Letters To The Editor

Click here to comment on this letter.

The fact of the matter

I would like to reply to Tom Murdoch's latest letter (Echo, May 20). Firstly Tom, believe it or not, it is possible to have a debate without being nasty. You should try it some time - then people might actually take you seriously.

Now a few facts Tom. The American essayist Edward Herman wrote about the images following the 1991 Gulf War of American bulldozers burying thousands of teenage Iraqi conscripts, many of them alive and trying to surrender. Images never shown.

America deliberately withheld $5.4 billion in humanitarian goods, approved by the Security Council and paid for by Iraq.

Ali Ismaeel Abbas, the boy who lost his parents and his arms in a missile attack, was saved by publicity. As Ali was flown to Kuwait the Americans were preventing Save the Children from sending a plane with medical supplies into Northern Iraq.

One report states that more than 3,000 Iraqis were killed within 24 hours or less when the attacks began.

Seeing you're up on websites try Iraqbodycount.net. It highlights a report into attacks against the civilian population of Baghdad between 20/3/03 and 5/4/03. The report concluded: "The attacks were premeditated, designed to cause the greatest possible number of civilian victims, many being repeatedly carried out against densely populated and poor areas of the Iraqi capital... this can only be explained by the deliberate will of the American & British political and military leaders to provoke terror and undermine the resistance of the Baghdad population".

America didn't like the other side of the war being reported by Al Jazeera, so they bombed it.

John Pilger (heard of him Tom?) wrote in April 2003, "Last weekend a column of their (American) tanks swept heroically into Baghdad and out again. They murdered people along the way. They blew off the limbs of women and the scalps of children. Hear their voices on the unedited and unbroadcast videotape: 'we shot the shit out of it'".

Christine McNamara
Evans Head

PS - I may occupy the cheap seats Tom, but at least I'm not star struck by a former dope smoking, draft dodging idiot by the name of George W Bush, who according to former secretary Paul O'Neill, was determined to get rid of Hussein's regime from day one. At the first National Security Council meeting, 10 days after Bush's inauguration, the ousting of Hussein was 'topic A' on Bush's agenda (Norm Dixon).

Click here to comment on this letter.

More lies

Once again, the Australian Military machine has misled the public on behalf of this rotten, lying, war mongering Federal Government and been caught out (June 1). There is little doubt that the Mandarins from the Defence Department and 'ole brown nose' himself, General Peter Cosgrove, were doing the bidding of Lil Johnnie and the inept Senator Dill.

How much longer are we going to be told lies about our troops behaviour in Iraq?

John X Berlin
Maclean

Click here to comment on this letter.

A week to remember

Casino Beef Week is an annual festival enjoyed immensely by locals and visitors. I can honestly say it has been an enormous privilege to have been crowned as the 2003 Country Energy Miss Casino Beef Week Queen. Throughout Beef Week I attended numerous formal functions such as the Window Judging, Talent Quest, Battle of Bands, Thanksgiving Celebration, Craft Expo, Photography Show, Beef Education Sessions, Beef Carcase Expo, Street Parade and opened the Fashion Spectacular. As well as having had some light hearted fun at the Trivia Night, Bush Dance, Family Day, Milking Competition and even cooked at Beef Week's Big Breakfast.

Casino Beef Week really is known about everywhere. Congratulations to the community of Casino for making each Casino Beef Week a memorable event for all. I have promoted the beef industry, the Casino community and been an ambassador for Beef Week whilst representing the Brahman Breed. It has been a tremendous honour to be acknowledged as the face of Beef Week 2003. Beef Week not only promotes the importance of the beef industry but also shows the public what other talents and attributes Casino and the region has to offer.

A huge thank you to the Beef Week Committee for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. The NSW Branch of the Brahman Association, a big thank you for allowing me to represent the Brahman breed and the local beef industry as a whole. Thank you to Country Energy for being the 2003 Beef Week Queen major sponsor and all other sponsors during Beef Week.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Iris Kruicshank for her continued guidance and devotion throughout the Queen contest. Most of all many thanks should go to my loving family and friends for their commitment in supporting and encouraging me. I wish the girls contending in the 2004 Miss Casino Beef Week Queen contest all the best and commend them highly for just having a go. May you all gain confidence and have as much fun throughout the year as I have done.

Stacey Clark
2003 Miss Casino Beef Week Queen

Click here to comment on this letter.

Submit now!

As Gordon Moody (Echo, May 27) wrote, June 4 is the last day for written submissions to the General Purpose Standing Committee No 4, inquiring into the closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah train service.

