Australia Day 03

26 January, 2003 12:51 PM

Its the day we celebrate our Aussieness - well sort of - tomorrow is the day we get a public holiday for the occasion.

What should I write about Australia on this day of celebrations? What should I write about this place that in a couple of centuries has gone from a small convict colony to a modern vibrant society? As I contemplate the task I've got some mixed reflections on my country at this time. These reflections will not just be unique to Australia - but sum up some of the feelings I have towards my country.

First and foremost - I'm proud of my country.I love many many things about it. I love the diversity of this place. Diversity in its people groups (this must be one of the most ethnically diverse countries around), in its vast and beautiful landscape (from snowfields, to dessert, to amazing coastline) and in its weather (here in Melbourne at least - if you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes...illustrated by yesterdays 44 degrees and tomorrows 20 degrees with showers).

I love the freedom we have in this country - to worship, to express ideas and thoughts, to travel and to express ourselves creatively.

I love many of the typical attributes of Australian people. I love the Aussie sharp sense of humor, the ability to laugh at themselves, to use satire and sarcasm well, their laid back attitude towards life - epitomized in the statement 'SHE'LL BE RIGHT'. I love the 'Aussie battler' spirit - the ability to face overwhelming circumstances one step at a time and eventually overcome them. I love that we often support the 'underdog' - I find it remarkably similar to the attitude of Jesus. I enjoy Australians ability to be direct and honest as they interact with one another - even to the point of bluntness at times. The ideal of 'mateship' is also something that appeals to me which is apparent in the way many of us relate to one another.

I could go on - but as I've been writing there are also things that cloud my view of my wonderful country. It is not all rosy here unfortunately. I hesitate to raise it on a day like today - but we do have a long way to go as a nation.

I am ashamed at the way our people have treated its Aboriginal people over the past two centuries. The past decade have seen some reconciliation - but there is still more to do - our Prime Minister is still yet to utter the word 'Sorry' - out of fear of the consequences of doing so. As Rick Farley states in his Australia Day address : "for Aboriginal Australians and many others, January 26 is not a day for celebration. To them the date signifies invasion and dispossession."

I worry about our foreign policy as I've blogged in previous days. Our seeming to blindly follow our American friends into world conflicts which we don't seem to be thinking through ourselves. Why do we seem to need to impress the US so much? Do we perhaps have a self esteem problem as a nation?

I worry about some of the attitudes of intolerance towards asylum seekers/refugees and people with a Muslim belief system which seem to be rising up within our society. Likewise I worry about the way in which we are treating our environment - the efforts to change this have been considerable, however many of the damaging trends continue.

I flinch every time I go to the shopping centers or into the city and see the rampant consumerism and consumptionism that seems to have gripped our people. The striving for happiness through having, experiencing and succeeding which seems to leave so many empty. Perhaps this is one of the contributing factors to our sky rocketing suicide levels, particularly among young men.

As a nation celebrates I have mixed feelings. There is much to celebrate as I look at my country - I'm so glad to live here - however there is still a long way to go. I get the sense that we've lost our way a little in some of the above areas, perhaps we're struggling a little with our identity or place in this changing world. The opportunities exist for us to be a nation that makes a positive contribution to our world - I pray that we're able to see a way forward that might help us to succeed in this quest.

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