Quarterly Essay 55: A Rightful Place: Race, recognition and a more complete commonwealth by Noel Pearson
a more just future
Pearson offers an articulate and well-structured treatise explaining why “closing the gap” microeconomic measures are no more than a political expedient to ignore the continuation of cultural destruction. Framing his argument around quotes from Darwin, Dickens and Wells is revelatory. His relentless prosecution of truth about the genocide of full-blooded Tasmanians combines political and legalistic perspectives effectively. He acknowledges the complexity of this history, particularly the debt of three generations of his own family to the care of Lutheran missionaries.
Some of Pearson’s logically laid out points, for example about the nature of conservatism, align directly with his argument. His disinclination to have race as a specific reference in a new Constitution may be unexpected, but he is on the mark. Person has moved beyond superficial and platitudinous reform and, for the most part at least, erred clear of political views or other patronage. His insistence for the complementarity of language and culture is an urgent call to continue the work recording aboriginal languages while we can.
The urgency of recognition of the past and present in order to better shape a just future for all Australians is central to Pearson’s essay, and his structured argument is timely.
Pearson offers an articulate and well-structured treatise explaining why “closing the gap” microeconomic measures are no more than a political expedient to ignore the continuation of cultural destruction. Framing his argument around quotes from Darwin, Dickens and Wells is revelatory. His relentless prosecution of truth about the genocide of full-blooded Tasmanians combines political and legalistic perspectives effectively. He acknowledges the complexity of this history, particularly the debt of three generations of his own family to the care of Lutheran missionaries.
Some of Pearson’s logically laid out points, for example about the nature of conservatism, align directly with his argument. His disinclination to have race as a specific reference in a new Constitution may be unexpected, but he is on the mark. Person has moved beyond superficial and platitudinous reform and, for the most part at least, erred clear of political views or other patronage. His insistence for the complementarity of language and culture is an urgent call to continue the work recording aboriginal languages while we can.
The urgency of recognition of the past and present in order to better shape a just future for all Australians is central to Pearson’s essay, and his structured argument is timely.