Changing Date for Australia Day Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Changing Date for Australia Day Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Changing Date for Australia Day Name Institutional Affiliation Reasons Why Australia Day should be Changed . Native Australians associate January 26th with the invasion of their country. o It is a painful reminder of the harmful past that the aboriginals had to endure, the commencement of massacres, oppression, and land grabbing from the aboriginals. o On this day, people celebrate what is great about Australia. That means celebrating the history of Australia on a day that marks the commencement of suffering to the natives. . The original people of Australia deserve to mourn on the day their ancestors were invaded. o They should not be asked to forget and move on. The day should be remembered for atrocities that were committed, and not celebrated by the generations of people who perpetrated the crimes that their counterparts mourn. . The day relates to the destruction of the native population way of life and culture. o Celebrating Australia day on January 26 condones the start of genocide, racism, the end of freedoms to the indigenous population. . Changing the date presents an opportunity for all Australians to admit a wrong was done, and give an opportunity towards making things right. o It is fundamentally wrong to celebrate a day that marks the start of abuse for some people. . The Australian day celebration on January 26th glorifies the triumph of imperialism, while at the same time ignoring the guilt presented by the particular day. o On that day, indigenous people were displaced and disempowered and thus, the day must be changed to have inclusivity. . For many young aboriginals, 26th January represents the date that their ancestors were dispossessed of their rightful property and deaths. o Thus, to them, it is not a celebration to respect the diversity of Australians, but a day that suffering began for one particular group. . The day celebrates old history. o The modern Australia is multicultural, but the day marks dispossession of a people and the British settlement as well as the history of tragedy. Thus, celebrating Australia is not the problem; it is the date that it is celebrated on that poses the problem. References Amnesty International. (2017, January 24). 'WHY I DIDN'T CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA DAY': 9 INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS DISCUSS WHY THE DATE SHOULD CHANGE. Retrieved from Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org.au/australia-day-change-the-date-2017/ Australia Today. (2017). INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS. Retrieved from Australia Today: https://www.australiaday.com.au/about/indigenous-australians/ IndegenousX. (2017). Why we need to change the date of Australia Day. Retrieved from IndegenousX: http://indigenousx.com.au/why-we-need-to- change-the-date-of-australia-day/#.WOoMHkV95dh Lui, N. (2014, January 25). Australia Day is a time for mourning, not celebration. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/26/australia-day-is- a-time-for-mourning-not-celebration The Conversation. (2015, January 25). The day I don't feel Australian? That would be Australia Day. Retrieved from The Conversation: http://theconversation.com/the-day-i-dont-feel-australian-that-would- be-australia-day-36352 The Conversation. (2017, January 25). Changing Australia Day is pointless - and there is much to celebrate. Retrieved from The Conversation: http://theconversation.com/changing-australia-day-is-pointless-and- there-is-much-to-celebrate-71010 Waxman, O. B. (2017, January 25). What to Know About the History Behind Australia Day. Retrieved from Time: http://time.com/4644497/australia- day-2017-history-origins/