Australians’ rejection of the Indigenous Voice in constitutional vote, shameful

Indigenous campaigners who wanted Australia to create an advisory body representing its most disadvantaged ethnic minority have said its rejection in a constitutional referendum was a “shameful act.”
Many proponents of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament maintained a week of silence and flew Aboriginal flags at half-staff across Australia after the Oct. 14 vote deciding against enshrining such a representative committee in the constitution.
In an open letter to federal lawmakers, dated Sunday, “yes” campaigners said the result was “so appalling and mean-spirited as to be utterly unbelievable.”
The letter said, “The truth is that the majority of Australians have committed a shameful act whether knowingly or not and there is nothing positive to be interpreted from it.”
The letter said it was written by Indigenous leaders, community members and organizations but is not signed. Indigenous leader Sean Gordon said on Monday he was one of the many people who had drafted the letter and had decided against adding their signatures.