Letters and short takes November 14 2023

Except for the Eureka Stockade civil war we selectively forget about our only true civil war; the frontier wars, ending around 1930.

Newcastle University has now documented this war to be equal to WW1 and WW2 with its deaths and Impact on Australians however we choose not to commemorate?

Perhaps because many of the dead were not counted as Australians until 1967?

Some of the war dead even served in WW1 but then had their children removed and excluded from land grants as given to all their fellow soldiers.

Last year many turned a blind eye when a Hunter Valley mine proposed to extend over an Indigenous massacre site. If it was at Port Arthur, the site of a similar massacre, all hell would break loose.

We recently inflicted more pain with no recognition that Aboriginal Australians are unlike and not comparable to any other immigrants or race in the recent referendum, these same Australians who have deep problems mostly caused by our history and discriminatory or inappropriate legislation. We have now refused to hear their powerless voice as a way to prevent more inappropriate legislation as a start to helping themselves with responsibility for the outcomes.

Shame on Australia for its selective memory and its fear of and ignorance of our past history when we proudly have a Remembrance Day.

THERE is clear evidence of a rise in anti-semitic behaviour worldwide, and we seem to be falling into a new phase of Kristallnacht and its irrational behaviour of Jewish people being attacked in Australia and around the world. These pro-Palestinian protesters are being carried away by the emotions of the moment. Even the chant of "free Palestine from the river to the sea" seems a statement that desires all Jewish people in Israel be removed. Where to? Hamas says to graves, but what do the protesters mean?

The mob hysteria in Germany created the environment for mass murder of Jewish people as well as those with disabilities and many others in the way of the German high command. The radical Islam that motivates the terrorist-like Hamas opposes many of the traits that the political left espouses in the western world, yet they are creating greater hysteria with their protest actions.

Careful consideration of all of the facts is well and truly the order of the day. Most claim they are peaceful protests, yet if a Jewish person is considered to be in danger if they are on the street near the protest, how can they be called peaceful?

FOR many, the current situation in the Middle East is an emotive topic. Even the ABC has created a Middle East advisory panel in order to try to get the balance right in their reporting. But can you ever get that balance when you have a David (Hamas and the Palestinian people) and Goliath (Israel and its powerful military forces backed by the West) situation?

Add to this mix religion and the tragedy of World War II. On top of this, add what I consider the provocation and control of Palestinians by Israel for decades including driving them off their land, destroying their homes and creating settlements for around 700,000 Israelis. Hamas (conveniently labelled a terrorist organisation by the West) has attacked Israel over the years in retaliation, the last surprising Israel with a forceful attack killing people and taking hostages.

Israel has hit back with such disproportionate force that buildings including hospitals have been reduced to rubble due to constant air strikes (a convenient and more tolerable word than bombing) along with 10,000 lives lost and many injured with nowhere to go for treatment.

Palestinians have been ordered to leave, but where do they go?

When this is over, what have those who survive got to go back to? The answer is nothing except the land under their feet. It is cruel beyond words and nothing short of genocide.

WOULDN'T banks and big business love a cashless society? Total control over money movement, every transaction and charge accordingly. Big Brother slowly takes everything away.

THE temporary crossing of Cold Tea Creek by council engineers with a pile of rubble could have been avoided without a cost to council.

Army engineers could have constructed a bailey suspension bridge, or a floating bridge with pontoons, as a "recruiting exercise", and constructed one or the other in just a few hours without harming the environment.

Maybe part of engineering training should be spent in the army engineer corps? They don't rely on computers, just old fashion nuts and bolts. I find that it's in moments like this that being practical would be a lot better than being smart.

AS we paused on Remembrance Day, I had to wonder if the men and women who fought and sometimes died for our country, would now think just why they did it when we are constantly told this "always was, always will be Aboriginal Land".

City of Newcastle, have you heard the saying "if it ain't broken, don't fix it? You changed your rate notices several years ago, but soon changed them back. You have done it again - why? Change them back.

I'M totally overwhelmed by the fantastic offer from Optus for an extra 200GB of data as compensation for their recent outage. I don't need compensation and I certainly don't need 200GB. Why, you ask? I, and probably millions of others, now pay Optus for unlimited internet. How will they add 200GB to unlimited? What the?

IN recent press coverage of the pro-Palestinian rallies sweeping Australia I have recognised a lot of the activist 'yes' crowd from the lost Voice referendum. It's great they have moved on.

PRIOR to watching King Charles addressing the British parliament, I was reasonably happy with the status quo but now, after seeing all the ceremonial garbage, I am convinced that Australia needs to break from the royalty and become a republic.

IN reference to the Prime Minister's travel ("Flying colours for Albo", Letters 8/11): talk about picking the wrong target. Project your ideological criticism at those who lost billions in exports and put Australian barley, beef, wine and lobster producers in dire straits. Let's look after our own.