Letter to The Editor - Today's Australia is made up of many different ethnic groups. Let's celebrate the virtues of each and avoid creating unnecessary conflict that weakens the nation

To The Age          Tracey Ireland (14/5) sees Captain Cook as 'a polarizing national symbol, representing possession and dispossession', but he can also be seen as a man of exceptionally noble character who laid vital foundations for the modern Australia of which all our citizens are fortunate beneficiaries, including those with indigenous ancestry. Special celebrations for the 250th anniversary of his voyages make good sense and are welcome. It must also be noted that the Aboriginal people Cook found here, in effect, lost possession of the continent by their inability to defend it. It is a part of Nature that stronger creatures and peoples displace weaker ones. It is foolish, if not mischievous, to seek to undo what happened. Today's Australia is made up of many different ethnic groups. Let's celebrate the virtues of each and avoid creating unnecessary conflict that weakens the nation.
  Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic