Sorry...

Prime Minister:
          I personally feel that the Aborigine people deserve an apology for all that us foreigners have done to them and their land, since they were the first people to settle here. They came rougly 70,000 years ago, and have developed into over 500 different tribes since then. They mastered cultivation of the Australian land and even conquered the dingoes for use as loyal hunting dogs. They established an inter-tribal trading system and had extravagant trade ceremonies, complete with music and dancing.
          The English arrived in 1788 and quickly began to settle on the land, forcing Aborigines out of house and home. This was easily justified by the foreigners because there was no Aborigine government and the people moved around often anyways, with no true land ownership. With the foreigners came foreign illnesses, such as smallpox, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. These now spread like wildfire among the Aborigines, usually resulting in death. The English also brought with them sheep and cattle which ultimately destroyed Aborigine water holes, causing war for water as well as land.
          Laws were passed throughout the 1900s to benefit and protect the Aborigines in Australia. Early on, the laws told them where to live and even who to marry, but by 1967, these laws changed and Aborigines were declared to be citizens, with equal rights and opportunities.
          Not only should an apology be made for these reasons, but especially because of the "stolen generation." Surely you recall it? From 1909-1969, one tenth of all Aborigine children were taken from their homes by white settlers in an attempt to "civilize" them. Most children taken had traces of white blood in them, stolen with hopes that the color could be "bred out of them." They were placed in instiutions and/or white households in an attempt to make them a part of white society. The children were found to have been subjected to physical and sexual abuse, child labor, and social "dislocation." These factors affected the children greatly, leading to violence and alcoholism, which made it difficult to hold down a steady job. Early death was also common. Because they were taken at such a young age, many Aborigine people to this day still do not know who their relatives are or where their families live. It is common for these stolen children, now adults, to be depressed, suicidal, and to have extreme anxiety.
          The entire country of Australia is still paying for the costs of the stolen generation today. There are many organizations that seek to put the past behind them by making an official apology to the Aborigine people for the way they were treated during the grave time. Many others are ashamed of what can easily be classified as a genocide, because the intentions were to "breed out" the Aborigine culture until it eventually was no more. They would like to start fresh and feel that all tensions have been set aside. An apology to the Aborigine people must be made in order to relieve these tensions once and for all. What was done in the pass was not morally right, and the entire world deserves to know that we as Australians are not proud of what took place and that we would like to finally live in peace. The Aborigines deserve to know that we do not continue to put down their culture and ways of life, and instead we should embrace these rituals and practices. An apology must be made so that we can stand united as one country despite race or background. It is time to put history behind us and to move forward as a nation.

Blog 1 - Savor the Trip, Don't Tweet It.

          In the article, Christopher Elliott is concerned that an excessive use of technology causes people to lose sight of why they travel. He wants the reader to remember that when you travel solely to tweet of Facebook about it, you start to travel for others rather than yourself and your memories become fake, because you never truly experienced anything. Sure, you were there, but you were looking at life through a camera screen, and constantly updating your status to brag about where you were at the time. I think that Elliott said it all when he asked, "What ever happened to exploring, happenstance, and serendipity? That essential, spontaneous part of the vacation is at risk of extinction." This quote best exemplifies my reasons for traveling to Australia and New Zealand as well. I want to see and to feel all that these countries have to offer, I want to discover things that I have never before experienced, both in the external world as well as inside of me, and I want to enjoy this trip for all that it has to offer.
          I have thought about what role technology will play in my travels and have decided that I only need two things. I will definitely be bringing my camera to help document my trip and to capture the moments to help share my trip with others when I come home, and will also need a either a cell phone or a calling card in order to keep in touch with my family while I am gone. After reading this article, I still agree with my decisions, because I don't plan on texting or Facebooking while I am gone; why would I waste my precious time and money? I want to get the full experience while I am traveling, not to get so wrapped up in technology that I miss out on what matters most. It is because of this that I feel that we should set technology boundaries as a class. Sure, cameras can be used to snap pictures everywhere and phones can and should be used in the hotels to check in at home. iPods are fine on the plane and the bus from place to place, but once we hit our destinations I really don't see a reason for them to even be in sight. Restrictions should be set within reason, and based off of necessity versus entertainment.