The Silence On The Voice Vote Is Over
Let's Move Ahead With Strength And Support Our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters
Tears have rolled down my cheeks.
Anger has welled up in my chest.
The week of silence has passed, and I still cry as I drink my coffee this morning.
It’s very hard to feel at home in a nation where we have turned our back on the original people of this land.
It’s as if we told our indigenous people to forget their history and just assimilate. It will be right, mate.
Based on the result of the vote, we definitely know things are not as they should be.
65,000 years these original people inhabited this land. Due to genocide and colonisation their population is under 4% of the makeup of our land.
Right-wing idiots will say they have brought these social problems on themselves. There will be racist commentary that needs to be squashed. We cannot let the social and political structure of our society be populated with this conservative and untruthful belief.
We cannot let Indigenous politicians believe and spout that colonisation was a positive for the original people of this land. How does Jacinta Price look in a mirror when she has said such hurtful words?
The world has been spinning into this conservative and right-wing cesspool for some time and it has finally caught up to Australia in a very large way.
With the results of the referendum being so damning, how do I live with my fellow Australians?
Many of them have been fed misinformation by the NO Campaign. Many of them have been fed negativity. Many were ignorant and went along with that desperate No Campaign slogan:
“If you don’t know, Vote No!”
Ignorance and the dumbing down of Australia, and we can say the world, is an infection that spreads like a bedbug infestation.
It is hard to know the truth anymore when people rely on their biased newsfeeds and mistrust the mainstream press because of whatever reason they have come up with.
Simply, most of the First Nation Australians voted YES.
We the immigrants and the ancestors of the people who stole this land, turned our backs on the original people of this land.
If you voted No, you do have that on your conscience.
Although I do not think most Australians are racist I believe many Australians who voted NO need to look deep into their own hearts and souls.
If you feel comfortable with that choice, I don’t understand it. I never will.
People are looking at our nation with different eyes now. A line has been drawn in the sand.
It will not wash away.
Will you step up and help or just protect your little patch of life?
Our First Nation brothers and sisters have been through enough pain and struggle. They do need our support.
Even though 60% of the country voted NO, we have 40% of the country who believe that change is needed.
The sun is starting to shine through my backdoor. We know how many allies we have to move forward with the many struggles our original people dealt with every day.
2 days ago another indigenous teen died in custody in WA.
The fight that we fought for a YES result was not the first nor will it be the last.
We had this week of silence to mull on the defeat. Let us all put that behind us now.
Now we need to continue to act and work for change.
That is my goal and if you voted YES on the referendum I believe it is something you should act on also.
This was just one more step in the struggle.
In order to make this a better community, a better country, and a better world for all of our children and their children and their children, etc, we need to continue to work for a better world for ALL of us. We cannot leave anyone behind as we have done for too long.
Love is the answer. We need to be stronger and continue to persuade and push and yell and urge everyone to look into their hearts and souls.
My Indigenous brothers and sisters, you have my solemn oath that I will work towards a better world for you.
THE SILENCE IS NOW OVER.
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Noel Pearson had some words to say just prior to the vote taking place.
They resonate deeply with me, and he should end this as he is an Indigenous Elder.
“Right now, we are debating about a means to an end.
Some people agree with the means but not the end.
Some people agree with the ends and not the means.
It is okay that we disagree on the means, so long as we never forget the goal we are fighting for.
We fight for justice.
We fight for our lands and our people.
We fight for dignity, respect, and for truth.”
Lastly, no matter which way it goes some mob are going to be devastated, but just remember it’s not the end, it’s just the beginning. We have a long road ahead regardless of the outcome and we need you all here with us. There will be tears and laughs and triumphs and challenges ahead - Noel Pearson
The struggle will continue.
Will you lend a hand to the small percentage of humans who are the longest-living culture on this planet?
Or will you turn your back?
My love of all beings extends to all, beyond the two-legged to all that makes up this thing we call life.
Nothing is separate.
We are all one.
One Love.
My wife and I have been feeling deep sadness this past week. It was a joy to work side my side with our fellow big hearted YES vote friends during door knocking, pre-polls and on election day, but the result was devastating. This referendum made me feel like I was back in the U.S. with the NO side’s racist, fear based, misinformation campaign. Do you have any thoughts on how we can move forward and turn our sadness into positive action to support our First Nations’ brothers and sisters?
Beautifully heart felt and succinct . Bravo…. Paul