Calling it When you See it

One of the American TV networks run a regular segment called "What would you do?"

In this one they were looking at how Muslims are sometimes targeted for abuse.

It's pretty self-explanatory.

I wonder what would have happened if the same exercise had been set up in this country?

It's Christmas

I've been searching to find something appropriate to post at Christmas.
This turned up in the parish newsletter, and it fits well.
The baby Jesus was, it should be remembered, a displaced person at the time of His birth.
If posting this makes me a bleeding heart, so be it.
That's a badge I'll always wear with pride.

Lazarus at Our Gate. Australian Catholic Bishops ' 2013 Social Justice Message

"In the Gospel parable, the rich man’s failure is not an overt cruelly, but an indifference to human suffering. The rich man passes Lazarus constantly but never actually 'sees’ him - never actually recognising Lazarus’ need. 

We cannot be at peace, eating our fill, in the knowledge that a sister or brother lies hungry or sick at our gate. We know that such a state of affairs is as far as it can be from the vision of God. Our God is revealed as a God of abundance and hospitality who gives life to the world, bread to the hungry -  And Christ as our guide and saviour... God in Jesus chooses humility, service and self-emptying as the hallmarks of a love which is everlasting - sumptuous and rich".

By the end of 20 12, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide exceeded 45 million, the highest level of displacement since 1994. These are men, women and children driven from their homes by war or civil violence.

Often these people are forced to seek refuge in countries that are themselves facing significant struggles. Eighty per cent of refugees are seeking protection in developing countries, making it even harder for those nations to lift themselves out of poverty. In 2012, Pakistan hosted the largest number of refugees ( l.6 million), followed by Iran (868,000) Syria hosted 477,000 refugees and, with the recent terrible violence, 647,000 have fled seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

For millions of refugees, it will be many years before they can find a home again.  Some never do. Of the refugee population under the mandate of the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees, around two thirds - 6.4 million people. - had been in these circumstances for five years or longer. Refugee camps can be the size of small cities. The one in Dadaab , Kenya, is home to about half a million people, including some 10,000 third-generation refugees born in the camp. Not only have these people lost access to t heir livelihoods, their extended families and their faith communities , but they are very often prevented from moving around freely, earning a living wage or planning for their futures.

Those displaced from their homes are prone to trauma, causing them to experience poverty at many different levels no matter how high their education or employment levels before.

Facing these odds, it is no wonder that many are forced into desperate choices --- living hand-to­ mouth in slums or shanty towns -- are spending their last savings on risky journeys to places they hope can protect them. The Catholic Church has been a source of hope and assistance to those on the move around the globe. That basic level of human solidarity - hospitality to the stranger and refuge for those seeking protection - as been lacking in our national political debate over the past decade. The recent increase in the n umber of people arriving by boat is insignificant by world standards. In 2012, as a country like Pakistan struggled to accommodate 1.6 mill ion refugees, Australia’s political leaders and media whipped up hysteria over the arrival of 17,000 asylum seekers in Australian waters.

We have been saddened to see part of our international aid budget diverted to funding for asylum seekers being processed in our community. These are men and women who richly deserve our support, but not at the expense of others in desperate need. Any reduction or diversion of international aid funds remains a concern, particularly where those funds are directed at addressing many of the problems that ca use people to flee their homelands.

The depth and breadth of poverty that still exists in our world calls us to action. That so many suffer multiple burdens of deprivation prompts deep soul searching. How is it that so many are excluded from enjoying spiritual, cultural, educational, social, economic and political freedoms? How is it that so many still lie like Lazarus at our gate, bearing in t heir bodies the cost of their struggle and denied access to the table of participation and solidarity time and again. This is the challenge for us, as Australians and as members of the global community, as we seek the path to reducing and eliminating poverty in the years to come.

Blast from the Past

I've been meaning to do this for a long time.
Getting a copy of my army records from CARO*  that is.

They make interesting reading, not because they reveal anything I didn't already know or remember, but because of the insights gained by looking at the way records were made and kept back then.

Everything was taken down in longhand. Computers weren't invented, or at least not used for the record keeping application.

They collected lots of information, although it's hard to understand why some of it is relevant.

Why did they need to know I was into photography, played the guitar and recorder, and fixed bicycles?
Given the well-know tendency of the army to post any given individual into a corps completely disconnected from civvie skills, it's more than a little mysterious.

They also got it wrong, or I told a few fibs. I did, at the time, have a couple of subjects towards a degree. I hadn't done very well, so may have been embarrassed to mention it.

I was in Cadets at boarding school, but think I made up the bit about being a signaller.

Seeing my Nationality listed as "British" is annoying, to say the least.

My medical classification of A1 is interesting, given that I'd had a mild case of Polio as a toddler, and ended up with one leg slightly shorter than the other.

The funniest bit is having my papers stamped as "Potential Officer".
In the first five minutes of my officer intake interview I told the guy with the handlebar moustache that I thought we should get out of Vietnam.

That was the end of the interview.

* Central Army Records Office

Refocussed

Silver is the new black.

Regular readers will remember that my bride's Ford Focus was hailed.

This, as I pointed out at the time was an ill wind. We were about to trade it, on a late model second hand vehicle, and had been doing the rounds of the various yards in Toowoomba in preparation.

We'd found a Mazda 3 (Skyactiv SP20) which looked pretty good - only 17000 km - but weren't happy with the lousy trade-in. Then we found out that the payout of the Focus was $3000 more than the best offer as a trade, so decided we might as well buy new.

Red cars go faster.

The Mazda was a good car, but lacked both refinement and rear seat space compared with the Focus Trend, that we bought. We didn't want to have to put up with whinges from adult offspring on the fairly rare occasions when we carried them in the rear. The Mazda's Skyactiv technology (including idle-stop) was interesting, but the economy gains marginal at best.

