I still believe that for the most part the children were taken with good intentions - it didn't work out, but I still don't think there was any evil intent. For that reason I do appreciate Nelson's qualified apology yesterday - perhaps yesterday was not the time to quibble, but this is an important aspect of the stolen generations and should form the basis of the apology - Was any of what occurred in the removal of children malignant in intent?

I agree with Darcy for the most part, let us hope that we can build on what occurred yesterday. For me that will mean that aboriginals accept the help now offered and accept the apology. Let them take the higher ground and move into a brighter future with all of Australia united rather than demanding compensation and destroying what happened yesterday.
Whether the problems that the aborigines face today are a direct result of this history, or some other social failure on their part, now is the time to move forward with a relatively clean slate.
They should be made to live under Australian law with all the rights and freedoms of every other Aussie, with social security benefits that match those that other Australians receive, full interest housing loans. Aboriginal history and culture should also be incorporated into the school curriculum and available to all students regardless of colour, this will help to preserve the culture and language as well as exposing other Australians to the truth of what has occurred.

46. Locate the clitoris and know what to do with it.
47. Know how to operate a washing machine, iron, dish washer and cook a meal, just in case there's ever a time when she can't.

But seriously, a lot of these things are things every person should know, not just the man.