Let’s intervene; ‘We’ know what’s best?!

Little Johnny refused again and again to say sorry to the Aboriginal people of Australia. For a long time, he and his men did little to improve the lives of this important group of people. He only toyed with the idea when he obviously began to feel that his power trip was coming to its inevitable end. Oh, wait a minute. We must not forget that little Johnny and his men did send ‘help’ up north to rescue women and little children from all sorts of abuse. In the eyes of these bullyboys, ‘we’, the non-indigenous lot, must know what’s best for the Aboriginal people. Since ‘Shock and Awe’ worked (?) so well in Iraq, what is better than to send the troops in to freak out the folks right from the beginning? Genius!

Little Johnny’s project aside, let’s move to another story starring a judge from this so called Clever Country. I read in the newspaper (on Monday) that 9 males were given non-custodial sentences for raping a then 10 year-old at the Aurukun Aboriginal community on Cape York. To be exact, 3 of the males (aged 17, 18 and 26) were sentenced to 6 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. This is not a JOKE, but wait there is more! Judge Sarah Bradley noted (as quoted from MX on Monday December 10, 2007): “The girl involved was not forced and she probably agreed to have sex with all of you (-referring to the males).” Whatever happened to statutory rape? Is it only considered to be statutory rape if the child was White/Caucasian?

What happened to the poor child? She is now 12 and she had to leave her community behind to live with foster parents. To me, that seemed like she was punished while the males got away scot-free. Unbelievable!

I seriously think that the time has come for all Australians to come together to improve the lives of this very disadvantaged group of Australians. While some people argue that there are disadvantaged people living in Australian cities and country towns that need help, we have to honestly admit that the Aboriginal people have greater problems and less access to help. I really don’t understand why the males were not sentenced appropriately. I am aware that the rape occurred in Northern Queensland but if ‘we’ are capable of mass scale intervention ‘next door’, why did this judge not use this opportunity to teach not only the Aboriginal population but the whole country that sexual attacks are not to be taken lightly? Little Johnny and his men wanted to save the lives of Aboriginal women and children from such abuse. Their bullyboy approach in the Northern Territory Intervention was never palatable to me and there was even talk about expansion. I recently read somewhere that the new Federal Government will keep the intervention going. I really hope that Kevin Rudd and his friends will look into seeking more input from the Aboriginal elders and to approach in cooperation with the Aboriginal people. A humane approach does not mean turning a blind eye when an Aboriginal person is clearly in the wrong.

(Note: I just heard from Sky News that the rape victim was placed in foster care after an earlier rape but was then returned to live in the community when she was gang raped in 2005!)