Letters To The Editor

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Fair treatment?

Does anyone now really believe that David Hicks is being fairly treated?

Richard Eaves
Lismore

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Our problem

Australians should not forget that as one of the three illegal invading powers in Iraq, John Howard is equally responsible along with Tony Blair and George Bush for all of the human rights atrocities committed on Iraqi prisoners in Coalition custody. It is our problem and we as a Nation will suffer greatly for the misdeeds of a uniformed few. Many hundreds of our countrymen will die because we spinelessly backed the White House against the express request of the United Nations Security Council.

John X Berlin
Maclean

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By any other name

So the name Jesus Christ is used explicitly as an expletive by secularism according to Mary B Mason (Echo, May 6). Just who in the world has the authority to say that this mythological figurehead must be kept sacred? The existence of a New Testament Jesus is hotly debated in this day and age. Mary also adds that Christians are the most persecuted group in the world. I find this questionable, but Christianity does have this arrogance that they are always right and everybody else is wrong.

Today there are Catholics, Greek Catholic, Orthodox, plus the numerous sects of Protestantism, sects of Pentecostalism, Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah Witness, Christadelphian, World Wide Church Of God, Two by Two's and many more. Christianity has generated all of these sects, most within the last 500 years, which have created internal conflicts and caused needless bloodshed for centuries. In times of wars the church stood at the forefront of sedition and treason, unless it saw some advantage for itself. It caused civil wars in order to spread its grasp and hold over people.

Mary also mentioned we should pray, using the Holy name of God, but which God? Adonis, Allah, Apollo, Hercules, Horus, Ishtar, Isis, Jehovah, Jupiter, Minerva, Mithra, Neptune, Osiris, Shiva, Tammuz, Thor, Titus, Vishnu, YHVH or Zeus?

As long as Christian theology remains, it should research and inform with truth, even at the risk of having openly to reject the principles of the evangelical Church. It needs to bring people to maturity in matters of religion, not lead them astray into servitude towards an old superstition, no matter how modern it may claim to be. To quote a specialist in Roman history, and Nobel Prize winner in 1902, Theodor Mommsen (1817-1903) "Freely, theology must remain a relentlessly honest investigation of the truth, evading no doubts, and papering over no gaps in the tradition" (end quote).

Surely today as science is closing the door of the cosy indoor warmth of traditional humanising myths, we should let the fresh cool air of science be allowed to bring forth truth, vigour, and hopefully peace among men.

Jim Lee
Alstonville

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True lies

Geez, and Tom even got the grey box!

Tom Murdoch, these lefties, rats in the ranks, all these Richard Clarke pinko types defecting from the US administration, writing their exposés. Books written from the "inside", and now Nixon's man John Dean comes out with "Bush is worse than Nixon". Hope your ability to intellectualise can cope with that one Tom, I'm battling.

Or what about how war was started without Chief of Defence Powell being let in on it, how Colin jokingly refers to the Whitehouse as "the Gestapo", and rather than just Vietnam, makes reference to My Lai...

.... the Pentagon tells Bush global warming rather than terrorism is the real threat to the world. Neo-apocalyptic US Christians suggest Bush may be the Anti Christ... it just goes on.

In time Mark Latham may come politically to regret reneging on his reference to Bush as being the "most mediocre president in living memory".

(Please Mark no more TV channels, even SBS ads endlessly promote stuff like how best to paddock bash the outback in which global warming atv juggernaut. More from the newspapers; Disney move to prevent release of latest Michael Moore film that details connections between Bush and Bin Laden families. And, having never made a "freedom" free speech, Bush has finally defined the word for us; "the ability for the American(?) people to catch a flight to Disneyland in safety any time they want...")

Tom, you may need to research some of Congressman Joe McCarthy's modus operandi if you want to take on this evidential issue of Republican turncoats, reds in the beds, or whatever the hell is going on over there and, damnation, if that's what's a happening over there in the big US, lordy knows what's a goin' on down here with little us...

Stuart Wales
Lismore

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Murdoch's media

In reading Tom Murdoch's letter 'Children of the revolution' (Echo, May 6) anybody who uses nothing but the mainstream media would be well disposed to agree with him.

Fortunately, there are other people who believe otherwise, like, I presume, Tom Koo and David Horner, who, according to Tom Murdoch, "both fly in circles with one left wing."

I am not an aeronautical specialist myself; but by his own pronouncement, Mr Tom Murdoch seems to be flying in a circle with one right wing himself, namely believing his own propaganda.

But let me pinpoint a few items from this letter of his. The word "Anti-Americanism" attributed to Tom Koo and David Horner sounds phoney to me, for two reasons: 1) when speaking against 'War on Terrorism', specially against the war on the Iraqi people, is not to be against the American people themselves; but rather to be against George Bush's policies in the Middle East and Asia; 2) George Bush might be officially the president of the United States; however, he doesn't represent the American people, as he stole the 2000 elections in Florida.

Speaking of "your true loyalties". I really wonder what your loyalties are, Mr Murdoch. I do not think you care about the thousands of casualties on either side, let alone the ones who will never make home again [by the thousands on the Iraq side and by the hundreds on the coalition side].

