Political Correctness
A Day for Celebration, not a Day to Dwell
Australia Day is approaching and it will be a day for many Australians to celebrate. However not
all Australians see it as a day of celebration.
Abbott's Choice of Words is Not the Issue Here
Critics of the Prime Minister's choice of words are ignoring the bigger picture. If people are living in conditions that compromise health and wellbeing, and their communities cannot be made viable, then a sensible exit strategy is needed, writes Anthony Dillon.
Ape and Coconut are Just Words
Now that the dust has settled somewhat on the recent racism claims, I thought I would offer my thoughts. Events like what happened recently will continue to happen in the future, so it is worth commenting on.
Choosing to Be Offended
Our right to express opinions, question the motives of others, or simply express
disapproval, has copped a hammering in recent times. Australians are being gagged.
Saying the “wrong” (that is, unpopular) thing has got some people into trouble and
silenced many others.
Exploring Indigenous Understandings at University
Universities are discussing the need to embed Aboriginal knowledge and perspectives in their
curricula.
This is fine, but it is important that "Aboriginal knowledge and perspectives" is clearly defined, otherwise, any such initiative can degenerate to an act of tokenism, or a promotion of fiction. I suspect this is already happening.
Political Correctness - an Impediment to Reconciliation
Many would agree that political correctness (PC) has gone well beyond the stage of being useful and on to the stage of being a serious hindrance to addressing many of the social problems that
plague society.
Secret Rhetoric Business
Words can be troublesome things, as their accepted meanings might derail an advocate's invoking of emotion in lieu of the more relevant examination of unpalatable fact. No wonder so many discussions of Indigenous betterment come couched in the vocabulary of vacuity.
When Self-Determination becomes Self-Detriment
We have all become accustomed to stories about dysfunction (eg. alcohol related problems) in some remote Aboriginal communities.
Such stories have been published for as long as I can remember, and sadly, are likely to be published for quite some time. Why is this?