Australians are always being reminded what a multicultural society we are. The ball started rolling way back in the 1700s when the English decided it was a fabulous place to send their problem children and embarrassing relatives.
The next wave of new Australians were The Wogs - poor Italian and Greek families looking to make a new start in a new country. They were abused and ill-treated until the residents found that pizza was actually one of the main food groups, and have now assimilated to the point that a Wog Deli is a rare treasure in Adelaide. Then there has been the boat people, the steady flow of asian and New Zealand arrivals (as I was, 20 years ago). Now as I walk through the city I see tall, beautiful black people, from some war-torn place in Africa.
So I ponder - why can I not buy a bottle of beer or supermarket shop on Good Friday? Why are we ALL obliged to observe a Christian holiday, to the point that it is the ONLY day of the year the pubs are shut? Shutting a pub is in itself unaustralian! Why does our government persist in allowing this one Christian holiday dominate to the point the entire city grinds to a halt? Im sure small business owners are annoyed at losing this days trading, as well as someone like me who would like to actually go out for the evening for once.
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