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WHAT an odd statement our Prime Minister has chosen to set out on his inquisition of the ABC.
``Heads should roll over this”. Sounds like a slogan a terrorist would use.
— ELSA de RUYTER, St Helens.
Van Ryn
CLAIRE van Ryn's article (The Examiner, June 29) on gay marriage was spot on, she has a God given way with words.
Keep up the good work.
— JULIAN OOSTERLOO, Launceston.
Shopping
I HAVE to disagree with Malcolm Scott, I find staff in most stores very friendly and helpful.
I don’t love being called dear or darl, but as I am not wearing my name badge that’s fine with me.
— SUE MARSH, Waverley.
Double standards
I AM not the first person to make the observation that while our federal government is creating a furore over Zaky Mallah's comments, some distasteful, particularly about women, several of these same people were willing to support a rally standing in front of vile signs denigrating Julia Gillard and not a single voice raised in protest when Alan Jones suggested that same person be put in a chaff bag and tossed in the sea.
Ah, but that was different wasn't it?
— RALPH MARSHALL, Launceston.
Tatler Arcade
WHAT is the point of spending many thousands on the Quadrant Mall, when the first thing people will see coming out onto St John Street is Tatler Arcade, an eyesore of international standard.
It needs many thousands spent on it but, $50 would be a start, $10 to paint over the revolting graffiti at the entrance, $30 to remove the dangling disused sign and $10 to remove the sticker over the street name.
— MALCOLM SCOTT, Newstead.
Drugs
TEENAGERS can buy drugs for as little as $20 online (The Sunday Examiner, June 28).
So it’s now easier than ever for children to access drugs, but they said technology is good for our kids, now half the class go to school stoned.
It gives a new meaning to the term “high school”.
Of the five students interviewed, all agreed Tasmanian schools lack effective drug and alcohol education and support programs.
Interesting to note not a single one mentioned their parents.
— A.R. TROUNSON, Needles.
Football
WHILE manning the scoreboard during the NTJFA Under-13s on June 28, I had the pleasure of not only seeing George Town U13 win, I saw Dylan (Bobby) Bannon kick 11 goals.
Instead of kicking his 12th, he took the ball and hand-passed it to a team mate so he could kick the goal.
That unselfish act of sportsmanship was not only testimony to his coach, his team mates, his parents, but to the terrific young man he is.
Well done Bobby.
— STEVE CLARK, George Town.
Parents
KIDS thrive in loving, caring environments.
That may be one parent, two parents (straight or gay), married and de facto couples, adoptive parents and grandparents.
The traditional family has been superseded by the modern family.
It is constantly evolving and adapting to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.
If Claire van Ryn's concern for the "voiceless and vulnerable participants" in regard to same-sex marriage was genuinely without prejudice, she would be pursuing heterosexual relationship breakdowns involving children with equal or greater vigour.
— SIMON McINERNEY, Trevallyn.
Investors
I REFER to your article on small business raising funds via the community (June 28).
I am convinced that additional funding options would be welcomed by the small business community as the sector carries much of Australia's economy with very little support.
However, it would be strongly recommended that all potential investors look thoroughly into the management history of the small businesses requesting funding and the purpose and return of the proposed funding as well as what security is on offer, as there are habitual poor business operators out there with limited understanding of the requirements of a successful business, but plenty of charisma.
Potential investors, be very wary of putting good money after bad.
— SCOTT MURPHY, Riverside.
Ice
ONE of the worst problems facing our society these days must be the drug ice.
It seems that there are more cases of unprovoked aggression on our streets and many addicts are turning to crime to support their habit.
The affects on the lives of users and those near them are horrific yet it seems that people are unaware of the risks when they first try it.
I believe shock tactics should be used with an advertising campaign like the grim reaper campaign for AIDS.
It could be compared to an iceberg with the small part above water being the quick thrills and instant high, while the much larger part under the surface of instant addiction, violence psychosis, family breakup and all the other negative effects of its use.
The problem must be tackled head on before it destroys our society.
— MALCOLM McCULLOCH, Pipers River.
Gender
WHO is affected by gay marriage?
Gay people.
No one else is affected.
Claire Van Ryn recently expressed her opinion that gay marriage is an injustice against children.
Objectively children are not affected by gay marriage.
The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) in 2013 stated that children receive similar parenting whether they are raised by parents of the same or different genders.
The AAP concluded that marriage irrespective of the parent’s sexual orientation is in the best interest of the child.
Children of same-sex couples have not been shown to suffer from gender identity or social adaption problems.
These findings have been validated in multiple peer reviewed scientific studies.
There is no injustice.
— ROBERT MILLER, Launceston.
Q&A
THE problem with the Q&A program on ABC was not the error in participant selection, his pathetic questioning and posturing or the poor response of the politician, but rather the outrageous over-reaction of the government as a result.
Had they taken a leaf from John Howard’s book in his response to David Hicks when he appeared on Q&A a few years ago, they might have covered themselves in dignity instead of again screaming like teenagers for heads to roll; a particularly offensive piece of terminology in the circumstances.
The newspapers and other tv channels all equally hypocritically calling for blood, forgetting that they too gave this particular young man plenty of news space when it suited them.
As for putting the ABC logo on the ISIS flag this is beyond obscene, and I for one will never buy that particular newspaper again.
— SANDY HEALEY, St Helens.
Asylum seekers
I HAVE heard that the right wing faction of the Labor party is pushing to adopt a "Tow-back-the-boats" policy in relation to asylum seekers that is similar to the current Liberal party line.
Myself, I don't get it?
A right wing Labor party?
How is that supposed to work?
Who would even bother voting for a Labor party that is an identical copy of the Liberal Party?
Wake up, Labor.
You are supposed to offer a viable alternative set of policies and directions, so people have a choice at the polls.
— ANNE BRELSFORD, Legana.
Religion
CLAIRE van Ryn’s shows by her message to the gay community just how much her strong religious outlook has blinkered her thinking and attitudes.
Most obviously, she addresses her audience as ‘you’, showing straight away that both she does not regard gay people as ‘us’ or ‘we’, and of course dismissing the possibility that marriage equality supporters might be heterosexual.
She poses questions that suit her purpose: it would seem marriage rights equality could only be justified if it represents a complete solution to the ‘problems’ she imagines gay people (and those who stand alongside them) have.
Claire, I support equality because it’s right.
Not to get something out of it.
Sort of like not making the black people sit at the back of the bus, or paying women equally for the same work.
When will folks start to see gay people as part of our community?
Why does she view their children as charity cases (while it’s okay for the most dysfunctional of heterosexual couples to breed like rabbits)?
I urge Claire to throw off the artificial divisions built by man-made, power-serving churches, and to recognise that our common humanity demands character alone be the measure of a person, a couple, or a parent.
— PETER LLOYD, Reedy Marsh.