Letters To The Editor

The Einstein factor

Not much has been made in the media of the death, 50 years ago, of the humanitarian, pacifist, philosopher and scientist Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Shashi Tharoor's regular column in India's The Hindu reminded me of it on Sunday, July 3.

An extract from Einstein's writings, quoted by Mr Tharoor, seems to be apt as we contemplate the terrorist attack on central London and nervously await the next.

'Human life will become intolerable if people do not discover before long a way of preventing war... War is not a parlour game in which the players obediently stick to the rules. Only the absolute repudiation of any war can be of any use.'

This sentiment is shared by many a peace worker toiling away at the real front-line of war, that is, the thoughts of men and women today

Dara Tatray
Lismore

Welcome back

We must express our sheer delight at the, all be it too temporary, return of Bob Ellis and his heavenly vitriol (Echo, July 7).

Who else would dare have a vicious swipe at the unscrupulous capitalist lowlife-come hero of the oblivious gullibles, Doug Wood, to name only one of his deserving victims.

Author!, author!, encore!, encore!

Barbara Elliott and Doug Burt
Kyogle

Student unions

Many of you in the community may already be aware of the Howard Government's plans for introducing Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) nationwide. For those unaware the VSU legislation will effectively ban universities from collecting money on behalf of student organisations, and the collection of funds for non-academic purposes.

This, they say, they are doing as a measure to lower the up-front costs to university students. Which poses the question, if the government were genuinely concerned with lowering costs for students why was HECS increased and subsidised places as opposed to full-fee paying places not increased this year? Student fees here at Southern Cross University currently stand at $174 per semester for full time under-graduates. This fee may be paid through the SCU Student Support interest free loan scheme, the repayments which, myself on the Austudy pittance (though grateful for) can easily manage. So withholding the Government's position of "easing the burden" for Australian students, VSU will actually strip more from our pockets than we have to start with.

For my $174 per semester contribution I can avail myself to free broadband computer access, subsidised printing and copying, a free dentist (where do you find one of those these days?), academic and Centrelink advice and advocacy, a free shuttle bus service, a bulk billing medical service, a free meal on Tuesday from 5 Loaves (thanks Darcy), access to the Uni bar and subsidised gym facilities, as well as all the available sporting and community organisations that contribute to the cultural richness of the university experience. Wow! Is that value for money or what?!

I would ask Ian Causley, as he approaches to cast his vote on this legislation, if the loss of an estimated $2 million per annum, that SCU students inject into the community through the Student Union and the Student Representative Council, are funds that Lismore can do without? Also, would the closure of student support services and the retrenchment of almost 200 workers from SCU, the majority of which are students, be something that he would like to be a part of his political legacy as Federal Member for Page?

John Taylor
SCU student

Junket waste

I express my total sympathy for the victims and outrage for the London bombings.

However, someone must state the bleeding obvious. Only those countries and their citizens who have participated in the illegal invasions of sovereign nations like Iraq and Afghanistan are being targeted by these loony extremist Islamic killers.

The last thing UK authorities need is for the Kirribilli Kaiser and his 12 'hangers on' to arrive in London shortly for their $1.34 million Aussie taxpayer funded holiday.

If John Howard has a conscience, somewhere, he will stay at home and not divert precious UK security resources from their current vital tasks into protecting him.

John X Berlin
Maclean

Lang reunion

I live in Perth, Western Australia, and am currently organising a family reunion for descendants of my grandfather, James Herbert Lang. James Herbert Lang was the grandson of a James Lang who came to Australia from Scotland back in about 1837, married a Sarah Otton and they had nine children - John, Alex, Harry, James, Robert, Annie, Selina, Sarah and Lizzie.

Most of the children remained in NSW or Queensland. John Lang's son Windsor was well known within the Richmond River Society. The Lang family I believe is very well known in Coraki, Ballina, Shoalhaven, and they have many descendants.

John Lang's brother Robert Lang married Annie Hawker and had one son, James Herbert Lang (my grandfather). They later moved to WA, mainly around the Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie area.

Although my grandfather kept contact with his cousin Windsor back in the early 1950s, the contact ceased when Windsor passed away.

I would very much like to make some contact with our long lost relatives, if they are interested. Our family reunion is on July 9 in WA, and we are expecting about 200 people.

If we have produced this many from one child, imagine the number of Lang descendants you have over there from the other eight siblings. Mind boggling...

Interested parties may contact me on kerry.harding@bigpond.com.

