Why is it so hard to change the date?

A few years ago I wrote an opinion piece in response to a racially abusive email I had received while working at the NT News.

One of the comments I received after the piece was published was “oh that is not racist. Stop being so sensitive”.

One thing that really grinds my gears is when a person who has probably never had to deal with racist commentary – either casual or overt – tells me how I should feel about comments made about my heritage.

Because guess what. All that matters is how I FEEL about them. Anyone else’s view is redundant and can get in the bin.

Now stay with me, because I am coming to a point.

Australia Day is a deeply distressing day for many First Nation Australians.

And it sure as hell is not up to anyone else to decide how they should feel about a day that clearly still holds a lot of pain and anguish.

Personally I find it difficult to partake in anything remotely “celebratory” knowing that there were many Australians rightly feeling pained about what January 26 represents.

It has become such a fraught and divisive day, and less about celebrating and uniting our great country.

And that is sad. Because there is so much to celebrate.

I love this country. We are undeniably the luckiest people in the world to call Australia home.

So let’s change the date.

Let’s choose a date that we can ALL get behind.

And let’s celebrate TOGETHER.