"Love means never having to say you're sorry." Bunk. That old line from the '70s tearjerker Love Story never really rang true, did it?On February 13, when the new Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said "sorry," parliament gave him a rousing standing ovation, the thousands gathered outside Parliament House cheered, and millions were glued to their televisions to watch the speech broadcast live.
"I move," began Rudd, "that today we honor the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on the past mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation's history."
"We apologize," said Mr. Rudd. Five times, in fact, "sorry" eight times. And he didn't keep his apology ethereal; he gave specifics of the more than 50,000 Aboriginal children "forcibly taken from their mothers and fathers. "This," he said, "was the product of deliberate, calculated policies of the state."
Mr. Rudd related his conversation with a now 80-year-old women who was one of the children removed from her family. "I asked Nanna Fejo what she would have me say today about her story. She thought for a few moments then said that what I should say today was that all mothers are important. 'Families—keeping them together is very important. It's a good thing that you are surrounded by love and that love is passed down through the generations.' "
Mr. Rudd has promised to make Aboriginal reconciliation central to his premiership.
"There comes a time in the history of nations when their peoples must become fully reconciled to their past if they are to go forward with confidence to embrace the future," he said.
Maybe love does mean having to say you're sorry, for your own good and for the nation you love. This month we salute Prime Minister Rudd, for his candor and courage, and for reminding us of the power of a sincere apology.
For more, read and watch the full speech, and coverage from the BBC and ABC.
