Democratic Values
...e and more people born overseas are residing in Australia, making it more diverse. By being a more diverse country Australia is more prone to misunderstandings within different ethnic groups. Freedom of speech allows a person to express their opinion about all aspects of life in Australia, provided it’s within the law. Religious tolerance and freedom of speech are so highly regarded that law protects them. Having the right to express one’s own opinions, and beliefs is a right given to every person living legally in Australia, and is expected to be reciprocated to all. This is not seen as an option, but an obligation. Respect for the rule of law is the most basic value which society must uphold in order for the other values which are important to function as intended. The rule of law aims to promote and encourage fairness and equality within society. The rule of law ensures that a person can be punished for a breach of the law, which he is governed by, and nothing else. This means equality among all people before the law. In recent times there have been instances when courts have had to stand up against the pressures of influential people and make a decision on what it sees is in the best interest of society. One example is the recent situation with the Baxter Detention Centre, where the Family Courts decided to let five children out of the detention centre, based on what they thought was best for the children, aged seven to fifteen. This decision shows the strength of the Family Courts, and the justice system in Australia, as Immigration Minister Phillip Ruddock has been pushing for the children to be kept in the centre. ‘In a democracy it is essential that virtue exists among the people. This virtue may be defined as the love of laws and our country’. The understanding of cultural diversity in Australia is important, as a lack of understanding is usually the main cause of cultural misunderstandings within society. An understanding of cultural diversity is the third fundamental value, which needs to exist for a democracy to exist itself in Australia, as 43% of people living in Australia are either born here, or have at least one parent born overseas. Understanding other cultures, apart from the one which we live in, is becoming increasingly important in today’s society, due to the international instability that exists within the world today. It’s not only cultural aspects of people, which we need to understand better, but also their religion. As a society we need to comprehend that because an individual does something, which is wrong and unjustifiable it doesn’t mean that everyone who is a part of that society should be held responsible for an individual’s actions. Empathy needs to be encouraged not only within society, but across humanity. If empathy doesn’t exist, then we as a community can’t learn from experiences and rectify mistakes we have made in the past, and learn for the future. As I believe that cultural diversity is the cornerstone of Australia’s identity, it only seems appropriate to me that we as Australians lead the world in the tolerance and understanding of cultural diversity. By doing this it only makes Australia a more united and stronger country. Other countries have the diversity that Australia possesses, but they don’t have the depth of understanding of other cultures that Australia has. Cultural diversity is the cornerstone of Australia’s identity, as together Australia has become a country of depth, success and prosperity. Living in a democracy means that Australia is continually improving and changing, for the benefit of future generations. Havin...