Should We Change The Date of Australia Day?

[Australian rePublic]

Every year, as the event draws nearer and nearer, we are reminded of the "Invasion Day" argument about celebrating our nation. For those of you who don't know, 26 January is the date that celebrates Captain James Cook's landing in Australia. Some claim that celebrating Australia Day on Jan 26 is racist and celebrates the begining of the genocide against Aboriginal Australians. Some claim that 26 Jan should see the flags fly at half mast to symbolise mourning. Others claim that 26 Jan celebrates the modern nation of Australia, and we should put the atrocities of the past behind us, and celebrate what's goid about our modern, united Australia

Where do you stand on the issue? Should we change the date? Should it be a day of mourning? I'm pretty undecided on the issue. I can see the merits of both sides of the debate, and am yet to form my own opinion. Where do you stand?

[FelrikTheDeleted]

I don't see any particular point in changing the date. Moving it to the first of January, as has been suggested by some people, may result in it being overshadowed by New Years Eve.

[Arthropol]

Removed for retcon purposes (2019-08-01)

[Kramania]

No.

Australia, as a country and as a colony, didn't exist prior to his landing. It was a historic event which led to the creation of the country.

People need to get over it.

[Minzerland II]

No. It is fine as it is and I do not believe it proper to accommodate a segment of the population, comprising around 3.3%, in such a way because it offends them.

[Ifreann]

I would have expected Australia Day to be when Australia became a country, not when Europeans first found the place.

[Trumptonium]

I wish my country had the same fucking problems as Australia if this is considered front page priority.

[Hirota]

Should be 22nd of Feb

No reason.

[Ifreann]

I wish my country had the same fucking problems as Australia if this is considered front page priority.

You want drop bears instead of snow?

[Alvecia]

I wish my country had the same fucking problems as Australia if this is considered front page priority.

Oh they have much bigger problems, but they like to put them somewhere remote and pretend they don't exist

[Ifreann]

I wish my country had the same fucking problems as Australia if this is considered front page priority.

Oh they have much bigger problems, but they like to put them somewhere remote and pretend they don't exist

10/10, would laugh again.

[Purpelia]

Tradition exists for traditions sake. If you change traditions in order to accommodate new sensibilities you might as well scrap it altogether because you are invalidating the only purpose it has for being.

[FelrikTheDeleted]

I would have expected Australia Day to be when Australia became a country, not when Europeans first found the place.

>Australia
>a country that has been attached to it's European (British) roots for much of it's history

I'm surprised you'd think that.

Tbf, the first colony is commonly viewed as being the beginning of Australia, so to speak, at least around the parts I'm living in.

[Ifreann]

I would have expected Australia Day to be when Australia became a country, not when Europeans first found the place.

>Australia
>a country that has been attached to it's European (British) roots for much of it's history

I'm surprised you'd think that.

Tbf, the first colony is commonly viewed as being the beginning of Australia, so to speak, at least around the parts I'm living in.

The date of the foundation of the first colony sounds like a good day for Australia Day.

[Luziyca]

Meh. If the Australians want to change it, go ahead. If they don't, I don't really give a shit. I don't exactly live in Australia, so to state my opinions on this issue is like an American demanding that us Canucks accommodate to their every need and whim.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

No.

Australia, as a country and as a colony, didn't exist prior to his landing. It was a historic event which led to the creation of the country.

People need to get over it.

There was a society there before the UK came.

Thats kinda like saying there wasn't any civilization in the new world before the spaniards arrived.

Nevertheless, I'm conflicted on this.

On one hand, I don't like Columbus Day beacuse of all the murdering and what not.

On the other, Columbus Day I also don't like beacuse Columbus stole Erikson's credit.

(Also Vikings are cooler than Columbus)

And then again, most National birthdays are like this.


(See Bastille Day, 4th July, the creatively named "National Day" for China)

On the other other hand, that doesn't make them right.

But then again, hard to be mad at someone who does something like everyone else does.

So, kinda bad, but acceptical.

(for the record, I think that the French Revolution was a good thing and so was the 4th of july and maybe even "National Day")

[Kramania]

No.

Australia, as a country and as a colony, didn't exist prior to his landing. It was a historic event which led to the creation of the country.

People need to get over it.

There was a society there before the UK came.

Thats kinda like saying there wasn't any civilization in the new world before the spaniards arrived.

Nevertheless, I'm conflicted on this.

On one hand, I don't like Columbus Day beacuse of all the murdering and what not.

On the other, Columbus Day I also don't like beacuse Columbus stole Erikson's credit.

(Also Vikings are cooler than Columbus)

And then again, most National birthdays are like this.


(See Bastille Day, 4th July, the creatively named "National Day" for China)

On the other other hand, that doesn't make them right.

But then again, hard to be mad at someone who does something like everyone else does.

So, kinda bad, but acceptical.

(for the record, I think that the French Revolution was a good thing and so was the 4th of july and maybe even "National Day")

I never said there weren't any societies, merely that Australia as a country and a colony didn't exist until the British landed there. Which is true.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

There was a society there before the UK came.

Thats kinda like saying there wasn't any civilization in the new world before the spaniards arrived.

Nevertheless, I'm conflicted on this.

On one hand, I don't like Columbus Day beacuse of all the murdering and what not.

On the other, Columbus Day I also don't like beacuse Columbus stole Erikson's credit.

(Also Vikings are cooler than Columbus)

And then again, most National birthdays are like this.


(See Bastille Day, 4th July, the creatively named "National Day" for China)

On the other other hand, that doesn't make them right.

But then again, hard to be mad at someone who does something like everyone else does.

So, kinda bad, but acceptical.

(for the record, I think that the French Revolution was a good thing and so was the 4th of july and maybe even "National Day")

I never said there weren't any societies, merely that Australia as a country and a colony didn't exist until the British landed there. Which is true.

As a British colony? Yes.

Country? Depends on how you define country's.

[Indo 2]

Australia Day celebrates Captain Cook finding Australia on the 26th. He didnt find it on the 25th, nor the 27th.

If you disagree with the celebration, ignore it.

[Kramania]

I never said there weren't any societies, merely that Australia as a country and a colony didn't exist until the British landed there. Which is true.

As a British colony? Yes.

Country? Depends on how you define country's.

It becoming a colony led directly to it becoming a country.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

As a British colony? Yes.

Country? Depends on how you define country's.

It becoming a colony led directly to it becoming a country.

Unless you count all the native societies as nations.

[Kramania]

It becoming a colony led directly to it becoming a country.

Unless you count all the native societies as nations.

They still weren't countries, and there certainly wasn't a unified Australia.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

Unless you count all the native societies as nations.

They still weren't countries, and there certainly wasn't a unified Australia.

I never said anything about a unified Australia, but why exactly where they not countries? What did they do differently than the Aztecs or the Native North Americans?

[Arlenton]

Don't change it. Celebrate Australia coming out of the stone age.

[Kramania]

They still weren't countries, and there certainly wasn't a unified Australia.

I never said anything about a unified Australia, but why exactly where they not countries? What did they do differently than the Aztecs or the Native North Americans?

You cannot be a society of nomadic hunter-gatherers and be a country.