Letter to The Editor - A unified nation can have only one national day and it cannot be the artificial creation of agitators

To The Australian        Paul Kelly's advocacy of Noel Pearson's "formulation of Australian identity" ("Let's embrace the achievements and tragedy of our past", 26/9) is not quite as sensible as it may sound. It ignores the disparity of contribution to our national make-up by the three groups. That of the British is far more extensive and significant than those of Aboriginals and later immigrants from other countries. Kelly also engages in an artificial division of those seeking to "shut down Australia Day". He refers to "indigenous groups that must be respected and progressives who must be fought." However, many "indigenous" activists are of mixed ancestry and not truly representative of Aboriginal culture in pre-European times, which is why there is considerable overlap between the two groups that Kelly wrongly treats as discrete. A unified nation can have only one national day and it cannot be the artificial creation of agitators. That is what most Australians want and why they will continue to support Australia Day.
  Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic