Letter to The Editor

to THE AUSTRALIAN
     Australians as a whole have a duty of care to all those citizens who suffer serious social and health disadvantage, so Ron Spielman is right to champion the cause of Aboriginals in such need (1/6), but his call for vaguely worded 'meaningful' and 'appropriate' recognition is an erroneous response.

     He refers to 'those whose large piece of earth was occupied by strangers against their will.' All those people are dead. The task now is to work towards justice and well-being for all Australians living now and those who will follow. If it be asked was not dispossession unfair to 'the Aboriginal people', answers may differ, but the law must deal with living individuals and not political abstractions in this case.
NJ, Belgrave, Vic