Kerry Harding
Perth

Child laws revision

Most people are unaware that the Australian states have all adopted the USA system for the department of child safety. In NSW it is DoCS. Anyone could get an eye opener on the internet. That it only takes a second suspicion for the heavies to enter the place and grab the children. These suspicions can come from a neighbour's nastiness, or a teacher going on set indications of some sort of sexual behaviour. Parents always fighting, constantly drunk or on drugs, bruising, which could be accidental, even children going through a bad series of Murphy's Law and always hurting themselves. According to those departments there is no such thing as an accident.

Myself and some professional friends consider that there is a need for the laws to be amended.

In the very first instance the case should be promptly attended to by a local panel, perhaps a doctor as one. They could discern if the case is malice based or an accident, misinterpretation, whatever. Or that the parents need to be put on notice and under supervision from the panel, or if necessary it goes further. A more failsafe system.

There could well be numerous old cases where all concerned could benefit by returning children on a parole system and panel supervising. It is impossible for them to do a flit because from (unknown to many) suspicions are Australia-wide on the internet between hospitals, police stations and schools.

I urge all concerned and fair-minded people to write to your local state member to have the laws changed to a more failsafe, expedient and cost effective system for all concerned, especially the state coffers. Even now there are many littlies screaming and crying their heart out begging to be let go home.

Len Rosen
Bonalbo

No peace

I am one of the growing number of people who have become sensitive to Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR).

Due to this, I have been travelling around camping for the past six months and I have been surprised by the number of people I have met with EMR sensitivity. I have even met a man from Sweden who is travelling around the world to see if he can find somewhere to live! He has been scientifically tested and told me there are thousands of people in Sweden affected by EMR and the landscape there is cluttered with mobile phone towers. Everyone is being surrounded by artificially produced EMR from a rapidly increasing number of sources. These include mobile phone towers, communication transmitters, TVs, radios, etc which emit a high frequency radiation, whilst power lines and electrical appliances like those used in households everyday, produce an extra low frequency radiation, but all are a source of EMR and people are becoming sensitive to either or both frequencies as well as the magnetic field. When someone becomes sensitive they can present with various problems such as head pain, ear pain or discomfort, concentration and memory problems, tingling at the extremities, fatigue and multiple chemical sensitivity, whilst other people get a skin rash.

If you have EMR sensitivity I would very much like to hear from you. Also, if you are interested, there is an appropriate government department which can be notified. If you are like me, I found it an enormous relief to know and talk to others with this problem. Some of us are now making enquiries regarding ways to insulate a house or even just a space within a room as that appears the only way we will once again have peace.

Nola Dawson
Minnie Waters

More flood levees

In 1995 shortly before the Council elections, the state and federal governments approved finance for the construction of a 1-in-20-year flood levee scheme for North, South and Central Lismore, an equitable solution for moderate to high flooding in the three main areas of Lismore, with protection to 11.2 metres.

Having personal knowledge of flooding in Lismore from 1931 to '89, I proposed the 1-in-20-year levee scheme to the flood action committee adopted by Rous County Council. Lismore Council estimated the cost of the scheme was around $29 million in 1995. Problems with the North Lismore was the evacuation time when overtopping occurs was 1.5 hours compared to 2 hours for South and Central Lismore. The opposition to the scheme seized on the short evacuation time and scared the elderly and women out of their wits, similar to when the levees were proposed in 1968 for North and South Lismore, and a prominent lady in North Lismore said that like being in a saucer when the cup overflowed we'd all be drowned. North Lismore people rejected the scheme then as they did in 1995, and the South Lismore levee was overtopped twice since that time, 1974 to 1989, but no-one was drowned. This negative opposition to the equitable scheme will be felt for many years to come. The problem of overtopping North Lismore could have been overcome by expanding the area inside the levee by extending the proposed levee bank along Leycester Street from Tweed Street to Wilson Street across to the hill at the old cemetery. On the Northern side, the levee bank could be extended from Peate Street to north end of McCauley Street. This would make North Lismore safer than South Lismore during a flood. It would also force a lot of the Leycester Creek flow down past western side of the South Lismore levee, which would reduce the flood level of a major flood by one metre. With three 1-in 20-year levees in place plus an overflow channel western side, South Lismore, most floods up to 11.5 metres would be kept out of North, South and Central Lismore. Soil taken out to make a diversion channel could be used inside the levee bank eg. Could have been used for industrial land South Lismore.

Lismore was once a centre of industry, commerce and transport. Flooding has been part of the problem for its decline in these areas. Future years flooding may be controlled to an acceptable level by three levees plus a diversion channel.

Stan Wilson
Lismore

BS Bob

I'd like to know why there had to be a photo on the front page (Echo, July 7), one of the biggest liars in politics - namely Bob (I'll fix it) Carr. In the photo, there are people crawling to him to get a photo taken with him. He promised to get the Alstonville By-pass done a few years ago, then changed his mind or told us lies, and it will be done sometime later, he was more concerned with a minor flood and its effects, than with our roads - trains etc. His nose keeps getting longer every year. Now to Jeff Meike (page 5), who said that the new smoking bans for hotels and clubs etc, was a load of codswallop and an invasion of human rights, and the control freaks had started a campaign against the average working male's pleasure. He is like all smokers, only concerned with himself, what about the rest of the men and women who want to go into a hotel club etc, and enjoy a nice beer whatever, without their foul smelling tobacco smoke hugging the ceilings - clinging to a person's clothes and then we have to breath the putrid air that you smokers put out, you people couldn't care less about anyone else, you light up whenever you want to, don't ask anyone's permission, how would you like it, if non smokers sprayed capsicum spray or a foul smelling scent into your face every time that you took a puff of a cigarette, pipe or cigar, you'd soon be upset about it and wouldn't appreciate it. So that's what we have to put up with every time we walk into a hotel - club, not to mention the effects that your foul smelling habit does to our health, I couldn't care less if you die early from it.

My brother-in-law had his jaw removed about 10 years ago through smoking cancer, and died about five years ago with further complications of it. He was about 70 years old at the time. It's a pity that they didn't take a photo of his jaw and put it on the TV the trouble with you smokers is that you know better than the Doctors.

There are more cigarette butts in the gutters than any other rubbish, all of you just throw the butts down where ever, couldn't care less about pollution of our waters. So to that whinging smoker - I say Butt Out.

J.Lenon
Evans Head

Highway concerns

Regarding the proposed highway "upgrade" between Woodburn and Ballina I would like to ask a question of the RTA and their team of experts.

When asked by my friend how they were planing to engineer such a major undertaking through areas of wetlands their response was that they would drill huge holes into the earth and fill it with something that draws out the water. This is apparently called a "wick drain."

Well I have never heard of a wick drain before and unfortunately the RTA's hotline number affords no response so I am asking through your paper you might ask of the RTA some questions.

1. What is a wick drain?
2. Is the "wick" a permanent installation?
3. Is the collected water moved somewhere?
4. In a wetland does a wick drain have a draining effect over the whole area and not just the highway corridor?
5. How will the surrounding areas be affected?
6. Will it be detrimental to the ecology of an area?
7. Please can you exhibit previous studies regarding effects of wick drains to surrounding areas?

My fear is that should the upgrade go through our precious wetlands this area will be altered forever.

Kerry Kelly
Bagotville

Cycleway desperation

Lee Anderson and his Dunecare Inc (Echo, June 30) must be desperate. To accuse Ballina Councillors of racism after an 8-1 vote to extend the cycleway north and south of Angles Beach is the last card in the pack.

To accuse the eight councillors of being racist because they voted to put the cycleway on 'consecrated Aboriginal burial grounds' is way over the top. The sand miners in the 70s raped this land so whatever there was well and truly 'shifted and sifted'.

The dune carers should have a conscience for such outlandish accusations and for trying to frustrate Ballina Council in its attempt to satisfy the will of the majority.

Jim Roche
Angels Beach

Telling it straight

I was searching for the right adjectives to describe Douglas Wood's attitude towards Sheikh Hillali, the man to whom he owes his life. But Bob Ellis (Echo, July 7) beat me to it, when hitting the nail on the head, calling him "a greedy, graceless, bumptious capitalist pig".

Wood claimed that he's never heard of Hillali.

Now that is rather odd. Because even if he didn't hear about him during his captivity, surely his brothers must've told him how they've begged the old Sheikh for his help and how the Sheikh then immediately appealed to the captors on Arabic television and travelled to Iraq to negotiate his release.

Wood claims he's heard none of that.

And yet, without the Sheikh's intervention and good works, the rescuing soldiers would've probably found nothing more than Wood's head inside a basket.

It's all well for Douglas Wood now.

But what about if an other Australian was captured in Iraq tomorrow?

Who is going to stand up for him?

Is there anybody we haven't insulted, isolated, or jailed yet, who could and still would stand up for us?

Tom Koo
Alstonville