Thoughts on Australia Day

It seems that every Australia day, I hear rather left wing writers talking about what a terrible thing Australia day is, given it in reality was the start of British colonisation in Australia, and the start of a tragic period for the Aboriginal peoples who lived on the continent for at least 40,000 years previously. My take on the issue is that yes, they indeed do have a point. We have a very sad history in that respect. But that is no reason to be sad and sour on Australia day. Part of being a member of a country is to look squarely at the past, learn from it, and so, make things better.

The location where one happens to live is, in most cases, purely accidental. We do not choose where we end up, or the people we live with. To be a patriot, with this in mind, is rather similar to being a part of a family. It is loving the country you are from, not so much because you chose it, but because you are part of it. And this love, this patriotic love, necessarily means doing what is necessary to make life better and happier for all the other people you are with in the country. And this means learning from the past, and addressing ugly issues, those that may be more comfortable just to forget. In a similar way that it is an act of love to point out to someone when they are being horrible to others so they can have the opportunity to change their behavior and become better people, I think it fair to think that it is hardly unpatriotic to have a fair sense of sadness as to the consequences of British colonisation in Australia. It does not have to be hatred of the country. But more calling all Australians to a higher moral standard - to be fair to the people that lived here for so long, to help address the injustices of the past.

What I am saying is that it is impossible to change the past. It is possible to say that "I am lucky to be Australian", but at the same time, be sad over the tragedy of how this period of Australian history began. For this sadness is the demonstration of a true patriotism, love for the people in the country you live in, the country you did not choose - to a large extent, a larger family. We are lucky to be Australians. I see Australia day as a way of celebrating being part of a larger family, the nation. The fact that the day happens to mark the start of a rather brutal occupation should be a reason to stop and think about how we can be better members of this national family - to learn from the past, and so, make Australia more a country to be admired. To love ones country is to admit the faults of the past - and to make the country better by learning those lessons. Be proud of being Australian - and remember that that pride means living as the best member one can be of the nation. We rise or fall together.