Tom Murdoch is talking about "rape, execution and torture by Saddam Hussein". Yes, maybe that might be true in the past. But what about the rape, execution and torture by the 'Coalition of the Willing', CIA & Mossad et all going on at the present time? Or is it the fruit of my imagination that after the initial 'victory' by the American troops, now they cannot keep up with the daily Iraqi uprising [pardon -'terrorism'], which brings havok among soldiers as well as in the midst of civilians.

"They have mass vaccination." Wooo haaa! That is something! Mr Tom Murdoch believes in vaccination! In spite of the contrary, which says it is a killer. He must have shares in the pharmaceutical company himself to believe that. Did I not say that Mr Tom Murdoch "seems flying in circle with one right wing" himself?

"The proposed new government is both democratic and pluralistic". That is a definition! Does Tom Murdoch really believe what he says? I think that the Nazi's propaganda would not have done better than that.

Do you really believe that, Mr Murdoch? You sound like a real estate salesman who believes [read, brainwashed] his own words. Do you really believe that today the Americans live in a democratic political system and in that capacity it is their duty to export to other countries their so-called 'democracy'? If your answer is in the positive, then probably you are either naive and misguided, or you have an agenda of your own.

With the censured and corporate controlled media the American people are the last to know what really is going on within and without their own country; in particular since 9/11. If it were not for the Internet, as far as information around the world is concerned, we in Australia would be in the same position.

It is easy for you to attack people who do not agree with your views, Mr Murdoch, for you have the backing of the establishment, namely the media, which is glad to have people like you advocating the status quo. That is the reason for my writing now, in turn, to back up people such as Tom Koo and David Horner.

Ultimately, it is not what the media say about anything that is vital, but what it does not say [as happened in United States and here in Australia], for as Aldous Huxley says, "The greatest triumphs of propaganda have been accomplished, not by doing something, but by refraining from doing. Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth."

Nadir Martello
East Lismore

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All aboard

The fight to save our trains will not end when the last train leaves on Sunday night. The Northern Rivers community will keep fighting - fighting for the service to be restored (with a more realistic timetable), fighting for a local commuter rail service, fighting to bring rail freight back to the line, and fighting for a rail link to the Gold Coast. Almost everyone I talk to thinks it would be great to have a regular rail service to the Gold Coast and then on to Brisbane, and herein lies the stark contrast between the views of our community, who are looking to the future, and the views of the Carr Government, who seem to be looking backwards.

The curious thing about this debate is that Byron Bay, one of the towns that will be losing its rail service, has been almost totally ignored. Why? Byron Bay, with its huge amount of tourist traffic, has arguably the most to lose from the closure of the rail line, and surely the most to gain from improvements such as the Gold Coast rail link and local commuter trains. But where oh where have the Byron community been in this struggle? If only they would fight for our trains with a mere fraction of the outrage they have shown over the Becton development, we would have a much louder message to send to the State Government. During the recent series of protest rallies organised by local mayors and parliamentarians, there were rallies in Casino, Lismore, Mullumbimby and Murwillumbah, but none at Byron Bay. In fact, Byron Bay has been so conspicuously absent that more than one person I've spoken to has wrongly believed that Byron Bay must be on a different railway line - well, it's not! So, could someone please tell me why, if our mayors and parliamentarians felt so strongly about this, they didn't organise a major protest rally in Byron Bay?

Does Byron Bay want an efficient, environmentally-friendly mode of mass transport, or an ever-increasing number of cars and buses on their roads? Worried about traffic congestion and overcrowding in Byron? Well, then, it's time to jump on board and fight for your trains!

Although I can't be at Sunday's planned protest action due to a prior engagement, I wholeheartedly endorse and applaud the efforts of Northern Rivers Trains for the Future, a dedicated group of local people fighting for the best interests of our community. I encourage all concerned locals to support them at Lismore railway station this Sunday. To borrow a line from Federal Veterans Affairs Minister Danna Vale - "stay brave and true."

Nick Casmirri
Australian Democrats
Goonellabah

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Psychosium outcomes

For information about the Cannabis Psychosium held in Nimbin and as a reply to the local mental health workers who couldn't make it.

The event was a success in terms of the quality of speakers and the subject matter, which filled our hall to the doors. Outcomes were difficult to establish, though on the various issues touched on it became apparent that we need to raise awareness and knowledge about any link between mental health issues and addictions. Health providers and Government need to look at developing guidelines, provide training and networking with colleagues that work directly with clients.

In northern NSW, as with most areas, there is no bridge between the mental health and addictions service areas so that a stronger community of care is available to clients needing support for dual disorders.

Could it be that a large percentage of people with mental health issues also struggle with alcohol and other drugs. There needs to be a greater understanding that the two disorders are often entwined. People use alcohol and drugs because they work, what about these patients, aren't they fearful, ambivalent, sometimes full of despair?

There are many parallels between addiction and mental health issues - both are a biological illness, use a common language, have similar symptoms and generate feelings of shame and stigma. A new position should be sought that recognises concurrent disorders with therapies that create part of an effort to make mental health and addictions services more effective.

Thanks again to all involved.

Andrew Kavasilas
Nimbin Hemp Embassy

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