Hoops

Josh Howard - Oh Dear...

ESPN story: http://linky.com.au/ns2px

People are all born the same yeah?
(I'll assume your not a racist and agree with me)

All born the same, we are then shaped by our experiences...

Then why are so many Indigenous people suffering?

Why don't they live the high life on all the benefits?

Why don't i see them walking down the street with a nice suit, a gold tooth and a 'I just f!@ed the prom queen' smile?

I'll give you a hint- a lifetime, correction, several lifetimes, of constant abuse- mental, physical- you name it.

Its really hard for some people to comprehend this but if you lived their lives from birth til now- no way you would be the same, it would take amazing mental fortitude to rise above it and from what i've read so far- Kingjames- you ain't got it.

So don't tell me we do too much for these people, that is just evil.

Clearly some people here have no idea what it is like to live in a minority group, let alone a minority group that is so demeaned by our stereotyping.

Your not there when Josh Howard gets pulled over all the time coz he's young, black and drives a nice car...

If your in the majority, its very rare that you realise the benefits and privilages you receive.

I got a job in a bottle shop once just by walking in and having a chat with the manager. Now your kidding yourself if you think i could of pulled that off being Indigenous.

Just try and think about the things you have, your place in society right now, and ask yourself- if i was an Indigenous Australian would i be right where i am now? Truth is you wouldn't.

By the way- rappers that wear band-aids aren't trying to be cool, they are trying to show you that 'skin colour' band-aids ain't skin colour for everyone.

Realise your in a majority, and realise you are just dumb lucky to be in it.

KingJames- i'm trying hard to have understanding for your attitude because clearly you have happily eaten every piece of crap that has ever come your way...

Please take the time to do some research on a matter before confirming your ignorance in a post.

After reading the last few posts, I thought the title said
John Howard - Oh Dear.....

"Why, what more can we do? We provide money, support, housing, said sorry, Sacrificed University positions and jobs for them. "

The problem doesn't come from us not doing anything for them *now* - the problem comes from the fact that around 220 years ago, English people came here and claimed it as their own, they declared it "Terra Nullus" which means no one lived here.

Brits plonked themselves down and have expected Aboriginal people to fit in with their way of living. Aboriginal culture is thousands of years old and Europeans had the arrogance to slot themselves in here, take all the decent hospitable/farmable land and expect them to live like we do. How can you change a culture of people who've had their own way of life for thousands of years into suddenly working 9 to 5 jobs and spending the weekend drinking beer and watching football?

Basically when Brits landed here, declaring that no one actually lived here (they disregarded Aboriginal culture) basically meant that there was no culture to assimilate into British culture, which has led to the problems we now have. Saying sorry was a symbolic gesture at best, considering that in the grand scheme of things, the real problem comes from Aboriginals being disregarded as human beings back when the settlers/convicts first came here.

Brits came here and decided Aboriginals had no society and therefore the land was uninhabited. Why should we then expect Aboriginals to recognise Advance Australia Fair?

Quagmire, you're right about everything. Unfortunately for Josh, American Patriotism blankets freedom of speech with their usual up-them-selves banter.

Remember, if you don't know the American National Anthem; you're a communist.

Correct me if i'm wrong- but isn't America the land of the free? Freedom to express your views?

If Howard has a beef who are we to say its not legit?and WHO THE HELL ARE WE to tell him he should GET OUT if he doesn't like it?

Maybe instead of bagging this guy, the country and its people need to take a look at WHY a young man with so much to be thankful for, still resents his country's anthem?

It surprises me more Indigenous people don't turn their backs when our athem is played...

It's only dumb from a perspective that if he doesn't actually want to be American, he should just GTFO. Just because he was born there, doesn't mean he has to accept their values; he's free to move somewhere else. The fact that he doesn't, and he continues to earn a million dollar plus paycheck from playing in the NBA, is what makes him a dickhead.

I don't have any problem with people wanting to defect from the coutnry they live in, if it's not for them and they don't agree with its values. But continuing to play there and earn money but not show respect to their national anthem? sheeeeiiiiiiit. Even internationals can respect another country's anthem when they play there, so it shouldn't be any different for Howard.

Perhaps he should petition to have the anthem changed to something he can relate to....like the latest "crunk" effort from Lil'Jon.