Letters To The Editor

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Driving disgrace

Having recently relocated from Adelaide to the Northern Rivers area I am delighted with the lush scenery and the friendliness of the locals. However, I am absolutely horrified by the appalling standard of driving on the rural roads in and around Rosebank, Clunes, Eureka etc.

Last week I had a terrifying encounter with a mindless moron driving a restored Bedford truck.

On a road whose width barely allows two cars to pass, this lunatic came hurtling round a blind corner, narrowly missing me. I had no chance to react and dread to think of the consequences had I been a few inches to the right hand side of the road.

I urge all those responsible drivers to exercise extreme caution on these roads and where possible get the registration number of the offender and report them to the appropriate authority

Mike Cosgrove
Rosebank

PS - I am an accident free driver with some 45 years experience driving all sorts of vehicles in many countries and hold the coveted Advanced Drivers Diploma available in the UK.

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Kadina praise

As my daughter finishes her secondary schooling and sits her HSC exams, I would like to publicly thank her teachers and her school for their wonderful efforts.

My daughter chose to transfer to Kadina High School from a private school three years ago, and her decision has been vindicated many times over by the academic outcomes she has achieved, her enjoyment of the Kadina school community, and the care and dedication of its staff. We have also been impressed by Kadina's outstanding policies and practices in support of student well-being; the school and community service which many Kadina staff and students offer above and beyond the call of duty; and by the Kadina's extensive curriculum and often innovative approach.

Thank you, Kadina, you are a wonderful ambassador for public education!

Jill Garsden
Goonellabah

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No cheers for W

When George W Bush addresses the parliament tomorrow he will be facing the family of Mamdouh Habib, and a repesentative of David Hicks, the two Australian citizens illegally imprisoned in the US military prison at Guantanemo Bay, Cuba.

Since announcing that they will be The Greens guests at the Presidential address we have had overwhelming support from all around the country for making this protest.

The illegal detention (and alledged torture) of these men serves as a powerful reminder of the depths this Administration have sunk to in pursuit of their eye for an eye agression. Australians appear to instinctively understand that this is an outrage, and join us in demanding justice for our fellow country men, no matter what they have been accused of.

Until President Bush lives up to his claims to be a defender of peace and justice then he does not deserve a standing ovation, and The Greens will certainly not be applauding.

Senator Kerry Nettle
Australian Greens Senator for NSW

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Gospel gripe

To whoever selects the Text for the Week‚ in The Echo classifieds, can't you be a bit more positive?

How does 'The soul that sinneth, it shall die' uplift and transform people? I don't believe that the soul dies at all, or that God is such a meanie. But others may feel disturbed by this, and will either feel extremely anxious or turn even further away from the church.

And just because it's in The Bible we don't have to take it as gospel surely. I mean, a few verses earlier it quotes God as saying that one of these terrible sins is to be 'near to a menstruous woman' (Ezekiel 18:6). Goodness me, that means a lot of dead souls, and what of us menstruating women I wonder?

M Roth
Lismore

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Market support

I don't know about you but I love to be able to get hold of squeaky fresh local fruit and vegetables. At the farmers' market in the Lismore Showground on Saturday mornings there is a wonderful selection of fresh produce at very reasonable prices.

There is always ample parking and it takes me no time at all to get a supply of produce that even after a week in the fridge looks fresher than that available in other retail outlets.

Please do yourselves a favour, as well as supporting our local producers, and get along to the market. It is open every Saturday morning from 8am till midday.

Margo Rutledge
Lismore

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Politics of fear

What a disgrace. Good ol' US CEO George Dubya is coming down under (for the first time in his life) to give our parliamentarians a good ol' serve of American patriotism and jingoism. No doubt we will be thanked for joining the 'Coalition of the Willing', told that the 'War on Terrorism' must go on, and our lil' Johnny will get his official Sheriff's badge.

Of course all the Libs and Nats will probably give him three cheers, and even Labor will toe the line and applaud. As usual, only the Greens will make any sort of protest or rejection of the notion of Australia becoming the 52nd state of the USofA.

Each federal pollie has the opportunity to take one guest into the parliament to hear Dubya's speech. The Greens are taking members of the families of two detainees in the US's Guantanamo Bay (Camp X-Ray) detention centre, where they are being held without charge in contravention of international human rights conventions. No doubt local member Ian Causley will be taking G. Wallace along to see his idols in action.

