The Stolen Generation is a hot topic at the moment in Australia and all around the world due to the popularity of the book and now film Rabbit Proof Fence. While our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd has now apologised in parliament, for the wrongs done to the Stolen Generation, on behalf of all Australians, it is hard to determine whether such an apology is enough to repair the damage done historically. Many aboriginal people who with their families were affected through forced adoption or separation from parents, believe no matter how many times the country apologises, it cannot heal the damage of such social engineering.
The Rudd Government clearly deserves a lot of credit for apologising as it was simply the right thing to do albeit a long time overdue, having come over a decade after Bringing them home: The 'Stolen Children' report of 1997. Saying ‘sorry’ is the first step to achieving reconciliation and that is why Mr Rudd’s speech is so important. We also must consider that the former government under John Howard rejected the idea of an apology as it considered the sins of past generations not to be the responsibility of…show more content… The breaking up of families, no matter for what motivation, was horrific and arguably a crime. It must be noted that although the movie Rabbit Proof Fence claims to be a true story, it is not entirely so as there are many instances in the film where information may have been dramatized or changed. For example, in the book, Molly is quite unhappy living in the Jigalong camp while in the movie she is happy there. The book too is meant to be a true story. However, whether it actually is factual and not just a symbolic story exploring the personal, historic and future perspectives of the stolen generation is yet to be