<contentious issue>
I'm working today.
I'm working mostly because I have a stupid amount of work to do at the moment, but there is a little part of me which is working on a public holiday in protest.
Yes, I'm one of those who do believe we should change the date of Australia Day.
As a national day, it's become too contentious, especially for the First Nation people. Australia always was, always will be Aboriginal Land. Never ceded.
We are the only country which celebrates a mob of convicts invading another land and imposing Colonial rule. Every other country celebrates the day they became a republic (Think India, Canada, the United States to name just a few of over a hundred countries). Or the celebrate some other culturally appropriate day - such as Waitangi Day in New Zealand.
And it would be a bit rude to celebrate Australia Day on the anniversary of Captain Cook running into our great land (19 April 1770 was that date - but that's a bit too near to ANZAC Day, if you an get past the Colonial overtone - which I can't).
We don't celebrate the day we became a Federation - 1 January 1901 - oh no, that would interfere with the hangover recovery. We could do what New Zealand does and have 2 January off as well - celebrate that way. That would be too easy.
And Australia Day wasn't made a big thing of until the 90s - before that, if it fell on a weekday, it was rolled into the weekend and little more was said about it.
Nope, now it has become a bit of a juggernaut - the day we are supposed to have a barbeque, go to the beach, play cricket, drink beer all while wearing your thongs as you sit on an esky.
Sorry, I'm not buying it.
If it's not Australia Day for all Australians, then it's not a real Australia Day. Seeing one in four people now were not born here, and we pride ourselves on being multicultural, I can't see that Australia Day is truly representative of who we are as a nation.
About the only non-contentious thing about Australia is the Lamb advertisements which come out at this time of year. They can stay. They're hilarious.
As for changing the date - well, I say let's become a Republic and use that date to celebrate being Australian - maybe make the date in early February to take advantage of the weather. As the current set of politicians aren't capable of much more than being rorting, corrupt arseholes, the issue of the republic will be kicked into the long grass for another ten years or more - well at least until Queen Elizabeth II has shaken this mortal coil.
But this is my opinion. I'm not shoving it down anybody's throat. I'm not out on the street protesting about it being "Invasion Day", even if privately I call it that myself.
I just choose to do a day's work and ignore it all together to show my solidarity with the First Nations people.
In a world where we should be coming together, Australia Day is ripping a lot of the community apart.
Scott Morrison says we are a united nation - see his article in today's Age. To Mr Morrison, I say, "Read the room you tone deaf wanker." Grace Tame's side eye speaks for me.
(Photo from The Age.)
I know people aren't going to agree with me, and that's fine.
I'm going to go back to work now and enjoy the quiet of working without being interrupted and continue my minor protest in peace.
</contentious issue>
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