The Editor
Voting NO in the upcoming referendum is the correct and right response to the proposed constitutional changes. The Yes campaign has been unable to or unwilling to respectfully promote their position, they rather have resorted to overt or passive aggression towards anyone that supports the No position or towards anyone who simply has questions.
The foundation of the Yes campaign is the mistaken belief that constitutional change will remedy both the gap between indigenous and non indigenous Australia and reconcile the colonial injustices of the past. However the Yes campaign sadly has racially vilified aboriginal No supporters, has labelled No voters as ‘spewing racism’ and as being stupid. Rather than discuss how the Voice will operate, be structured, funded and how it will benefit us all the Yes campaign has increasingly become belligerent, intimidating and manipulative.
It saddens me that I have to vote No. There are aspects of our history and dealings with the first nation peoples that breaks my heart. Making changes simply because it is perceived as being “the right thing to do” without clear explanation is foolishness having nothing to do with compassion. Sadly the Yes campaign has monumentally failed because it has divided us not united us. The Yes campaign has sort to take advantage of fair minded Australians seeking to inject racial privilege into the heart of the
Constitution, under the guise of compassion. Australian’s are an accepting and clever people, compassionate and ready to right wrongs. Do not be intimidated and guilt tripped into voting Yes. By voting NO we are protecting our right to equality, the most precious right we have no matter what our heritage as only from equality can reconciliation hopefully become a possibility.
Geoffrey Yeo