I am not Australian and I don’t know the entire history or context, but one thing I can say is that not only can people change but nations can change, too. It’s possible to celebrate what a nation has become without celebrating what they’ve done.
Hmm yes very smart. Add a useless platitude to a thread you have no idea about or stake in. No background reading or nuance here, just thought terminating cliches! I wonder why nobody is praising your amazing intellect.
Dude, you must understand that many things in life are subtle and depend heavily on context and history. There are many words, gestures, dates, etc. that has special meaning to certain groups of people. The meanings are not intrinsic - they could be changed or forgotten or whatever - but they are also quite real, and often powerful and important.
Your original statement was a bit of a nothingburger. Yeah, people / countries can change. whoop-di-do. Nothing wrong with saying it. Maybe some people will appreciate your thoughts on that. But it probably is not going to add much to a discussion that has everything to do with cultural context.
On the other hand, in your continued followups you are somehow trying to defend the ‘wisdom’ of your original post. These follow ups are kind of insulting. You apparently know nothing at all about this topic, and yet for some reason you are insisting that your views are relevant. Why are you doing that? I suggest that you let your idea stand on its own merit without you fighting a battle to try to defend it. We don’t need this conflict.
I’m with you. 3rd March is a good pick for both what it represents (throwing off the shackles of the British) and for the time of year (early Autumn is basically still summer), and I strongly support the idea of changing it to that date.
I think I would prefer 3rd September or 9th October, the date the Statute of Westminster was enacted (depending on whether you go by the date it actually passed in 1942, or the date it was retroactively applied to in 1939). They both come at a time of year where there’s a relative lack of public holidays. The 5 month period from late December to early May already have Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s, Good Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, and Labour Day. That’s 7. The entire rest of the year has just 2!
(Using Queensland dates here, but the trend is similar elsewhere, with a lot of state or local public holidays also being in that span. And, obviously, I’m discounting Australia Day from the 5-month period for the sake of the hypothetical. Otherwise it would be 8.)
Ideal would be an early November/late October holiday, to get that warm weather while still being reasonably removed from the Christmas–Labour Day period. The early October of the date the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act received royal assent is a little earlier than ideal, but has the added bonus of some synergy with ACT, NSW, and SA’s Labour Day, as well as Qld’s King’s Birthday, giving two long weekends in a row: sometimes (including this year) a 3-day week, usually two 4-day weeks in a row.
But any of these dates would make great alternatives and have my strong support.
I am not Australian and I don’t know the entire history or context, but one thing I can say is that not only can people change but nations can change, too. It’s possible to celebrate what a nation has become without celebrating what they’ve done.
And yet you decided to weigh in anyway. Amazing.
I made a general statement.
They have a point. Why play devil’s advocate on a subject you admit to knowing nothing about?
Because I know enough to make a general statement which holds true in any circumstance.
Hmm yes very smart. Add a useless platitude to a thread you have no idea about or stake in. No background reading or nuance here, just thought terminating cliches! I wonder why nobody is praising your amazing intellect.
You state that nuance and circumstance can make the statement false? Present it.
Dude, you must understand that many things in life are subtle and depend heavily on context and history. There are many words, gestures, dates, etc. that has special meaning to certain groups of people. The meanings are not intrinsic - they could be changed or forgotten or whatever - but they are also quite real, and often powerful and important.
Your original statement was a bit of a nothingburger. Yeah, people / countries can change. whoop-di-do. Nothing wrong with saying it. Maybe some people will appreciate your thoughts on that. But it probably is not going to add much to a discussion that has everything to do with cultural context.
On the other hand, in your continued followups you are somehow trying to defend the ‘wisdom’ of your original post. These follow ups are kind of insulting. You apparently know nothing at all about this topic, and yet for some reason you are insisting that your views are relevant. Why are you doing that? I suggest that you let your idea stand on its own merit without you fighting a battle to try to defend it. We don’t need this conflict.
TLDR Version: “You are correct but I will never say that outright”
And it’s also possible to change the date to one that does not mark a genocide.
I know im in the minority but I like the 3rd of march.
I’m with you. 3rd March is a good pick for both what it represents (throwing off the shackles of the British) and for the time of year (early Autumn is basically still summer), and I strongly support the idea of changing it to that date.
I think I would prefer 3rd September or 9th October, the date the Statute of Westminster was enacted (depending on whether you go by the date it actually passed in 1942, or the date it was retroactively applied to in 1939). They both come at a time of year where there’s a relative lack of public holidays. The 5 month period from late December to early May already have Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s, Good Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, and Labour Day. That’s 7. The entire rest of the year has just 2!
(Using Queensland dates here, but the trend is similar elsewhere, with a lot of state or local public holidays also being in that span. And, obviously, I’m discounting Australia Day from the 5-month period for the sake of the hypothetical. Otherwise it would be 8.)
Ideal would be an early November/late October holiday, to get that warm weather while still being reasonably removed from the Christmas–Labour Day period. The early October of the date the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act received royal assent is a little earlier than ideal, but has the added bonus of some synergy with ACT, NSW, and SA’s Labour Day, as well as Qld’s King’s Birthday, giving two long weekends in a row: sometimes (including this year) a 3-day week, usually two 4-day weeks in a row.
But any of these dates would make great alternatives and have my strong support.