Yes: a story of hope for a united Australia
Stories matter. Stories help us understand ourselves and our place in culture and space. When we vote this weekend we are telling a story as a nation that will be remembered for generations to come. Do we embrace the long story of this beautiful country we share? Do we offer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders the bridge they have asked for through the considerate poetry of the Uluru Statement?
There is power for us all through listening. Yes is a simple step toward a unified Australian story — that we are truly in this together. That we want to connect the story of Australia with the story of all First Nations people. It’s a story this vote will tell the world and tell our indigenous cousins.
As Briggs put it, we already live in No. It isn’t working. There won’t be a do over to find some other plan. Arguments about nuance or detail are delay and obfuscation. The real vote is simple. Do we want to deliver on decades of consultation and consideration and say Yes to recognition and better listening in the founding document of this country that is built on their Country?
Stories matter. In decades to come, even maybe in just a few days, the details of the campaigning won’t be remembered. Just the story of Yes or No. Yes is a story of hope for a brighter future for the people who were here before us but are doing worse than the rest of us.
That’s why I’m voting Yes. It won’t affect me personally, but it tells a story of what I want Australia to be. A country that gives voice to those who need it most and brings our cultures a little closer together.
