VSU Emergency Rally - Tommorow (Wed 16th) (1 Viewer)

[jellybeenz]

I feel that the sorry campaign put too much emphasis on reconcilliation and took focus away from the real problems the aboriginal community faces.

I feel that the biggest problem that the Aboriginal community faces is racism (and a lot of other problems are symptoms of this larger one) and I feel that reconciliation is the first step in fighting racism against aboriginals. We cannot expect a society to not be racist, if it can be inferred that its government is.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Really? I believe sorry would have been the easiest and least costly thing for the government to do towards the aboriginals.

The next step would be to engender an spirt of empathy for why and how ATSI people got to the place they are today. They need to get ATSI kids into education. To help them. They truely are the most disadvantages group of people in Australia.

Yea i think the government probably should of said sorry.
But I think given that the government obviously wasn't going to budge on this issue, they should of focused on other issues.

Jellybeanz: I think you're wrong by claiming that the biggest problem aboriginals face today is racism, sure it's a problem.. but they have deeper social problems that need to be addressed first. And the problem of racism isn't really an 'aboriginal' problem , as much as white australians needing to be educated.. I think these days most young white australians are fairly educated and won't be racist towards aboriginies or any other minority.
But maybe i'm just a little optimistic?

 

[jellybeenz]

Yea i think the government probably should of said sorry.
But I think given that the government obviously wasn't going to budge on this issue, they should of focused on other issues.

Jellybeanz: I think you're wrong by claiming that the biggest problem aboriginals face today is racism, sure it's a problem.. but they have deeper social problems that need to be addressed first.

I just think that society's attitudes have caused most of these problems. And in order to fix these problems that Aboriginals face, society's attitudes need to be changed. The first step in my mind is reconciliation. The real solution needs to be long term.

Maybe you just haven't heard some young people I know talk about aboriginals. These are people at uni, educated people as well. It just makes me sick.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

You might think that, but what do u really think would make an aboriginal a more productive and happy member of society?
To get in there, try to get them off the drugs etc, get them educated, equip them to get out there and work, make a good honest living for themselves?

 

[jellybeenz]

You might think that, but what do u really think would make an aboriginal a more productive and happy member of society?
To get in there, try to get them off the drugs etc, get them educated, equip them to get out there and work, make a good honest living for themselves?

I feel that should already be being done. Treat the cause and the symptoms. But it is a slow process. Getting in there and helping can only do so much. We've thrown money at the problem for so long, but I think it takes something larger.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Yea but there are issues that need to be discussed as well. Throwing money at problems doesn't always fix them.
The aboriginal community needs to come forth and truely speak out about the problems in its community and how to solve them.

These thoughts are not just my own, I have taken them from prominant educated aboriginal leaders that i've read columns from on the net and in newspapers.

 

[jellybeenz]

The aboriginal community needs to come forth and truely speak out about the problems in its community and how to solve them.

Again I think that reconciliation is the first step in allowing that to happen.

Anyways VSU...

I'm out... I was only semi-serious about the coke thing btw

 

[Generator]

Safety net????

How on earth do the unions have a safety net for students. If anything it is a misleading net. If the University or Government are determined to do something, they will do it. Who says so? The people who elected them and the laws enabling them. No student union can do anything more than complain or use the structures set by these bodies to review it.

Extra dollar or two??

If the fee was a dollar there would be less concern in paying the fees I would imagine, add at least an extra $150 and there is your common sum that students are forced to pay.

The SRC is the safety net. I'm more than willing to pay the fee for a form of insurance in financial, legal and academic aid. Maybe you aren't, but that's just life. Besides, your position is no more 'right' than my own, so get off your high horse of choice and consider the wider issues of VSU and I may well take more note of your own point of view.

Just for thre record, I would have uttered the passage that you quoted with a sneer.

The SRC is about $66. Now student services contribute to most of that, however, they destroy their image to students by running the campaign. A fair bit of this could be avoided and would more likely have higher membership if a) they didn't run the campaigns or b) allowed people to contribute only to the student services (at a reduced fee (where those contributing to the politics wouldnt get some "full membership discount")).

Yes, Xayma, let us avoid those campaigns that actually aim to benefit all students (Nelson review) or those that allow minority groups a chance to voice their concerns to appease the majority who apparently could not care less. As I said before, a greater degree of transparency would be appreciated, yet there is no need to dismiss the idea of the SRC and student representation merely because you may not agree with a particular campaign that is hardly impeding the provision of services.

 

[Delta32]

Let us watch the students lose any safety net that they may possess in the form of the SRC, too!

Life will be grand, people. I for one cannot wait till I am able to carry around an extra dollar or two in my pocket.

Ahh, yep, me too...:-/

 

[Delta32]

Is it possible... for someone using student services to get more for their money than the ammount of money they donate?
With all the political campaigns etc i'd say these people would be very rare.

A number of your comments stem from an extremely fixed, essentialist mindset, or so it appears.

In answer to the above; ofcourse you'd find students! The SRC employees staff to deal with education/welfare cases, you'd find the majority of staff in fact; this equates to hundreds of thousands of dollars. One consultation would likely merit more value than $66. These staff are seldom used for campaign purposes they are there to assist the students. More is spent employing them than is spent on campaigns!

