What made this more disturbing is that this particular video was quoted by one of the three female presenters as one on her favourite clips, along with another showing a mob of teens tearing about in a car with no seatbelts, then entering a supermarket and trashing it.

Why the depiction of such mindless behaviour? Is it any wonder that mindless violence in our society is becoming so prevalent.

ONE of the fascinating things about living in Tasmania is the occasional opportunity to participate in an interesting theological discussion through the Letters to the Editor. 

John Malouf’s interesting - if somewhat convoluted - article on hell (The Examiner, August 31) provides such an opportunity. In his article, Professor Malouf made the comment that “Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in hell”.   I don't know enough about Islam to challenge this comment re Muslims, but I know enough to challenge this comment in terms of Christians and Jews.

From my own perspective as a retired minister in a mainstream Christian denomination and as a former statewide ecumenical staffer, my observation is that a growing number of mainstream Christians today (lay and ordained) do not believe in hell.  

I would go so far as to say that most mainstream Christians in western nations today do not believe in the culture’s traditional view of hell. (Admittedly, it would be a far different story among individuals and groups on the fundamentalist fringe of Christianity.) Also, as a person with a long-standing interest in the Jewish faith, I would say that Jews holding to the traditional understanding of hell would be even rarer than Christians.

Other than that factual gaffe, it was still an interesting and entertaining article.

FIFTY years ago (September 10) as two mid-20s, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 10-pound Poms we arrived in Perth, WA (complete with two young kids and barely a dollar in our pockets) at the beginning of what turned out to be an amazing life experience and adventure.

Five years later, after earning a quid in the Pilbara, we made other life-changing decisions, moving to Tasmania and became Australian citizens; three of the most important decisions we have ever made in our lives and ones we have never regretted.

Every day we hear of the horror of war, devastation, economic and political crisis existing in other parts of the world and think how fortunate we are to live in such a stable diverse magnificent country; a land which, as our anthem says, “… abounds in nature’s gifts of beauty rich and rare”, especially so in beautiful Tasmania.   

During everyone’s lives on occasions doors will open, as they did for us, and when that happens we encourage people to walk through them, rarely will they regret it.

OBVIOUSLY the coalition’s three word slogans of “stop the boats” and “jobs and growth” were too difficult for us to understand so the latest effort has been reduced to only two words “powering forward”.

Explains the policy so much better.

It ain’t over yet folks.

The bruised ego’s of the Liberal cabal will be plotting to ensure they get want they want and it’s all about power.

It’s all ideology, not about good government.

I NOTED that Scott Morrison has appointed a minister for us older Australians. I hope his top priority will be to make sure that the energy supplement is not removed from the age pension.

Recently we saw the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party selfishly look in on themselves, now they must show they care about people especially us far from golden oldies who paid taxes all their working lives.

ROUGH winds have shaken the Coalition tree, but we would do well to pause before we opt for another Labor government.

Surely our memories are not so short that we cannot remember how we suffered through the Gillard and Rudd years.

Surely we cannot overlook the successes of our present federal government regardless of the fact that they have had to fight every inch of the way with a majority of one and against a hostile senate and an Opposition that has lost its integrity and even votes against its own policies.

The successes of the Abbott and Turnbull administrations ought to be listed:

More than 400,000 jobs created, small business tax cuts, asset write-offs, $75 billion invested in infrastructure, increased  exports through trade agreements with China, South Korea and Japan, the closing of 17 detention centres, a stronger Defence budget, increases in childcare, vast improvements in school funding, 86 per cent GP visits bulk-billed.

Surely the choice at the next federal election will be either to maintain the nearest thing we can have to a democracy or to accept a trades union dictatorship under the leadership of a puppet prime minister leading the same team that has failed us through economic mismanagement for years.