I encourage all readers who were passionate about saving our train before the last train ran just 2 weeks ago, to lodge a submission. The inquiry is looking into:

1. The decision to cut the train and the accuracy of the cost saving in doing so;

2. The social and economic impact of the decision including the loss of jobs; and

3. The future of the line, including maintenance and options for further development and links to Queensland.

A submission need not be a fancy document. It can be as simple as a heartfelt hand-written letter - just like the many hundreds I delivered to the Minister for Transport on the protest train just one month ago. Writers can post their submission to GPSC No 4, Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney 2000, fax it to (02) 9230 3416 or email it to gpscno4@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

If you would like, you can also request to be heard in person when the enquiry comes to Lismore on June 9 or Murwillumbah on June 10. I urge all Northern Rivers Echo readers to send their submissions today. Every one lodged adds weight to our community's efforts to get our train back.

Jenny Dowell
Goonellabah

Click here to comment on this letter.

Fair well

The proposed "Lismore Cultural Precinct" (Art in the Heart) is a welcome and exciting development for our community. It is wonderful that the heart of our city should express the creative diversity of the region. However you don't have to wait for the development to be complete to experience "Art in the Heart".

The proposed Cultural Precinct site will be the location for the first "Lantern Parade Arts and Craft Fair" on June 19 from 10am-4pm. The fair will be form part of the Lantern Parade's 10th birthday celebrations. It will be a great day of art, music, community information, food and fun. The event is being organised by parents from Vistara Primary School for the Lantern Parade. We are aiming to create a market that showcases the art and craft that is produced in the region. We are hoping that people who do not usually show their work at markets will take this opportunity.

We have around 40 stalls booked in already and can accommodate more. We are also still taking bookings from performers. If you would like to book a stall or perform call me on 6622 0712 or email vfindlay@ bigpond.net.au.

See you at the Fair!

Vicki Findlay
For Vistara Primary School

Click here to comment on this letter.

Below the belt

Groin strain has prevented some footballers playing in the past, but maybe it is time to redefine 'groin strain', considering all the NRL groins strained lately, causing some players trouble. This seems to be caused by tissues in the groin area stiffening after games, and too much brain power being concentrated on the groin area. This could almost be called another form of brain drain. What limbering up exercises would be appropriate?

Ken Macdonald
Lennox Head

Click here to comment on this letter.

Duty of care

Invading Iraq was probably the most irresponsible and just plain stupid foreign policy decisions any Australian government has ever made, but having played a part in creating the mess that is present-day Iraq, we now have both a legal and moral obligation to remain there until a stable, independent Iraqi government can be set up. The harsh reality is that we may have to live with the consequences, both direct and indirect, of our participation in the slaughter of an estimated 10,000 Iraqi civilians for many years to come. We can only hope that the lessons of Iraq will at the very least dissuade Australia from supporting any American-led attacks on Iran, Syria or any other oil-rich nations that threaten Israel's strategic security.

Right now, as Iraq makes the transition towards 'democracy', the best way to minimise the hostility towards the occupying forces would probably be for the United Nations to take over the operation. True, Iraqi insurgents have attacked the UN as well, but a UN-led mission with a clear mandate and objectives would surely appear vastly more credible in the eyes of most Iraqis than the current American-led occupation. Under this scenario, US, UK and Australian troops should remain, but would operate under the UN banner and under UN control.

Rather than calling for Australia to simply 'cut and run' from Iraq, we should focus our criticism on the people who got us into this situation in the first place, John 'Dubya' Howard and his minions. At the next federal election, I will register my disapproval by numbering the Coalition last on my ballot paper. That's right, I'll even put One Nation ahead of them, not because I endorse racism, but because One Nation have no real power, whereas the Coalition does have real power. Incidentally, I'm not some radical left-wing loony (nor am I a fan of the ALP... I'm having a lot of trouble getting my head around the idea of 'Prime Minister Latham'), at the last federal election I did in fact, perhaps naively, vote for the Coalition, and I've regretted it for much of the time since. I didn't vote for an illegal and immoral pre-emptive war, or for the threat of terrorism to be dealt with by inciting further, more organised and more determined ongoing hostility towards Australia.

Nick Casmirri
Goonellabah

Click here to comment on this letter.

Marketing art

The Art in the Heart gallery development may be at risk of becoming a plaything of the arts bureaucracy and those tenured hacks who dabble in spontaneous mark making and fashionable philosophy.

Without a sustained core of artists who are able to work and exist outside the constraints of the 'gallery system'. the arts soon become 'politically correct', thus leaving us with the patronising and sub standard 'dots on bollards' syndrome.

The new Lismore Gallery should have the capacity to operate as a commercial conduit between local artists and galleries in major centres, perhaps via computer database. To this end the position of marketing officer should be created to operate in conjunction with the gallery. This would allow local artists to get on with producing work, without some of the detritus of marketing themselves, eg sending work away unnecessarily. The gallery would benefit from commissions on any work sold.

Further to maintaining the artist core, it would be helpful if artists who were able to establish their bona fides, had access to social security payments, without being 'intensively assisted' to find work in which they have no interest.

Don Gaddes
Lismore

Click here to comment on this letter.

Just the facts

A comment on the current spat between Tom Murdoch and the "Coalition of the Ignorant".

What is needed are balanced arguments, extensively backed by research and solid evidence. Using snippets of information and mouthing well-worn cliché phrases does not cut it.

Hands up all those that have actually lived in a totalitarian country. Are there any serious students of history amongst you? What is happening in Iraq is ugly and yes, ultimately, it's all about oil. Bush and Co make me puke. But give me a break Tom Koo, how does 318,000 people constitute the "rest of the world"? That sort of rubbish would be a big fail in basic high school history. A considerable part of my honours degree was devoted to the study of revolutions, culminating in a thesis dealing with the "Velvet" revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1968. What a waste of time for Stephen Lang can explain it all in a few hundred words. Don't give up your day job Stephen.

Having lived for two years in the US, as an "illegal alien", I have seen America's ugly underbelly - the greed, the racism, the ignorance and the hypocrisy. Satan's spawn though it is not. America is not intrinsically evil.

The Bush administration is evil but its time will come. That is the beauty of a "western democracy", there is always the potential for great good and yes, dreams do come true. Under totalitarianism there is no potential, there are no dreams.

Ted Bartos
Lismore

Click here to comment on this letter.

Get educated

I have read over and again in local and city newspapers, letters and articles telling only one side of the story of the facts of private school funding by the government. I am sure many readers are unaware of the truth in terms of the funding each student receives from the State Government when they are enrolled at a school other than the public system. The Government contributes thousands more - in the order of 30% more - per student enrolled in public schools than for those at Catholic or private schools.

In other words each family that has their child at a private school is saving the taxpayer a lot of money, but I don't believe everybody realises this. The articles that are written on the subject never seem to go into the facts and figures and it is obvious why. If they did everybody would be aware that private schools save the government a fortune in educational funding and should they all close down, boy would the public system find itself in a whole lot of trouble!

So next time you read some propaganda on how much funding is being afforded private schools, be aware it is still less per student than those enrolled in the public schools. The families of private school educated children make up the difference, as it should be for the choice they are making.

M Northfield
Lindendale

Click here to comment on this letter.

Culture shock

Why is Lismore's heart being redesigned in a modern urban style? Are we not a rural capital? Should we not value our heritage more dearly than to mimic the architectural styles and culture of others? Is not the reason visitors come here from South East Queensland and other city-based locations to experience something different - something country?

The Art in the Heart project has been designed by Brisbane-based architects; so what percentage of the actual construction is to be carried out by local builders and tradespeople? Is this project to be entirely Queensland-based? How much of the new art gallery will be set aside for local art and how easy will it be for local artisans to exhibit in the main areas of the gallery; as opposed to some side room?

Will the swanky new apartments be available to everyone in Lismore; or will they be priced for those who drive Audi and BMW? Will this project cost 70 + million dollars; or (like the Memorial Baths) will it end up costing many times more? Will the planned car park alleviate our traffic problems; or will it simply attract even more vehicles to the CBD? In a city where many people do it hard, is it appropriate to be spending so much on bricks and mortar?

Rather than looking to others to reshape our identity; why don't we value what we have and invest the same amount of money directly in people? Renovating the traditional facades and buildings around town would directly benefit a wider number of local residents and establish Lismore as a historic town. This would not only preserve our identity for future generations; but would also serve as an ongoing drawcard for visitors. This is precisely what is done in Europe and other places, where people have a strong sense of who they are and where they belong.

The best way to preserve our traditional heritage and identity is to do just that - preserve it! By rebuilding Lismore in a non-traditional style; we will destroy what attracts people here in the first place. We will become just another urban clone where the only place you can view the real heart of Lismore is on the fading photographs in our swanky new museum!

R J Poole
Lismore

Click here to comment on this letter.

Show some art

Is the master plan for the arts precinct a shiny red Porsche to prop up the failing libidos of the aspirational classes of our fair city? The visual backdrop for their little walkies in the emperor's new clothes before they shuffle off this mortal coil?

Or, perhaps, Lismore's answer to Springfield's monorail?

While council bickers with the neighbourhood centre about who pays to fix their broken windows, crisis services close their doors and the working people travel further and further over potholed roads to earn a crust, council's special projects and the artistocracy has a lazy 13 million kicking around for a new civic centre. Strange isn't it?

Will our children wish we had tightened our collective belt and invested in essential services like public transport infrastructure, water security, bioregional energy sources and affordable housing at the beginning of this century instead of monumental architectural statements? Or will they shrug their shoulders and hurl a brick in contempt as they saddle up and ride away?

Only time will tell.

Art in the heart or heart in the art - that is the question.

Name and address supplied

Click here to comment on this letter.

Crossword Answers for this Issue