In a less urgent situation, I would agree with all you say, Christine, but under the circumstances where we have a concentration camp set up and we are illegally imprisoning innocent people under inhumane conditions, and Ruddock is demonising his victims, I believe it behoves professionals like Dr. Jupp to do more than preach to the converted like us and allow those people in the community who support these policies a moral out ie ''whether he intends it or not".
Speaking about "gloves off" , this is the time for leaders and opinion - formers in the community who disagree with the Howard gang's policies to become less timid in their criticisms, because if things continue down the path we are travelling there will be more and more literal applications of "gloves off ' in this country----lip-stitching and rioting is only the beginning of the future Howard and his ilk have planned in order to maintain their hold on power. The seriousness of the situation is emphasised by the failure of the ALP to challenge him----they are politically shit-scared---their polling tells them that given the magnitude of racism and xenophobia in the Australian community, Howard is on a winner and initially they will be crucified by the electorate for opposing his racist policies. This is the problem with career politicians in a so-called democracy---they are poll rather than principle - driven. As for broadening the message, a spade is a spade and to infer it may be a lampstand to gain an audience surely defeats the purpose , which is presumably to educate rather than further dumb-down. As for conflict leading to wars---- we're not doing too well doing what we're doing----maybe a few verbal or written thumps are timely . Maybe a hit in time will save nine----particularly when dealing with cowardly bullys. Laurie, ----------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christine Howes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 9:46 PM Subject: Re: [recoznettwo] Re: The Canberra Times: Resignation anotherblow for race relations > Hi Laurie =) ... all... > > yeah, they've always had the gloves off - to us - and they always will. But > to them they are doing they're own version of pc (and don't ask me who > "they" is - toooo hard and changeable!!!!)... Jupp is being pragmatic, god > forbid, and trying to gain an audience where he might not otherwise... YOU > get the msg (he doesn't agree with Ruddock) and I get the msg but maybe, > just maybe, some folk out there who either don't care or might be sitting on > that damn fence - maybe they're thinking about it... > > In *lots* of ways I agree with what you're saying - call a spade a spade, > for goodness sakes... but I don't agree with us taking the gloves off. Wars > and worse are started that way. Our (excuse assumption) ways of living, of > thought, of acceptance and all the rest of it... but we gotta live it or we > don't have a leg to stand on - it might be white middle class work ethic > based stuff but to reduce ourselves to their tactics? Unacceptable, in my > very humble opinion. > > I absolutely agree with vive la revolution but let it be a revolution of the > mind, not the boxing ring. High moral ground? sure - but don't let Howard > et al (oh god has it been six years????) fool you into that being a problem. > Living it is still the best armour short of shotguns I can think of. > > cheers...Christine *who reckons flowers might be bloody flowers but where is > the support for peaceful albeit symbollic and logistically difficult protest > before more blood shed???* > > "Kill kill kill" - Painters & Dockers > > > >> The Canberra Times > >> Jan 24, 2002 > >> > >> Resignation another blow for race relations > >> > >> By JAMES JUPP > >> > > SNIP > > . > >> Whether he intends it or not, many of the Minister's statements create > > the impression that the detainees are undesirable, > >> undisciplined and unworthy of being admitted to Australia. > > > > SNIP > > > > Why would the writer, Dr. Jupp say this? > > > > Of course Ruddock intends that his statements demonise the refugees , for > > political purposes. > > > > Dr Jupp is obviously opposed to what Ruddock is doing ,so why not say so > > unequivocally. > > > > By inferring that Ruddock may be only accidentally demonising the asylum > > seekers is to give prevaricators the opportunity to maintain their support > > for Ruddock by rationalising that there may be more valid reasons for his > > attacks on the refugees. > > > > It is time critics of these racists took the gloves off----the racists have > > been fighting bare-knuckled all along. > > > > Laurie. > > ---------------- > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at > http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and > Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from > that date. > This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the > copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair > use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without > permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from that date. This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
