A long time ago Martin Luther King
Sought justice for his minority,
But his white friends demurred, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a thing
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If you can鈥檛 persuade the majority.
Now鈥檚 not the time, wait your turn, you鈥檒l get there鈥.
Well, even longer, the sorority
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Campaigned for equal treatment, equal care,
Yet heard again the dreaded, sad refrain:
鈥淣ow鈥檚 not the time, but hold, do not despair.鈥
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Perhaps longer still, gays faced fierce disdain
When seeking basic rights that others own,
Strong prejudice diminished their campaign,
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They struggled on, till law was set in stone
That 鈥 like others 鈥 they were humans too!
But as for wedlock they were still alone,
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Amid more cries of 鈥渘ot this time鈥 anew
They struggled hard until they won the day,
Despite Australian backwardness, it鈥檚 true.
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So activists can take a bow, I say,
And not the politicians who came late,
Still less the blockers who preferred delay.
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Next, Aboriginals hear 鈥淣ow鈥檚 not the date鈥
For a treaty or advisory board,
鈥淵ou got the Apology, now please wait,
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We guarantee you are not being ignored.鈥
Repeatedly, sadly, we鈥檝e not known when
We can achieve what other nations scored:
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Progressive measures, wise reforms; and then
Can we now hope once more to get respect,
(Or is it yet a thing beyond our ken?)
To be esteemed, to proudly reconnect,
A forward-looking country once again?
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The same thing obtains when a bill of rights
Is canvassed here in our fitful debate.
While other modern nations have their sights
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On using such a bill for setting straight
Injustices, we听still听discuss the pros
And mighty cons of this quite basic state.
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These rights concepts long time ago arose,
And Bills of Rights two hundred years or so,
We听could听catch up some time, I might suppose,
(At last even the monarchy might go!)听 听
A bold, progressive nation if we chose.