Footy legend and all-round top bloke Johnathan Thurston has told NRL.com that he thinks it’s time to have a “national chat” about Australia Day.
Thurston, who spends much of his time campaigning for Indigenous health, education and social outcomes, said that before we as a nation rush into changing the date, we need to have “a good, long conversation about this issue“.
Johnathan Thurston has called for a “national chat” to discuss Australia Day. @nthqldcowboys star voices an emotional message – full story at @NRL https://t.co/2RSHsOBBFe pic.twitter.com/8hEwnCgZPO
— Katie Brown 🤸🏼♀️ (@katiebrownaus) January 22, 2018
He also quite rightly pointed out that people need to be educated on why so many Indigenous Australians consider January 26 to be a day of pain and mourning.
I think we need to have a national chat about it, and I think Australians need to be educated to be educated on why some Indigenous Australians, Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, aren’t fans of or aren’t associated with January 26.
I think Australians need to be educated on why they feel that way and know the actual history about our country. I think once people do know the history of our country and where our culture has been and where our culture has come from today, a lot of people would have a different view on it.
Thurston is up for the Australian of the Year award this year, after being named Queensland’s Australian of the Year back in November for his work mentoring Indigenous youth.
He says all he wants is for Australia to be “inclusive“. Pretty simple when you look at it like that, hey?
