Australia Day Persuasive Speech

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Lieutenant James Cook was assigned the duty of locating new lands for the British Crown in 1770 while he was on his expedition to observe the Transit of Venus. On this journey, Cook discovered new lands. Eighteen years later, the first fleet sailed from England and arrived in Australia on January 26, 1788, which is known as Australia Day and is observed every year to mark the arrival of the First Fleet. However, in recent times, there has been a discussion surrounding the suitability of this date and its importance to Indigenous Australians. Asalamualaykum, Today I would like to express my point on why we should change Australia Day, also known as Invasion Day, or as some others may call it, Survival Day. Why should we celebrate a day where thousands mourn the loss of their ancestors? This day should be changed for the better. Even though we cannot remove …show more content…

This disregard and insensitivity towards historical wrongs is seen as an act of disrespect and reflects badly on Australia's belief in equality, damaging this country's own reputation. I believe this is an important factor to implement, as Australia has a discrimination law where it is unlawful to discriminate based on a protected number of attributes. So while Australia Day is celebrated with parties, barbeques, and countdowns by so many, thousands of others are mourning the loss of their ancestors. Shouldn’t celebrating a day of sadness and grief be an insult to the indigenous community? Why is this not seen as offensive? How is this not counted as discrimination against their culture and people? We should acknowledge the negative aspects of this country’s history to help encourage a more positive perception of the nation instead of promoting