ARE WE REALLY AUSTRALIANS?

In today’s world – what does it mean to be

AUSTRALIAN

I know of so many thousands of Australians born just prior to, during or following the Second World War who speak of their bewilderment and horror at the direction our nation is taking - and not just recently, but over the course of the past two decades.

Let us remember - from our early colonial days, through Federation in 1901 and right up to the 1970’s, Australia was built and prospered on hard work - a fair go - support for each other - and we always “kept an eye on our neighbor(s)”, and moreover, the government stayed right away from our pockets.

I recall my days as a youth in rural South Australia during the 1950’s and the first three years of the 1960's (when I entered the NAVY), and I know that for many of us it was tough but there was always a neighbor, as well as the small communities who looked out for one another, and this is how most rural/small country communities managed for all those years.

Furthermore, governments were a fraction of their size today. Politicians then, were paid a very moderate wage when compared to today, and there wasn’t the plethora of both federal and state bureaucracies** intruding on and in our life! This ensured that all Australians and those coming to Australia would enjoy considerable freedoms (so much more than today), and the government didn’t live in our pockets as they do today, and they were certainly NOT the “ball and chain” around our necks, as many feel they now are!

We were raised with a sense of pride and patriotism, developed when we began school at 5 or 6 years of age, where at the morning school assembly our National Flag was hoisted while we sang “God Save The king and later - the Queen”. Such patriotism was re-enforced at home and throughout our communities.

Those reading this article who are 60 + years plus, will remember?

However, for so many today, this has all evaporated in the interests of individualism on one hand, and multi-culturalism on the other, but these discount and seemingly fail to acknowledge the fact that we are ALL Australians. For the thousands upon thousands; what remains are only memories, as it is apparent our sense of pride and patriotism is no longer part of our once unique Australian phenomena.

Ironically, those who work in the “Canberra Bubble” and who are charged with determining the curriculum for Primary and Secondary schooling no longer consider real Australian History dating back just a couple of hundred years as having any value, thus denying the so very young the opportunity to understand the meanings of “Pride, Patriotism, Community and Tolerance, and our National Flag”, and what these attributes did mean and should continue to mean to all AUSTRALIANS.

This of-course is shameful.

We also all know, that while the “silent majority” remain silent, we will only drift further toward the ant-heap of Socialism and dis-unity as a nation.

?

** I am waiting a response from Canberra which details the total number of Departments, Agencies, NGA’s & NGO’s and the dates they were established, and my guess is, will astound most!