Thanks must go to Christine McNamara (Echo, Oct 9) who suggested some reading material for G. Wallace in order to learn the truth about Dubya's sordid past. I would further like to recommend (to the literate – which excludes Dubya and probably G. Wallace) Michael Moore's books Stupid White Men and his latest Dude, where's my country? Moore has an easy to read style (hell, it's written for an American audience) and spells out how American democracy has been subverted by corporations and the rich. He explains the ongoing relationship between the Bushes and the bin Ladens, and even has a chapter devoted to G. Wallace and his ilk called 'How to talk to your conservative brother-in-law', in which he explains how hatred and ignorance is spawned out of fear – fear of those who are different.

Let us remember that not all Americans are screwed. There are plenty more (in fact a majority) like Mike Moore who never voted for Dubya at all and are well pissed at what he has done. The only problem over there seems to be identical to that here – lack of alternatives. Crean? Gotta be kidding. The US Democrats are so despondent that they have all but abandoned any chance of beating Dubya at the next election. How could they (or anyone – a ficus perhaps) lose? In light of Arnie's victory in California, Moore's notion of Oprah for President doesn't seem all that silly.

This is a wake up call to all of us. We need to reclaim our democracy before it is stolen out from under us under the guise of 'combating terrorism' while eroding our civil liberties. We can still win if we just raise our voices and dissent. How dare the PM spend our hard earned taxes recalling parliament ($2M) for a visit from Dubya and China's Hu Jintao, not to mention the cost of keeping RAAF jets in the sky above Canberra 'in case of a terrorist attack' during the visit.

Yankee go home.

Andy Gough
Larnook

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For the birds

Ninety-nine up, and one to go to make the hundred! The regular birdwatchers that visit Lismore Lake were delighted yesterday to record a new species, this time a pair of Sacred Kingfishers, making a total of ninety-nine bird species that either inhabit or make some use of this small, man-made lake. It was a beautiful morning at the lake. Water was still being pumped in from the creek. This has been happening for the past three weeks, and is bringing about a welcome transformation. Even the lily pads are beginning to break the surface in one area, and it has been reported to me that two Jacanas have appeared apart from flocks of say fifty White Ibis and forty Cattle Egrets, water birds were not plentiful. Those that were seen looked magnificent in their spring plumage. Glossy Ibis really glowed and Purple Swamphens looked quite dazzling with their purple head and body offset by scarlet bill and shield Bush birds were plentiful and some, like the Magpie Lark, Willie Wagtail and Restless Flycatcher, were nesting. A young couple with a small child, staying at the Motel, were taking a morning walk around the lake. We got talking and they remarked how much they enjoyed staying at the motel, and how much they appreciated the birds and the beauty of the lake. Let's hold on to this asset.

Molly Crawford
Lismore

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Within reason

Cr Irwin, in devaluing Cr Swientek for his opposition to Perradenya, cites the current brisk selling of lots as vindication of her support for this suburban outpost (Wagging Tales, Oct 16).

What she conveniently forgets, and this is shocking considering her avowal of being a community representative, and I remind her of two stand alone reasons for despising the Perradenya blight.

One is the entire community of Caniaba didn't want it except of course Michael Yabsley the absentee owner who made a quick million on the re-zoning.

Second is the sterilisation of more prime agricultural land.

A minor third is the cross-subsidisation of the first development stage by LCC water and sewerage ratepayers.

Paul Recher
Lismore

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Learn the facts

Before writing that nasty little introduction about teachers in Shaggy's column last week, his deputy might have checked facts. The first day of term 4 in Government schools was not a pupil-free day. My own children were among those who attended classes. There are three pupil-free days per annum, at the commencement or term one, two and three: but these are essential for the adjustment of curriculum, staffing, social and general policies. They are hardly 'extra days off'. Negative comments like the one referred to serve no purpose except to cater to that small part of the population which is militantly, ignorantly anti-teacher. Shaggy's understudy should leave them to the commercial television channels.

B Tate
(retired teacher)
The Channon

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Hospital frustration

I refer to the letter about the service provided by Lismore Base Hospital (Echo, Oct 16).

I am glad that the elderly people of our community get great service when attending the Lismore Base Hospital and even after they have left the hospital (don't get me wrong I think this is great). However recently, when my daughter broke her arm, I arrived at the hospital at 7pm on Saturday night and by 11pm I was getting a bit frustrated (although I know when attending Lismore Emergency it usually takes a few hours).

At this stage I approached the desk and checked with the nurse as to what time x-ray closed. She said that x-ray is open 24 hours (on a previous occasion, as this is the third time my daughter has broken her arm, I was told x-ray closes at 9pm), so I checked and continued to wait. Finally I got in to see the doctor, only to have her tell us that x-ray had closed and we would need to come back tomorrow.

