This article belongs to Australia - Land of the Free? column.
What is the base impulse that makes some of the human race want to abuse children? What is it in the community that allows this to be tolerated and turns a blind eye to the destruction of children? This abuse is happening in Australia, a supposedly forward thinking highly intelligent nation. What the situation is in other nations I don't know, but I can guess? These predators have to control their sick gratification or seek it in other ways more acceptable to the human race.
THE ABUSE OF CHILDREN MUST STOP.
Shame on those who degrade children, shame on those who know it happens but do nothing about it, shame on those in control who don't do everything to stop it.
A recent report to the Australian Government detailed the tragic widespread child abuse in Aboriginal communities. This has resulted in massive intervention into native communities. Commonwealth officials will effectively take over all indigenous affairs in the Northern Territory.
The inquiry found widespread molestation of Aboriginal children fuelled by the easy availability of grog, the ready accessibility of pornography in homes, drug taking and truancy.
Prime Minister John Howard called it a national emergency. ‘There is no greater obligation that this Government is charged with than to care for the young and vulnerable in our community,' he said. ‘We are dealing with a group of young Australians for whom the concept of childhood innocence has never been present. That is a sad and tragic event. Exceptional measures are required to deal with an exceptionally tragic event.'
Those exceptional measures include, the boosting of police operations to encourage victims of abuse or their relatives to report abuse, ban pornography in Aboriginal communities and prohibit the sale of alcohol in prescribed areas, prevent social security payments being wasted on alcohol, cut family benefits if parents allow their children to miss school. There are many more but all are intended to clamp down on wayward parents, relatives and so-called friends.
The Army is also being brought in addition to extra police to restore law and order to these remote communities.
Labor leader Kevin Rudd has backed the campaign and has agreed to work with the Government on it.
Some have labelled these actions as racist and draconian but before these accusations can stick we need to look at what is happening in the white community. The shame continues with retired Supreme Court judge Edward P Mullighan QC examining the abuse of state wards in South Australia and the terrible scars that leaves on our children. The same rampant paedophilia took place against children under the protection of the government.
We only have to remember the terrible abuse that has many of the churches reeling under compensation claims and trying to find a way to deal with the social cost of many of their officers. Anywhere where children congregate these predatory beings are sure to follow.
The measures taken against abuse in the Aboriginal community must also include the white community.
Are these base desires hard wired into the human race and it is only those with effective self-control that can resist abusing children. Is there no hope? I hope not.
Pity the little children. We can only commend the Australian Government for trying to do something.
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