Mulrunji Doomadgee
I am pleased to see that justice will finally be delivered in regards to the death in custody on Palm Island. This is one victory among many for all those who have been fighting for justice ever since the tragic death of Mulrunji Doomadgee and his teenage son over a year ago. In typical fashion, the leader of the Queensland Police Union in Queensland is threatening to take industrial action. This only goes to show how callous and disrespectful and inhumane the QPU and its representatives are. Hurley is a murderer and he must do jail time. Although not an Indigenous man, I am proud to be a member of the Socialist Alliance and I am proud to stand in solidarity with my Indigenous comrades.
Peetee Lloyd
Hobart, Tas
Gerard Henderson
By chance, I was listening to the BBC World Service on January 21, and suddenly Gerard Henderson was being interview, giving a supposed "Australian perspective". Most telling was the introduction he was given — as "former chief of staff to the prime minister of Australia, John Howard". Never has the ABC or the Sydney Morning Herald blown Henderson's cover in this way, with this obviously relevant information.
I encourage others to contact the SMH (phone 9282 2822) and the ABC (phone 9333 1500) and ask why this right-wing commentator is not introduced for what he is, in an honest way, as the BBC did, as a former Howard chief of staff.
Stephen Langford
Paddington, NSW
'Australia Day' I
As Australia Day comes and goes there are celebrations and reflections on the great achievements of our nation past and present. We should take a moment during this time to pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves that as Australian citizens we can now be subject to US military law. A great national achievement and one that other comparable democratic countries have not been able to reach.
Before this game started, the Poms, who gave the world cricket, said "this is not cricket" and took their bat and ball and went home unwilling to play on a doctored pitch with dodgy umpires and home rules. Even the citizens of the good old US of A can't get a guernsey for this one. Undeterred and determined to hit a political home run, we beat the Americans for a start in their own fixed game and in doing so we showed the world what it means when we play with Aussie pride.
Max Goodenough
Killarney Vale, NSW
'Australia Day' II
Australia Day is the flag's big day out. Only problem is it's the wrong flag! Surely we are mature enough to recognize that we are only going to survive as a species if we reject narrow, bigoted nationalism and embrace internationalism. We have to acknowledge that we share more similarities than differences with all the cultures of the world; we are one family. So this Australia Day let Australia lead the way and ban the national flag — no more Hansons using it as a bath towel. Instead, let us have the UN flag with a small national flag in the NW corner and let us push for this standard to be adopted by all countries.
With only blue flags flying maybe this would stymie jingoism and make it more difficult to wage war. It would also signal the end to hundreds of years of colonial exploitation. We should remember that our soldiers did not die to defend the flag but to try and achieve the ideal of a world without war characterised by fair play and justice. The blue flag is a step in this direction.
Gareth Smith
Byron Bay, NSW
CIA torture
The recent SBS "Cutting Edge" program's revelations about secret CIA flights and prisons in Europe was extremely disturbing. What was worst was the fact that British MI6 and the CIA freely share intelligence often obtained by torture. This is one of the CIA's conditions regarding the freely transferred information to allied spy agencies. Therefore, one can assume that ASIO's relationship with the CIA is on the same condition. This would make Australia complicit in breaches of the Geneva Conventions on human rights, mainly because of its close ties with the USA. It appears sadly to me that our country has been dragged down into a pit of immoral and unethical behaviour from which there is now way out.
Alex Hodges
Birdwood, SA
'Good News' release
"This is Radio Oz News. I am filling in for staff who refuse to keep regurgitating old bad news and we have no new bad news. We have no people or resources able to gather and communicate 'good news' although we believe that there is plenty to relate.
"I have no journalistic training and simply tell it like is. I do not think that I will last past this broadcast.
"News Limited is living up to its name and refuses to print good news — even if it is accredited to favoured politicians.
"Some other media outlets have adopted an 'all news' policy but admit that none of their present staff have any concept of how to handle good news and they are commencing training programs for school leavers. They can't find trainers and invite applications.
"They do have applications from Nimbin residents but are frightened by their non conformist appearance and refuse to let them in the building
"At least some attempt at 'good news' is being made and that is good news. However it looks like failing and our next bulletin from our eager top journalist will be an exhaustive analysis of how and where and why it is failing. There will be interviews with experts on the various ways attempted social change usually fails.
"I'm not supposed to say this but I think that this program stinks.
"(alright, alright, I'm going)."
Bill Fitzgerald
Manly, Qld
Tim Flannery
New Aussie of the year Tim Flannery said PM John Howard's "dragging the chain" on global warming. He's doing more than that Tim, he's a menace to my kids and grandkids and a dangerously fanatical supporter of Bush and Co. He's an embarrassment who wouldn't dare hold a referendum on Kyoto, because he knows what ordinary Aussies would tell him. So here's Earth to Howard: You're supposed to take orders from us, not spoilt rich kids in Washington. And to find out what we can do while Rome burns (literally), check out <http://www.theweathermakers.com>.
Kim Bax
Cedar Vale, Qld
Euthanasia
The death of Australian doctor John Elliott after seeking help from the Swiss pro-voluntary euthanasia group Dignitas has reignited debate about euthanasia. It is often claimed that if we legalise voluntary euthanasia for some terminally ill adults we will then allow euthanasia for other groups as well. But why assume this would be undesirable?
A person with an incurable and long-term — but not terminal — medical condition can suffer more than someone who will die within months. Children can experience just as much distress as adults.
We already let some disabled babies die rather than treating them. A lethal injection would be more humane.
Euthanasia still occurs when it is banned. But access is less equitable — and the process happens in secret, which only increases the chance of poor decision-making.
Research in the 1990s found that medical actions to hasten the deaths of patients without their consent were significantly less common in the Netherlands (where voluntary euthanasia has been tolerated by the courts since the mid 1980s) than in Australia.
Brent Howard
Rydalmere, NSW