Nuclear visits
An American submarine docks in Darwin harbour, a doctor at the hospital throws into doubt the capacity of the hospital to deal with a nuclear accident — and what happens: the mandarins have threatened him with the sack.
Such criminal insanity makes my blood boil. In the interest of good relations with the yanks the ruling classes let them do what they like. Nuclear powered ships and submarines visit Darwin regularly and a major accident would have far more devastating effects on this place than cyclone Tracy. Yet nothing must stand in the way of this "special" relationship.
Considering the guts NZ had under Lange (even the Nationals are reluctant to overturn the ban) a nuclear free Australia is highly overdue, as overdue as a treaty, a republic, an Australian flag and last but not least the closure of the American bases.
Michael Rose-Schwab
Gurambai NT
Women and money
I appreciate Michael Rafferty's response to my letter about his article "Women in the Money" (GLW 17th March). However, I continue to disagree, and will try to say why.
Rafferty observes that "Women have always formed part of the ruling class, living off the labour of others", yet fails to acknowledge that women had no actual options in the process — as the property of either fathers, husbands or other male relatives, womens lives were arranged for them, usually without consultation or consent.
To his "more critical question", should women and others support and promote the right of a small group of women to make progress in this society from the traditional subordinate position? I'm not sure why he asks it. Considering womens historically powerless position, we either support their right to make progress in this society or we effectively deny their right to move out of their traditional situation. In other words, we support their right to make whatever choices they wish, or we deny them their full human rights/status. Women are human beings, not a separate class of human being, but neither men nor women have learnt to think of women as being primarily ordinary human beings; if we had we would not be having this argument, but because we haven't then I would have to say that we have to support and promote the right of a small group of women to make progress in capitalist society — and it is a very small group.
There are, of course, women who have chosen quite different ways to move out of the traditional womens positions in society — Jo Vallentine, for instance, who ensured that she and her supporting staff received equal pay, recognising that each persons work was equally important to the whole task undertaken, while at the same time operating very much within — and against — a very elite section of our society's Establishment.
Other women, whose actions and achievements are already dropping out of the records, worked outside the system (as many of us still do) and not only won recognition, acceptance and funding of womens centres/services, but obviously affected the climate of the Establishment to favour the advent of the then new femocrats.
Womens actions are, apparently, eminently ignorable/forgettable — unless someone disapproves of them.
I'd like further to illustrate my point about women continuing to be seen as a separate class of human being so that Rafferty may understand that I am not deliberately attacking him or his position per se, but the whole general western/global perception of women:
Two or three weeks ago, our Sunday paper carried a full-page article on Texan men and their love of guns — 17 million Texans own 68 million guns; pictured were a man and his young sons and their guns. Last Tuesday, ABC tv news ran an item on American women buying and learning to use their own guns; it was seen as an alarming and generally undesirable trend and was illustrated by a womans son in a wheelchair because of an accident with his mothers gun. Later last week, either ABC tv or our commercial channel's tv news carried an item about the Korean community in Los Angeles arming themselves against possible trouble and looting should there be more rioting in that town — these men had built up veritable arsenals for use in such an event.
Why is it alarming that women should choose to arm themselves personally but it is quite okay and even admirable for men not merely to arm themselves and their sons and to defend family businesses, but think of the wider issues surrounding arms manufacture and the great global military machine, a formidable armoury controlled exclusively by men ... ?
When men cease to live off the unpaid labour of women, when they admit that they made us the first slaves and that now we are the most reluctantly freed of all the many slaves they have taken, perhaps then we can discuss moving the boundaries of the debates that men, not women, have controlled for so long.
Paddie Cowburn
Malak NT
Appeal from prison
Today, I learned that I am a great grandfather. My great grand daughter, Miss Jasmine Jones, was born to Sarah, and my grandson Reggie Jones.
I have eleven grandchildren, but because of distance and the fact that I am (and have been) on death row under a sentence of death for more than 13 years, Reggie is the only one I've ever met personally.
My grandson Reggie and his young family live about 1300 miles from the prison, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Because I may die here sooner rather than later, I am obliged to ask GLW readers and subscribers to please help me. I would like to see my eat grand daughter before I die, if indeed I must.
My family and I are very poor; we cannot afford the cost for visitation. Each one of you are invited to help: send a donation, no matter how great or small to my Australian friend, and she will arrange for the monies to be sent to me. You cannot send the money directly to me. Her address is Mrs. S.M. Wilkinson, PO Box 518, Seven Hills NSW 2147, Australia. If you would like a letter of thanks for being so kind to help me, you may write to me direct: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G2-52, GDCC;PO Box 3877 Jackson, Georgia, 30233 USA.
Govern from Pentridge
The worm Jeff Kennett has been in trouble for selling liquor without a licence. Won't it be great if, just for once, someone rich and powerful cops a maximum sentence? Twelve months in prison. Let Kennett govern Victoria from Pentridge, or try to! We'll see how he goes. I'm sure the other prisoners will be glad to have him there. Shell 63
Darwin