Back to the past? It is so easy to see the past through rose colored glasses. Yes it is fair to say that there where great things in days gone by that we miss. We do lament. What is often overlooked when getting all nostalgic is the way our society used to treat other cultures, and indeed anyone who didn't fit our Aussie may of life. It was acceptable(sic) to make fun of the Irish. It was acceptable to throw out the odd "abo" joke at barbies.
What has changed is our maturity as a people. It is not right to vilify someone because they come from a different culture. It is not right to think less of someone just because they they don't spend Australia day drunk with a flag draped across their back. We are strong as a nation not inspite of being diverse, but because we are diverse.
What I find particularly disturbing, as so well articulated in this article, is the anointed one, the mad monk, Abbott, is giving the green light to the ghosts of the past to resurrect themselves.
It has taken those of us who think about what we do so long to get to the place we are now. This is not snakes and ladders. We don't need Abbott to send us back to square one.