The Focus is like all small Fords, a treat to drive, although the loaner car (a 1600cc Ambiente with the old-fashioned hydraulic power steering is actually more tactile). I believe that a car is for driving, so you might as well enjoy it. The Trend (2000cc) has electric steering. It's initially very light, but firms up as speed increases, and has a good road feel.

We were loaned this until the Trend turned up.

My bride, fortunately, is of the same opinion.

After about a week of ownership, the Trend is looking OK.

It's fun to drive, very quiet, and comfortable. For an old fart like me, it's not too difficult to enter and leave. SUVs are superior in this respect, but we weren't inclined to be saddled with driving around all that extra metal.

It comes with a full size spare (rare these days), 60 profile Michelins, and the Sync feature which allows you to talk to it.

This works well with the phone, but is a bit unnecessary with the audio, as you can do most things using the steering wheel mounted controls.

The sedan is lighter, stronger, and easier to see out of than the hatchback.

And if I want to shift anything large, I'll use the trusty ute.

Welcome to Queensland

I'm reposting this from the 7RAR Facebook pages.

When it comes to living in Queensland these days, it says it all.

A young soldier has told of being strip-searched by police in front of his home as the Queensland Government's tough anti-bikie laws continue to take a toll on recreational riders.

1RAR soldier Private Noah Schefe, 22, who is a member of the Townsville chapter of the Patriots Motorcycle Club, was searched by police outside his home about three weeks ago, late at night, after he returned from the chapter's clubhouse.

He was not charged with any offences.

Patriots Australia is a military club for serving, former regular and reserve members of the Australian, Commonwealth and Allied Defence Forces.

It regularly participates in fundraising for charities, recently raising $4500 for Legacy Townsville.

The club publicly condemns all criminal activity, and is not included in the government's list of bikie gangs declared as criminal organisations.

Pte Schefe said the police officer who searched him was not aware of the club, nor had any interest when told about it, despite Pte Schefe showing the officer his Defence ID card.

``He got me up over to the cop car and put me up against the car and started pulling everything out of my pockets and taking my boots out,'' he said.

``The other cop had my bag on the bonnet and pulled everything out of my bag, searching the whole lot.

``They had me there for probably a good half an hour, at 1.30am, with all the lights on and everything.

``All my neighbours saw it - I'd just moved into this house about two weeks beforehand - they're sitting there thinking they've got a criminal bikie who's moved into the neighbourhood."

There are about 20 members of the Patriot's Townsville chapter, who based their constitution on the Defence Law Manual, following the rule of civilian law.

``We're only doing good things for the community,'' Pte Schefe said.

``To be treated like a criminal, for the same reason someone's shot somebody on the Gold coast, it's absolutely ridiculous."

Local Government Minister and Mundingburra MP David Crisafulli told motorcyclists gathered at a public rally at Anderson Park yesterday the new laws should not be making innocent people feel like they were being treated as criminals.

At least 100 motorcyclists attended the protest, alongside riders from across the state as a show of solidarity against the laws, aimed at criminal bikie gangs, that have resulted in the harassment of law-abiding people.

Mr Crisafulli told the crowd gathered at the rally the Government's laws were in place to target the one per cent of bikies carrying out criminal activities.

``The rules are there to protect the community and I don't think we should move away from that,'' he said.

``By the same token, the rules should not be there to make innocent people feel like criminals.

``Because you ride motorbikes, and have tattoos, it doesn't make you a bad person."

He said he was willing to speak to motorcycle riders about "getting the balance right" on the legislation.

Motorcycle Riders' Association Townsville spokeswoman Karina Ewer said the "one-per centers" were not the only ones being targeted by police.

``We've had a woman pulled over nine times because she rides a Harley,'' she said

``There are people here from all walks of life, and we have all been affected in some way, and we won't accept being classed as collateral damage."

She said the bikie laws were having a devastating effect upon clubs who conducted charity fundraisers.

``The MRA raises about $10,000 for Christmas every year through its toy run, every year,'' she said.

``We literally had people walking to the other side of the street to stay away from us, for the first time ever."

Last month the Australian Motorcycle Council (AMC) launched a fighting fund to raise money for any High Court challenge against the laws.

Chickenman

Somebody posted a reference to Chickenman on the 7RAR Facebook page the other day.

I thought it might be a good idea to post a link on this blog, as I know a few fellow vets read it, and it might bring back some memories.

Anyhow, I couldn't find it, so am posting this instead.

It was played on AFNVN in 1970, when I was there, and no doubt many years before and after.

A Pollies' Promise

Because I'm a teacher (have been one now for forty-five years) - I felt heartened by the Coalition's promise before the election, that they would implement the Gonski recommendations.

There is so much in the Gonski concept which is of significant value to the target group of kids that I work with, namely students with disabilities in remote and rural settings.

Now, after yesterday's events, I regard the whole thing as being in jeopardy.

That's my problem, I guess, because I have skin in the game.

But the broken promise is probably a more fundamental issue. From here, it's glaringly obvious that nothing that the current government promises can be believed, and they have taken power on a scam.

Sure, the Gillard government broke a promise on the Carbon tax, but when the promise was made, there was no awareness that there was going to be a minority government.

No such excuse is available now.

Perhaps it's simply a feature of contemporary conservative governments.

Remember Newman's statement in Queensland - "Public servants have nothing to fear from an LNP government."

He then proceeded to sack 14000 of them.

Update - The coalition have performed a double back somersault with pike which in the final analysis, is not the same scheme as promised by Labor, and leaves them plenty of wriggle room.