So two hours after x-ray had closed they saw my daughter who was in pain, and was there to be treated for a broken arm, and they let us wait till after they were closed to tell us to come back tomorrow. If they know that x-ray closed at a certain time and they have patients to be treated that need x-ray then maybe they should say to those patients 'you can wait to see a doctor but x-ray is now closed, could you possibly come back tomorrow', and we would not have had to wait an extra two hours for no reason.

At 8.45am on Sunday morning I called the hospital and told them the situation. They said to come straight down and she (my daughter) would go straight through. After an hour I had to approach the nurse, as nothing had been done. People who had showed up prior to our arrival had started going through and I let her know we had free passes to the movies and had to leave, and that would be back at 12pm hoping her name had worked up the list again by that time.

We returned at 12pm and then waited for another two hours. At 2pm she went around to x-ray and then at 3pm another doctor saw her. He said she had a fracture and asked if I would be able to gown up to help plaster my daughter's arm, which had to be done in the hallway because there were no beds. So eight hours later, very tired, we left the hospital with my daughter's arm in a cast. I understand emergencies come in and things can get very busy, and sure – adults can be patient sometimes when having to wait hours to see a doctor. But you can't expect to make children wait that long when they are in pain and often shock from an accident.

Rebecca Snape
Goonellabah

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Great show

Congratulations to those responsible for Lismore's North Coast National.

The Show is a reminder that we townies live in a strong rural-based economy. It gives us a once-a-year opportunity to get up close and personal with primary producers, their livestock and produce.

For my family, every year the Show has its highlights and in most cases, it is the people we meet that make the Show.

This year, as we picked our way between huge Brahman cattle and saw many unfamiliar breeds, we met a farmer with a swag of ribbons who told us that although numbers of cattle were down, he was happy because last year he was on chemo.

After watching the pig auction, we met a couple who were only too willing to explain the intricacies of the junior cattle judging competition.

We learned about muscle definition and '2 Coke cans standing on the back' of the winning cow and the young judges in their new Akubras and moleskins were great to see.

Wherever we went, everyone was only too willing to have a chat about life on the land and we came away having had a great time and having learned a few things too.

In Lismore's headlong rush towards an urban lifestyle looking towards the coast for our entertainment, we would all do well to spend just one day each year at the North Coast National to appreciate and support our region's farmers and their skills.

Jenny Dowell
Goonellabah

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Cannabis cures

After my return to Oz, I read a letter by Michael Robinson that "Marijuana is not medicine" (Echo, Oct16).

On the 12th and 13th of September I attended a conference in Cologne, Germany, organised by the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine in co-operation with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and the Department of Anaesthesiology of the University of Cologne.

For two days I listened to lectures from 'Cannabis in Multiple Sclerosis treatment' to 'Endocannabinoid-based therapeutic drugs against tumour growth and metastatic spreading'.

The British anaesthetist William Notcutt presented a Cannabis spray, which after three years study with over 500 patients proved a pain reducing effect within 20 to 40 minutes. In Holland the Government, since the 1st of September, sells medical Cannabis to 2000 Apothecaries.

In other countries like Austria or Germany doctors are allowed to prescribe the Cannabis content Dronabinol (better known as Delta-9-THC).

I feel sorry for Michael Robinson, using defamation and misinformation to stop a worldwide trend, where finally the true potential of one of the worlds greatest plants is scientifically researched and validated.

Please inform yourself: check out www.Cologne2003.org or www.cannabis-med.org on the Internet.

Chibo Mertineit
Vice-President
Nimbin Hemp Embassy

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Cannabis curse

Medicine should offer us higher standards than backyard herbalism, with the numerous studies into the offerings of synthetic cannabanoids but one potential source of new medicines is identifiable, but that does not mean for any reason we should ignore the dangers of the whole plant cannabis

It must be remembered that as opposed to identified individual synthetic compounds, the whole plant product, contains many dangerous chemicals. It is through evidence based science and not backyard herbalism that medical science can assist patients.

Those users and lobbyists promoting wider cannabis use for any reason seem to forget or ignore the 'Nimbin' effect of paranoia, mental illness, impaired judgement and psychosis. Other potentially deadly cannabis use consequences include cellular death, brain cell depletion and cancers just to name a few.

The clear need is for new medicines to adhere strictly to modern day high medical standards – to pass scientific validation, the Cochrane collaboration and gain approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Clearly it is just plain bad medicine to replace medical scrutiny with political debates in a place not suited for scientific validation of evidence. It's an important message our political leaders must hear – patients need smart medicine, not dope.

Michael D Robinson
Executive Director
Drug Free Australia

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