1993, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
I would like to invite you to journey with me to the year 2000.
Let’s imagine it’s a long weekend holiday - it’s Australia Day And we are enjoying a BBQ and get together with family and friends. And we are thinking about the great neighbourhood we are lucky enough to live in We are feeling fortunate to have so many nice relatives and friends at our BBQ
A deafening noise and blinding flash attracts our attention from our social chit chat. And we watch over the fence as a space ship looking object lands in the nearby park The hatch opens and human shaped aliens emerge from the space craft. The aliens are silver skinned and are wearing metallic adornments They all hold unusual gun type weapons Our children are excited and fascinated by these new uninvited visitors Two of our neighbours approach these silver beings and the strange weapons are pointed at them.
They are struck and stunned by a streak lightning flash emitted from the guns
Another courageous neighbour shouts protests about the assault on the motionless men and he too receives the same streak lightning flash. We are overcome with fear – our mobile phones are not working we can’t call triple 0 We retreat to the security of the house- our land line phones are also dead as are all of our electrical appliances. It is very eerie and we can hear little traffic noise outside We watch as the aliens set up a tent city with silver foil and plastic looking igloos. The 3 stunned and motionless men are carried into a neighbours house We wonder if they are still breathing , how hurt are they , how can we call for help and an ambulance. We are terrified and encourage our curious kids to come away from the windows.
Let’s imagine that 10 more years have passed and the year is 2010 These aliens now outnumber us. Our homes have been replaced by these strange metallic igloos. Most of our homes were simply burnt to the ground. Our kids toys were removed and destroyed . Our musical instruments suffered the same fate. All Entertainment systems were crushed and removed from our communities. We have heard no music for ten years – we are punished if we sing or hum a few favourite tunes.
Communication is limited and the aliens are in complete control of our lifestyles and living standards. We are subjected to three fumigations and hosings daily because the aliens consider our hygiene standards inadequate and primitive. Our children are taken away at birth because many parents will not comply with the stringent regulations and customs that the aliens insist on us practising. The aliens can educate children to tertiary level in 3 years – this is achieved with brain implants. The children are encouraged to disrespect all human elders and to only adhere to alien requests. Celebrations of birthdays, weddings and similar happy occasions are forbidden and classed as barbaric customs. Most children born since 2000 can communicate comfortably with the aliens. We have no control over their behaviour or their destiny They are encouraged to travel into space to seek further education and learning. Many return and are not interested in the welfare of their family. We long for another BBQ and get together to talk about old times But these are only a pipe dream because all gatherings are also banned.
Two of our older family members have recently died. We feel that they may have lived if only our human doctor could have treated them. They were placed in iron lung looking devices and isolated from us. Their illness was caused by new drugs that the aliens introduced. Our old folk were not aware of the potential harm that excessive use would cause and the aliens simply laughed at their stupidly for overuse of these mind altering substances.
We are sure they died from fear and trepidation. How we wish we could have said goodbye with just a simple funeral service. But again funerals are also illegal and considered primitive. We were unable to bury them in the cemetery according to their wishes but instead they were removed and placed in metallic bare tomb. No flowers or tombstone at their final resting place. These aliens have suppressed every custom and pleasure that we once enjoyed. Most of us can still recall that Australia Day BBQ and we remember discussing the forthcoming Olympics. 2000 in Australia was a utopia compared to the subservient existence that we are experiencing in 2010.
Let’s return to 1993. We pray that such a situation never occurs – we pray that it remains simply science fiction that is used to simply entertain us in a sifi movie or book. My friends unfortunately this atrocity did occur.
The year was not 2000 but the 1700’s. The space ships were the Endeavour followed by the ships of the first fleet and the many more ships. The silver aliens we Englishmen. The stun guns were rifles The new drugs were alcohols and tobaccos. The BBQ’s , birthdays and get togethers were corroborees and dreamtime customs.
This analogy is alarming and frightening. An air of déjà vu does exist I encourage all of you to set aside any preconceived prejudice of our indigenous brothers and sisters. Please help dispel the apathy that so many Australians display toward indigenous affairs. Imagine our reaction if some alien culture chose Australia as it’s newest prison for the punishment of alien criminals.
Our forefathers began the destruction and inhibition of an entire culture. I suggest we follow the example of a very humble Australian – the late Professor Fred Hollows who was described by an ABC journalist as ‘A man who saw what others refused to see’ – then refused to ignore it. Our Indigenous countrymen have a heritage that they legitimately posses and are rightfully proud of. Fortunately our generation has not been invaded by aliens but unfortunately the indigenous people were. I ask that we demonstrate more understanding OF THIS CULTURAL BACKBONE of Australia. Di Sims . ( First presented in 1993)