Northern Prison
THE recent announcement by Corrections Minister Elise Archer that a maximum-security prison is to be built at Westbury as the preferred site, comes over as a shock to local people.
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Many people, our kids, the elderly and all in between are suffering from sleep loss and anxiety issues. How can the government praise itself for support in the community, tourism and the growth in the economy which may well be true, only to drop this stigma onto the historic village of Westbury and its surrounds? It should have all Tasmanians outraged.
Perhaps other historic towns such as Ross, Oatlands and Richmond were also considered. Our welfare does matter. There must be a concerted effort by the people of Westbury to stop this so-called industry being dumped in the town.
David Gibson, Westbury.
Facial Recognition
I UNDERSTAND that the Tasmanian Government has already started uploading our driver's licence photographs to some sort of database, even though federal legislation on this matter has yet to pass. Who the hell do they think they are?
Were Tasmanian people consulted at any point about this blatant infringement of personal rights? Did anyone ask if they could take my photo and add it to some waiting-to-be-hacked database?
Isn't identity theft enough of a problem already, without giving hackers such a supreme gift? In case anyone hasn't noticed, my face is mine and only mine.
No government has any rights to it whatsoever. I allow my photo to be taken for a driver's licence and a passport because those are sensible procedures for road safety and international travel.
I do not give my permission for my face to be uploaded to any database at the whim of the government.
Anne Brelsford, Legana.
Humanity
OUR deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It's our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We are a child of God. Our playing small does not serve the world.
After reading Father Brendon Lee's Midweek Musings (The Examiner, November 6). Marianne Williamson's words (above) uplifts the spirit (regardless, we are a child of God, a child of the universe, or both).
Poverty too often created by heroism, humbleness, civilised societies or structured faiths. Our civilised government continues to train soldiers to kill, label them heroes, then not give a damn about their mental health. Handing out discount cards is the best our government can muster.
Seeing the good in everyone (including ourselves) need not to blind us, nor euphemise that which creates such agony too close to home. Evil exists while civilised governments/establishments continue to punish whistleblowers.
Evil exists while we do nothing or while we cannot see the difference between privacy and secrecy within the home, church or community.
Evil exists while we euphemise and lie with such lines as "peacekeeping force".
Peace cannot be kept by force, under threat of injury or death.
Deb Johnston-Andrews, Newnham.