This chapter's exercise is about doing some personal reflection. There are no right or wrong answers here, instead this is an opportunity for you to take some time and think about your ethical values and beliefs.
A letter to the past (10 mins.)
This exercise asks you to explore what it would take to change your mind about something important.
Imagine someone from the past who held views characteristic of that time. Also imagine, for the sake of the exercise, that this person is not too different from you - perhaps you would have been friends. Unfortunately, many people in the past were complicit in horrible things, such as slavery, sexism, racism, and homophobia, which were even more prevalent in the past than they are now. And, sadly, this historical counterpart is also complicit in some moral tragedy common to their time, perhaps not out of malevolence or ill-will, but merely through indifference or ignorance.
This exercise is to write a short letter to this historical friend arguing that they should care about a specific group that your present self values. Imagine that they are complicit in owning slaves, or in the oppression of women, people of other races, or sexual minorities.
For the sake of this exercise, imagine your historical counterpart is not malevolent or selfish, they think they are living a normal moral life, but are unaware of where they are going wrong. What could you say to them to make them realize that they’re doing wrong? What evidence are they overlooking that allows them to hold their discriminatory views? You might want to write a few paragraphs or just bullet points, and spend time reflecting on what you write.
Dear Mr Neville, former Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia,
I'm writing to you with some rather unpleasant news. The cause which you devoted your life to, the extinction of Australian first nations people through policies of child removal and assimilation, has been disproven fully scientifically, ethically and practically. The theory of eugenics, which you used to justify the superiority of the "white race', has been thoroughly debunked by modern research which shows that there is no such biological hierachy. The majority of people in the world today would regard you as an extreme bigot because most of us think all humans are equal and valuable, regardless of ability, race, religion or sexual preference. In addition, most people today regard your actions as Chief Protector as morally reprehensible- in fact you are now regarded as one of the main perpetrators of the "stolen generation", the term most Australians use to describe the policy of governments which you implemented. As a result of being forcibly separated from their parents and culture, first nations Austualians are still suffering from intergenerational trauma, reduced lifespan, and poor physical and mental health. As a result, the nation you called Australia has become poorer as a whole; economically, culturally and environmentally. We have spent millions of dollars, lost whole languages and traditions, and ignored indigenous knowledge about how to live sustainably with this land. In saying this I do not mean to belittle or berate you. Every person is a product of their culture and at the time the ideas and customs which fuelled your passionate implementation of this attempted genocide were widespread and popular. Although you might have been complicit in this tragedy through indifference or ignorance rather than malevolence or ill-will, I would like to ask you to reflect on the damage your actions have caused and take some responsibility for this. The Prime Minister of Australia formally recognised and apologised to the the stolen generations in Federal Parliament in 2007 and I hope you may find it in your heart to do the same. On a positive note, many modern ancestors of the stolen generation are now learning about their heritage and are proudly identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. They are working hard to relearn past customs and reinvigorate traditional knowledge to the benefit of all Australians. Like me, I hope you can also find respect and love for their resilience and wisdom.