As usual, 26 January has been marked by protests, denunciations of those protests, and further iterations. Even apart from the fact that it marks an invasion, the foundation of a colony that later became one of Australia’s states isn’t much of a basis for a national day.
Make Australia Day the first Monday of February, like Cup Day is the first Tuesday of November.
I just don’t understand why we don’t change it. Not everyone is offended or hurt by the 26/01, but isn’t enough that some are offended and hurt?
The first Monday of February would ensure we still get a public holiday in summer and it isn’t on a day that deeply hurts a portion of our citizens. It doesn’t have to be on a specific date when something specific happened in the history of this nation. We aren’t deeply patriotic.
I personally am of the belief that some citizens of this country like it on the 26/01 precisely because it hurts some of our citizens. Which is disgusting and unaustralian to the highest degree.
The one person I saw in the Melbourne CBD yesterday wrapped in an Australian flag was also wearing a Donald Trump MAGA hat, for whatever that’s worth.
That’s just… I don’t even know what to say. Disgusting and abhorrent come close to how I feel about that.
I’m half German myself (born and raised in Melbourne), and my family is so disgusted and disappointed that Nazis have made such a rapid and thorough return. This could have and should have been prevented, and yet here we are.