focus onto what could happen. Next year I would like to see a protest where everyone brings their alternative flag design. Then at least I could sit and watch it and rate the efforts! And this would send a powerful message to politicians.
Let's start suggesting other dates for Australia Day. It wasn't always on January 26th, and much of the protest around the 26th is based on false information. But given the fluidity of dates for Easter, or the King's Birthday do we really care that much what date? Surely we can make a date that suits all Australians?
Too much of what occurs is divisive, and relies on talk that leads not to detent, but toward civil war. If we were all Australians first and something else second, we might make progress. How about a flag that is just the Southern Cross, with the old Union Jack gone? Then our PM could stand with one flag, not three.
Surely we can all unite under the Southern Cross. None of the stars are racist or guilty of hate crimes or genocide that I know of?
*Lawrence Mason has lived at Cape Tribulation all his life, and has been involved in farming, timber and tourism. He is a former board member of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, founding Chair of Daintree Marketing Co-operative, and has been a member of both Alexandra Bay and Mossman State High School P&C. He is also a member of the Douglas Chamber of Commerce and has a keen interest in local issues.
- The opinions and views in this column are those of the author and author only and do not reflect the Newsport editor or staff.
