The poor wretches of the earth
I was browsing over the Australain news today when I came across an article titled:
Diabetes threatens Aborigine extinction
Quoting an expert in the field the article states, "Diabetes could wipe out the Aborigine population by the end of the century". Reading this, I was taken back to the good old days say, 100 years ago when it was common knowledge that the Aborigine would become extinct.
I can just hear those white pioneer's talking ..."they put up a jolly good fight, and there is some of 'em who could be called noble, but the wretched mass of natives will soon pass and make way for our great civilization.
What type of language does the sydney morning herald, or for that matter the expert, think they are using when they proclaim Aboriginies will become extinct? Why not say that the Caucasian has finally triumphed over its adversary? Why not say that blacks (as one homogenous group) are genetically inferior and thus they will perish in a new globalised modern world.
The most disturbing part of this article is its inferred connection with flora and fauna. Plants and animals become extinct.... NOT PEOPLE. The tasmanian tiger is extinct, sorts of pine trees are extinct, aboriginies extinct? I cannot believe we have reverted back to classing Aboriginal people as one part of "our" ongoing destruction of the environment...coz we all know that global warming is the cause for Aboriginal peoples demise!
The reason we dont use words like extinct when we talk about communities and language groups is because it is outdated, its racist, and more importantly it is incorrect.
For many white people, this type of language resonates on a deeper level than just health concerns of Aboriginal people in Australia, it is a language of supremecy and genocide.
Viva la raza
Moods
Diabetes threatens Aborigine extinction
Quoting an expert in the field the article states, "Diabetes could wipe out the Aborigine population by the end of the century". Reading this, I was taken back to the good old days say, 100 years ago when it was common knowledge that the Aborigine would become extinct.
I can just hear those white pioneer's talking ..."they put up a jolly good fight, and there is some of 'em who could be called noble, but the wretched mass of natives will soon pass and make way for our great civilization.
What type of language does the sydney morning herald, or for that matter the expert, think they are using when they proclaim Aboriginies will become extinct? Why not say that the Caucasian has finally triumphed over its adversary? Why not say that blacks (as one homogenous group) are genetically inferior and thus they will perish in a new globalised modern world.
The most disturbing part of this article is its inferred connection with flora and fauna. Plants and animals become extinct.... NOT PEOPLE. The tasmanian tiger is extinct, sorts of pine trees are extinct, aboriginies extinct? I cannot believe we have reverted back to classing Aboriginal people as one part of "our" ongoing destruction of the environment...coz we all know that global warming is the cause for Aboriginal peoples demise!
The reason we dont use words like extinct when we talk about communities and language groups is because it is outdated, its racist, and more importantly it is incorrect.
For many white people, this type of language resonates on a deeper level than just health concerns of Aboriginal people in Australia, it is a language of supremecy and genocide.
Viva la raza
Moods
posted by Pierre at 2:32 PM
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