... what's different 40 years after the referendum?

40 years ago this week 90.8% of Australians voted 'Yes', in a referendum to include Aboriginals in the census.

Bizarre really.

It's incomprehensible to moderners that they were ever left out of it.

Paul Kelly writing the Australian today says, "There are, however, two truths embedded in the 1967 message that are more pertinent than before: Most Aborigines will find their livelihood within the mainstream economy and, like other citizens, Aborigines must accept responsibility for their own future."

He missed a bit. The other 19,500,000 of us who are not aboriginal have to get behind those aboriginals who are leading the way in accepting responsibillity for their future and their people – politically, financially, morally. We need to applaud and support their intiatives for dry communities, 100% school attendance for the kids, safety of women and children, fighting petrol sniffing, encouragement of personal and racial dignity.

Interesting note to this is the statistic related on the weekend by the AFL that 20% of the draftees this year were aboriginal. Although it's a stat about young and mostly urban/semi rural men, the fact can't hurt.

Indigenous Australia has super heroes.

... is David Hicks home?

Is David Hicks really home?

Where is home?

Yes, for now he's 'at home' in Australia but you wouldn't want to call Yatala Prison home would you?

So where is home for Mr Hicks?
Is it with his estranged wife and deserted children?
Is it with the childhood mates he turned his back on when he went off to play cowboys and indians in the Albanian woods?
Is it with his dad to whom he gave the flick but who has done the great Dad thing?
Is it with his old fellow-worshippers at the mosque to whom he also gave the flick?
Is it in a little flat and catching the bus to an Adult learning centre every day and washing trays at Maccas till he earns entrance to higher education?

If home is where the heart is, it'd be interesting to know where his heart actually is.

Reports say that he's given up the former life and when he gets out just wants to meld into the community and make a contribution in a worthwhile way.

I hope he makes it a reality. I really do. If he's dinkum, he'll get my vote. It's going to be a long hard ride though.

If he's not, he'll just be going around the same old hirdy girdy again.

But then that is true for you and me too isn't it?