ANZAC Day 2005-Lest we forget.

[Jarryd]

On Monday, April 25 it will be the 90th ANZAC Day. On this day in 1915 Australian and New Zealand troops landed at ANZAC Cove and began their campaign. Only they landed to far North and were gunned down by the Turkish soldiers waiting. Still, they pushed on. For 8 months they fought the Turks, but had next to no chance of success. Time after time they saw their fellow soldiers, their mates get gunned down in the battlefield. And time and time again they then ran out onto that battlefield and were gunned down to. As well as the casualtys in battle more than 2000 men a fortnight were dying of illness and disease. By the time they were finally evacuated 8700 Australian and 2700 New Zealand troops were dead. And 24,800 ANZACS had been wounded.

Despite the impossible odds the troops continually pushed foward to attack. It was on these shores that the Aussie Spirit was born. Bravery, honour and mateship. These qualities were tipified by the ANZACS. It would've been easy to not keep pressing foward, but they did. They kept going despite the fact they had next to no chance of success.

Captain Cook may have led the First Fleet to Australia, a bunch of guys in suits may have signed documents making Australia a country. But it was the ANZAC Troops who made Australia a nation. A country in its own right, after that we were no longer a pawn of the British Empire. The ANZACS made Australia what it is today. Lest we forget.

 

[pal]

How many aborigines exist today, have they already been exterminated?

Edit: I was just so amused by the mateship and the feeling of compassion that jarryd was mentioning, when there was so much discrimination and feelings of racism going on in the 1940s right in Australia, that I had to post it.

Things have changed, people have changed, don't mistake my post and think that I am saying that people in Australia are still discriminating the aborigines, I am not saying that all, I am just saying that if you want to look at that part of the 1940s, don't forget this part.

 

[Jarryd]

How many aborigines exist today, have they already been exterminated?

*Contemplates killing you*
Racist, biggited fool.

 

[pal]

no, it is called knowledge, now I know that there have been laws put in place in recent years to protect them, but I am referring to the time period of WWII that you are referring to in your first post.

But do some research, in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century, racism against the Aborigines was prevalent and common in Australian white society, don't the textbooks talk about the massacres that took place. It was only in 1992 that the old policy of 'terra nullius' was nullified. I again reiterate my point that things seem to be changing but when you talk about history you can't just look at the good part and ignore the bad part.

It was just ironic for me and this occurred in the U.S and most European countries mind you, that they were fighting the Nazis, who were racists exterminating innocent Jews, while these countries were segregating dark-skinned people in their own backyard.

Look, I don't want to get into a name-calling argument or a flame war, you may not like me saying it, but you can't deny it, but I am glad that things have changed.

http://inquirer.gn.apc.org/aborig3.html

It's a nice site, but in general just search in google, and if you are like me and don't trust the info from sites, here are some books to read: Massacres to Mining: the colonization of Aborginal Australia by Jani Roberts, Aborigines in White Australia: A Documentary History of the Attitudes Affecting Official Policy and the Australian Aborigine 1697-1973, The Coming of the Strangers by Baiba Berzins.

To the other Aussies on board, delonge, brad, duff, squiz, and everybody, I am not saying anything about the current state of affairs that are looking very good, so please don't take offense to my post. It's just when you bring history into view, you got to take a full look.

 

[jdbais]

You seem very knowledgeable pal.

 

[squiz]

It was a racist comment. Also if you were "knowledgable" you would have known that delonge is English

 

[pal]

Is saying that there was discrimination against the Aborigins a racist comment, are you prepared to deny that there was no discrimination against the Aborigins, that there were no exterminations, a perfect example of that would be the Tasmanian aborigins.. It can't be a racist comment because I accept that very good actions have been taken by Australians to prevent the remaining Aborigins and their culture from dying off, all I am saying is that if you talk about bravery and mateship during the 1940s, then be prepared to look at what happened inside your own backyard.

Secondly, if being knowledgeable was judged by knowing delonge's nationality, wouldn't life be easier for all of us?

It's like you are born and then someone tells you what country delonge comes from and that's it, you are a genius, you are a knowledgeable person, no need for Einsteins, eh squiz?

 

[squiz]

Well if you read his posts and his profile you would notice he was from England.

http://www.planetcricket.org/forums/member.php?find=lastposter&t=9989
Biography:
Student (mucis technology, IT, Business studies, physics)
Location:
London
Interests:
Cricket
Occupation:
Student
Cricket Team National:
England!!!!!!!
Cricket Team Domestic:
Surrey

"How many aborigines exist today, have they already been exterminated?"
That's the Truth?

 

[T20]

*Contemplates killing you*
Racist, biggited fool.

very good..but may help to learn some spelling while you are at it.

 

[Jarryd]

very good..but may help to learn some spelling while you are at it.

Me being able to spell? That'll never happen

 

[jdbais]

Or you could just use the spellcheck feature.

 

[barmyarmy]

I don't think it's racist for Pal to suggest that Australia should reflect on its treatment of its indigenous population but I don't think its On Topic either. This is about the sacrifice made by the Aussies and Kiwis when they could easily have ignored the conflict in Europe and just dealt with the Japanese threat.

 

[jdbais]

The Japanese threat was WWII.

 

[barmyarmy]

The Japanese threat was WWII.

Agreed but ANZAC day actually recognises troops who died in all conflicts and not just WWI.

 

[jdbais]

Sorry, I was just referring to what Jarryd was talking about during WWI.