Are we mature enough to hear?
In 1968 Professor Stanner lamented the ‘cult of forgetfulness’ dominating the Australian attitude to the indigenous peoples of this land. The 2023 Referendum has been the latest instance of such forgetfulness.
No First Nations voice was considered when the Constitutional conventions of the late 19th century guided the Colonial Governments as they began crafting a Constitution “up” for a Federal Commonwealth.
It would have been a sign of our Commonwealth’s subsequent 122 year-old maturity had the referendum been presented to electors by the Federal Parliament as a wholly appropriate response of a matured suggestion from First Nations leaders for how our ongoing State crafting work is to proceed.
That Voice statement is still vital “in put” today for our Constitutionally framed political task.
A persistent immaturity of forgetfulness was on display as leaders of “both sides” turned it into a “zero-sum” struggle seemingly for electoral advantage.
The “cult of forgetfulness” is at the root of our neglect of the State-crafting task which is the difficult work of all electors.
Margaret’s article confirms that the Uluru Statement remains an important for our political life and still needs to be heard.
Are we politically mature enough to hear it?