Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - The Immigration Rubix-Cube

MrFriendly · 05-07-2007, 05:31 AM

I don't mind you starting a new thread at all :-)

But you must understand, this is also a personal issue for me.

My mother, you see, came to this country at the age of 15 after the Nazi's were finally kicked out of Holland. What her and her family lived through during that time was unspeakable. But they were given a chance, they were given a chance to start a new life, but they had to do it in central QLD. They were given endless amounts of shit for being different, for not being from there, but they persisted and prospered.

Now I always treat what the media feeds us with great trepidation. But, not so long ago I met a guy who worked in IT and used to live in Canberra (my home town). We hit it off because we hated Canberra with great passion, but he later revealed to me that he came to this country as an Afghani refugee. He had to spend time in one of these 'detention centers'.

He didn't have fond memories of them, and he didn't like talking about what happened there, but the one thing he did say that really stuck it hard with me was "I didn't risk my life to come here to find the one thing I was trying to escape". He's a good man, a Muslim man, married to a Greek woman now, and extraordinary life experience behind him. He loves this country, and considers himself an Aussie, but hates the way he was treated when he got here.

Look at our history, look at the way we treated our POW's when we had to keep them here. It's just not the Australian way, it's not what our ANZACS fought for, it's just not the Aussie spirit. A lot of us do it tough, a lot of us always have, especially those in the Bush. We support the battler.

This nation was always about a fair go, but in recent years I just don't see that any more, and it hurts me. I was always raised as an Australian that this was a fair country, an egalitarian country, a country where it didn't matter where you were from, who you were, what class you were raised in, you could make a go of it and succeed if you wanted.

I was also raised during the Hawk / Keating government.

But immigration policy now seems to fly in the face of all that.

And that to me, is what an Aussie is all about, especially here in Melbourne. We're just people, like anyone else, just trying to make a go of it.

05-07-2007, 05:31 AM	#2 (permalink)
MrFriendly Psycho Location: Australia	I don't mind you starting a new thread at all :-) But you must understand, this is also a personal issue for me. My mother, you see, came to this country at the age of 15 after the Nazi's were finally kicked out of Holland. What her and her family lived through during that time was unspeakable. But they were given a chance, they were given a chance to start a new life, but they had to do it in central QLD. They were given endless amounts of shit for being different, for not being from there, but they persisted and prospered. Now I always treat what the media feeds us with great trepidation. But, not so long ago I met a guy who worked in IT and used to live in Canberra (my home town). We hit it off because we hated Canberra with great passion, but he later revealed to me that he came to this country as an Afghani refugee. He had to spend time in one of these 'detention centers'. He didn't have fond memories of them, and he didn't like talking about what happened there, but the one thing he did say that really stuck it hard with me was "I didn't risk my life to come here to find the one thing I was trying to escape". He's a good man, a Muslim man, married to a Greek woman now, and extraordinary life experience behind him. He loves this country, and considers himself an Aussie, but hates the way he was treated when he got here. Look at our history, look at the way we treated our POW's when we had to keep them here. It's just not the Australian way, it's not what our ANZACS fought for, it's just not the Aussie spirit. A lot of us do it tough, a lot of us always have, especially those in the Bush. We support the battler. This nation was always about a fair go, but in recent years I just don't see that any more, and it hurts me. I was always raised as an Australian that this was a fair country, an egalitarian country, a country where it didn't matter where you were from, who you were, what class you were raised in, you could make a go of it and succeed if you wanted. I was also raised during the Hawk / Keating government. But immigration policy now seems to fly in the face of all that. And that to me, is what an Aussie is all about, especially here in Melbourne. We're just people, like anyone else, just trying to make a go of it. __________________ You are not a slave Last edited by MrFriendly; 05-08-2007 at 05:39 PM..