In response to Ms McGarry’s letter
Dear Ms McGarry from Victoria, the Aboriginal Community demand and deserve to receive a written retraction and apology from you with regards to the defamatory false and misleading information you reported to the Cowra Guardian.
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The community would very much like for you to clarify when you were at Erambie and in who’s house you witnessed people ripping up the floorboards to burn, as you stated that “you remember” this happening.
I am a 56-year-old Aboriginal woman and I am appalled that you could make such derogatory statements to the Cowra Guardian about the Aboriginal community of Cowra and in particular the Elders. I was born and raised in Cowra, my Grandmother lived on Erambie and I have never witnessed anyone at Erambie tearing up their floor boards to burn, in fact, Ms McGarry, as a child growing up, I remember quite clearly a group of us kids would be asked to go to the back of the mission to the railway tracks with a hessian sacks to fill with coal to burn and search the ground for sticks/kindling.
I am insulted also by your statement that the “Elders of today were the delinquents of yesterday”. Because I am one of several people you infer this about, I demand that you show proof that I was a delinquent, but as I know for a fact you will not be able to prove that allegation, I therefore along with other Elders will be seeking legal advice.
I am also calling on the whole of my Aboriginal community, especially the Williams and Doolan families in Cowra to also seek legal advice and possibly take out a Class Action law suite against you and/or anyone else, who make false, misleading, derogatory, discriminatory, defamatory and/or demeaning statements against the Aboriginal people of Cowra.
The statements/comments made by yourself and the Daily Mail regarding our community and especially our children and elders serve only one purpose and that is inciting racial hatred, something you both ought to be thoroughly disgusted in yourselves for.
The Daily Mail journalist, a so called “professional journalist,” should be forced to make a public as well as a written apology for her disrespect toward Ms Olive Williams and the Aboriginal community for misinterpreting and misrepresenting the “facts” in her article.
This issue has left the Aboriginal community up in arms, and is an insult of the highest magnitude, which shows the utmost disrespect toward elders both past and present and the community as a whole and we are all deeply offended.
Sensationalistic journalism and those who encourage it need to be charged and stopped so this sort of derogatory practice foes not continue.
Disgusted and outraged Elder
Joylene Simpson
Last hope for resident experiencing housing issues
I’m writing to you to voice my concern for my 81-year-old Nan (Norma Wallace) who, after repeated calls to Council (Luke Sheehan) Manager of Building and Regulatory Services, the owners of the stated property (24 Stewart St) is dealing with an eyesore of a view.
Having rats, mice spiders and snakes enter her property from the neighboring property. The property is used like a tip for wrecked vehicles, old household goods and general rubbish.
Police have been called several times due to break and enter on the property and damage. The house is falling apart due to white ant infestation. The lawns are not maintained and the weeds are seeding and ending up all through my Nan’s grass.
All calls to council and owners have been taken but nothing has been done. So writing to you was our last hope for something to be done. My Nan is too old to be dealing dealing with snakes rats and weeds.