Secondly; in regards to Indigenous Australians, unless you are one (are you?) I don't think you really have any right to comment on an extremely complex social issue such as oppression of a people for over a century. Have you tried to be actively involved in dealing with Indigenous Affairs???

With the removal of generations of a culture and society, SURELY, anyone who has a study related to psychology, anthropology or sociology (and hopefully Government) would understand that such treatment can certainly lead to social deviance etc (the inherent cause of many of those problems you've been so flippant about - health, governance, social security, employment, education etc).

And in relation to coke; I'd rather not lag a 24 pack of cans around campus every month . Espescially when considering that the lockers provided by the union wouldn't be there anymore. (yes, that's just tongue in cheek, I'm not interested in this little spat)

I feel that it is easy for you to offend so many unless you have an understanding of extremely complex underlying issues. Your assumptions can be very dangerous, don't you realise that? It is fine to have an opinion, but try to see beyond the black and white ideologies that you seem to favour so much.

I am all for listening to others opinions, otherwise I wouldn't be replying, but please perhaps it would be wiser to think a little more about an issue before disgorging such flippant material. Informed opinion warrants much more attention than ill-thoughtout commentaries.

P.S. ; apologies if I come across as tempestuous, but in all honesty I suppose I was angered to read such strong ideological standpoints without much substantive support.

 

[Delta32]

Yea but there are issues that need to be discussed as well. Throwing money at problems doesn't always fix them.
The aboriginal community needs to come forth and truely speak out about the problems in its community and how to solve them.

These thoughts are not just my own, I have taken them from prominant educated aboriginal leaders that i've read columns from on the net and in newspapers.

I would be very eager to read these columns, please pass them on if you can.

I would also be interested in the intensive social research which indicates a similar perspective.

And you're dead right about Indigenous Australians requiring a mechanism to "speak out", as you put it. Hmm, ATSIC anyone? oh wait....

 

[Xayma]

Generator: How hard would it be from the SRC's perspective to enable students to only pay for those services it might save them $2 but it is the principle of the thing, unfortunately the SRC in it's infinite wisdom will decide that students must go into it all or nothing. Instead of keeping track of how much money is spent on political campaigns the SRC is risking alot of people not joining. If you were to ask the main reason why people wouldn't join the SRC, that would probably be the main one, not the saving of $60. The Union is different same with the Sports Union however that is more than likely to be the issue of saving money.

 

[Jonathan A]

The SRC is the safety net. I'm more than willing to pay the fee for a form of insurance in financial, legal and academic aid. Maybe you aren't, but that's just life. Besides, your position is no more 'right' than my own, so get off your high horse of choice and consider the wider issues of VSU and I may well take more note of your own point of view.

.

Well I don't want that aid true, but the difference is I am paying for it. It's no insurance when I have banner-holders defending me - it simply doesn't do much. Most academics I know and have come into contact with are very much interactive with students and act in their best interests.

I have considered the wider issues of VSU. I can tell you I am not the slightest sad by the fact that gaming nights with free alcoholic beverages may very well come to an end.

 

[Plebeian]

Well I don't want that aid true, but the difference is I am paying for it. It's no insurance when I have banner-holders defending me - it simply doesn't do much. Most academics I know and have come into contact with are very much interactive with students and act in their best interests.

I have considered the wider issues of VSU. I can tell you I am not the slightest sad by the fact that gaming nights with free alcoholic beverages may very well come to an end.

But gaming nights with free alcoholic beverages won't be the only thing to go...

As for your argument that 'banner-waving' achieves nothing, it was student activism that forced the government to reduce HECS increases from the planned 30% to 25%.

 

[Xayma]

Ah then you'll see my dilemma... I'm at uni from 8-5 some days... there is no way a can of coke would stay cold until the end of the day.

In conclusion, VSU is bad for me. I've talked about benefits to general university population with USU, but today I'm being materialistic and selfish. I want the price of cans of coke to stay at $1.50.

If you are so worried about the price of coke, why are you paying $1.50 for a can when there is at least one place (and it isn't isolated on the outskirts) where you can get them for $1.30.

If you are that worried about the price I assume you wouldn't want to be spending $0.20 more than you have to.

 

[jellybeenz]

If you are so worried about the price of coke, why are you paying $1.50 for a can when there is at least one place (and it isn't isolated on the outskirts) where you can get them for $1.30.

If you are that worried about the price I assume you wouldn't want to be spending $0.20 more than you have to.

Where is this place? If i run low on my coek budget I must investigate... honestly its mostly to do with convenience and well... lol... i really wasnt that serious about the coke...

 

[Xayma]

I know you weren't. But it kind of defeats the whole purpose

There is a vending machine in the Fishery Cafe that it has them for that, not sure over the counter although the 600mL bottles are only $2.40.

 

[Minai]

Or you could buy your Coke from a supermarket on the way to uni for like $0.99

 

[jellybeenz]

You just don't understand my pain. A can of coke MUST be ice-cold for me to enjoy it.

 

[Xayma]

I understand your pain but considering you werent already going for the cheapest cold coke on campus your argument breaks down