To The Australian Two different responses to the High Court decision in Love and Thoms are provided (21/2) by Henry Ergas ("Foolish ruling widens indigenous gap into a chasm") and Shireen Morris ("A voice for First Nations should be beyond the reach of the judiciary"). Only that by Ergas is likely to have the approval of the majority of Australians. He recommends that we "erase all racial references from Australia's constitution." This approach would treat all Australian citizens, no matter what their ethnicity, on an equal footing. It would thus be fundamentally unifying and would enhance internal stability and external security. Norris cleverly tries to turn the similar approach of the Institute of Public Affairs on its head; but the mere inclusion in her title of the contentious term "First Nations" shows that she wants us to play with loaded dice. So does her assertion that "we must also heed how indigenous people want to be recognised." That is the way of division and, if taken far enough, constitutional separatism. Australians are not lemmings. They won't buy it.
Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic