LOHLIFE-FREEMAN, oppressed people at

LOHLIFE: FREEMAN, oppressed people at "OZlympiad"

IT WAS MOVING, magnifique, made all other opening ceremonies pall in comparison, it was in the creamy tones of Paul Holmes "perfect" and in the gusting strains of PJ Montgomery "off this planet".

And when the "grande dames" of Ocker Olympic legend handed the torch to Cathy Freeman, the "new face of the millenium" Holmes, and after some contemplation even the veteran old salt Montgomery were practically orgasmic in their praise of the appropriateness and logic of having the Aboriginal 400 metre queen hold center stage - lighting the torch to open the 27th Olympiad.

Even Freeman who has been noble in her stand for aboriginal rights seemed swept up by the sheer scale and show of the opening. "She looks like an angel and I wouldn't be surprised if she lifted off" guffawed Holmes, trying to get his five cents in, even at "the world's greatest show".

But Freeman will have no wings when she runs later on these games and perhaps her energies were wasted - and in hindsight she may regret it - lighting the torch for these Olympics.

For I believe rather than furthering her own cause of winning Olympic gold and on a wider stage, rather than helping her people, as I'm sure she was told she was, by thrusting her aboriginal self onto the world stage she in fact did the opposite.

Cathy as a Swedish commentator described her on New Zealand radio was a "beautiful, black woman" representing Australia and a new generation of people in OZ and around the world.

Well if people swallow that and see Cathy's lighting of the torch as a symbolic "she'll be right, mate, no worries" from the Aboriginal people to white Australia for the years of murder, land-theft and oppression than they must be thinking about the 'Oz' of wizards not the Aus of the Olympics.

Sydney 2000 could have been a chance to redress past wrongs on a global stage, but, that process should have started years ago and hasn't. In government, in Canberra, Australian leader John Howard refuses to acknowledege many wrongs done to the continent's original inhabitants and has been cowardly in owning up to historical fact.

Yet, we see Cathy Freeman lighting the torch and showing the world how far Aussies and Australia have come as a people and country in addressing the serious woes afflicting their native people. Don't be fooled Australia may be a rich country, with plenty of jobs and tonnes of excellent sports-stars, but the fact is their indiginous people live in third world conditions.

Remember that , when you hear how politically correct the choice of Cathy Freeman was and how "at least the Aussies let an Abo light the torch - it wouldn't have happened a few years back".
You're damn right it wouldn't as even today the suicide rates, unemployment, drug and alcohol addiction, prison population, poverty and desperation of one of the world's oldest race's means the original people of the "lucky country" are incredibly unlucky living like pauper in their own backyard.

No matter how much of a role-model Freeman is; she and what she represents -in terms of her success over adversity - her efforts and endeavours should in no way detract from the abject poverty her people suffer in their own land - Australia,

And as Aussies are known as great punters and con-artists don't let them fool you from day one. While Sydney and Australia may host an awesome Olympiad remember the majority of Aussie home-boy's - the Aboriginal people - will be too poor to enjoy them.

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