I’ve had the most interesting conversation with my son this
afternoon. He had been speaking with a
man who strongly believes that European ‘colonists’ should leave our country
and let the indigenous peoples return to living off the land, hunting, growing and
gathering food, and caring for each other.
Living and working in a “white man’s world” and having to
pay their taxes and obey their laws was total anathema to this man.
I wonder how he would get on if we took away his home, his
car, his television, his sports games, and all the other trappings of us “colonists”
so that he didn’t have to go to work and pay taxes?
It seems to son and myself that this man is only looking at what
he perceives as the good side of his culture.
He has forgotten that cannibalism and starvation and slavery were all a
part of life before Europeans arrived.
I find people like this very disturbing with the way they
think. I know many bad things happened
when these lands were settled, and it is always good to redress a wrong, but
surely that is in the past when it comes to how we live our lives today.
The things this man says he seeks are all good, and are freely available
to him and anyone else who desires to follow that path. Does he really need to bring the ugliness of
racism and prejudice into it?
Sorry about the rant, but people like this upset me.
Hope your day is going well,
Margaret 😊
I agree and understand your post, here in UK our past is being scrutinized and judgements made on todays values, we can't change history, we can and hopefully will learn from mistakes and the shift in outlooks. Racism is terrible, everyone should be equal.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad indeed, and stupid. I just read a book, post tomorrow coming up...
ReplyDeleteAnd in New Zealand, everyone is a fairly recent colonist.
ReplyDeleteRacism is always ugly.
ReplyDeleteLove that photo of the autumn glory, Margaret.
Very interesting post. Have never heard this sort of a view, voiced.
ReplyDeletePeople, all of us, seem to romanticize the Past. Only think of the so-called good things. Forget about the bad and hardship and etc. This is what he is doing, I think.
We all need to remember that "The Good Old Days" were not all delight and carefree and etc.
Happy May! Which to you, is Autumn, and to us, is Spring time.
🌸🏇🚀🌸🏇🚀🌸
Interesante lo que cuentas. Besos.
ReplyDeleteYour first part really says a lot...i always think I would like to go back in time, but would not give up today's medicine to go back. Let alone all the other things I totally enjoy. And I bet this guy would be the same way if all his conveniences were taken away.
ReplyDeleteIt is the same story here in Canada. The original people lost so much when the europeans arrived. But they have gained so much too.
ReplyDeleteThe last movie I ever saw in NZ before moving to UK was 'Once Were Warriors'. There were lines in that about Jake coming from a line of slaves and not having tribal traditions to turn to or guide him. It floored me. Pre-European life was not all love and spiritualism. That same rosy view on the past contributed to UK voting to leave Europe (the 'we were better off before 1974' stuff...). We have what we have. No one can go back, nor would the vast majority of Maori New Zealanders want to. There are Kiwis of pakeha descent who probably hate working and paying taxes too (don't we all) - what excuse do they use? I understand the Scots who settled Otago left the old country to get away from oppression and taxes....
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I suppose almost every country has their problems with getting along with the originals. We sure have ours!!
ReplyDeleteI hear you - and have had this discussion also - they only want the romantic, whitewashed version of their imaginations, not the harsh realities of what life was really like pre-European settlement. No medicines to help heal when injured and unwell, to mention but one aspect.
ReplyDeleteStay safe
Blessings
Maxine
Talk is cheap, isn't it? I would encourage him to 'walk the walk' as they say.
ReplyDelete