From Newsgroup: alt.society.civil-liberty

Colin Penn <cpenn@dont-email.me> wrote

The following opinion piece by Chancellor, Professor Jennifer Westacott > AO, was first published by The Australian (opens in new window)Opens in > a new window on Friday, 24 January 2025.
As we prepare to observe Australia Day, it’s a time of reflection on > what it means to be an Australian and, for me personally, why I love my > country and why I am so proud to be an Australian. And I do love my > country. That’s not to say Australia is perfect. There are things we > need to fix, and fix quickly, and I recognise Australia Day raises > complex issues for many people.
This is still one of the greatest countries, if not the greatest, in the > world. Australia is known for its friendship, beauty, compassion and > kindness, and sense of mateship, which to me is not a masculine notion > but the very definition of loyalty and support.
Our country’s greatest attributes are fairness and freedom.

Hard to claim that we have much freedom when
you can't even give a nazi salute in jest.

Fairness that embodies a sense of looking after people and institutional > justice.
Freedom is one of the most essential enduring requirements of a decent > society and decent humanity.

Yes, but again its hard to claim that we have that.
The USA often hyperventilates about them having that
but the reality is that most of them 'live' in houses which
are part of a Home Owner's Association where you aren't
even free to paint your front door any color you like, aren't
allowed to work on your car in your own driveway, or even
park you car trailer on your own front lawn.

Year after year, for decades, people have flocked here to escape their > homelands full of hatred, division, violence, intimidation and > persecution. They flee to Australia because of those things we cherish > – freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom from fear.

Most of them come here for the much better standard of living
than where they come from. not that stuff you listed.
And lets not forget the way roman catholics were treated here in the past.

We hold dear the separation of church and state and the judiciary,

That's very arguable with prayers in parliament
and church service before new parliaments and
by the judiciary.

and embrace our democratic principles.

That's arguable too with branch stacking

As I said, for me, it is the greatest country on Earth.

Mindless bigotry

But now every day I wake up, I recognise the country I love less and > less.

Yeah, particularly with the hordes of immigrants

It’s why I urge all Australians to stop and pause and ask ourselves: > Are we heading in the wrong direction, which could have catastrophic > effects on our way of life? Are we becoming a more divided, insecure > country that risks losing our sense of identity and confidence? Let me > call out two big issues we need to focus on. The first is the dangerous > creep of anti-Semitism.

Hardly surprising given Gaza and so many palestians and lebanese here

I cannot believe what I’m seeing unfold in my country. I cannot > believe I am seeing travel warnings issued to come to Australia versus > leaving Australia.

Again not surprising given the way so many who flout
our immigration law by pretending to be students and
who end up working here deliberately.

I cannot bear to see some of my friends afraid, really afraid. I cannot > bear to watch synagogues being burnt. I cannot believe this is unfolding > on our shores. But there is no doubt that the events after October 7, > 2023 unleashed an ancient, incomprehensible hatred.

And there is nothing anyone can do about that

This venom, anti-Semitism, runs the risk of becoming a defining force of > our times,

BULLSHIT

and that would be a catastrophe. It is an undeniable threat to our > multiculturalism, our freedom, our way of life and our democracy.
My call ahead of this Australia Day is that we collectively must do > everything we can to prevent this hatred from spreading further.

It isnt even possible givin Gaza and Hesbullah

We must lift our resolution to combat this evil. Our community leaders > must stand together, recognising that anti-Semitism corrodes our entire > society and repudiates the values that have shaped our character as a > nation.

We have always had plenty of that most obviously with
roman catholics and later with refos after the war

Of course, we must be vigilant against hatred in any form,

That's bullshit with the worst of the criminals and domestic violence

but at the moment we are seeing an unmatched and sickening rise in anti- > Semitism,

Hardly surprising given Gaza and Hezbullah

which is associated with increasing violence.

Bullshit

But history tells us gradually turning a blind eye to one type of hatred > unleashes a culture of hatred or opens the door to other hatreds such as > Islamophobia, homophobia and racism in all its forms. So, we must reject > anti- Semitism. We must reject hate. My university sector, which I’m > so proud to represent, must be at the forefront of these actions. We > cannot be the institutions that give legitimacy to anti-Semitism. Indeed > we must be leaders in turning this around. We must be places of > enlightenment, knowledge, social and economic progress, social cohesion > and tolerance, not places of division and hatred. Universities have to > return to their role as institutions that promote better societies.
But universities can only do so much – it is time for all of us to > stand up and guard against our society passively and incrementally > acquiescing to this terrible force.
My second big plea is for a return to civility, particularly in this > election year. Our country seems to have lost the plot on being civil.We have been much less civil in the past, particularly with roman catholics
We seem to have lost our sense of humour and our larrikin streak.

Bullshit we have

We seem to have lost the capacity to have a laugh at ourselves and never > take ourselves too seriously,

Bullshit we have

which has always been something I have adored about Australia.
That’s not to say we aren’t serious people, but we’ve never had > this situation before where people cannot raise issues without being > personally vilified.

BULLSHIT

We’re becoming a nation where people can’t engage in a contest of > ideas without being threatened or labelled.

BULLSHIT

If you ask questions or raise an issue, you are immediately shot down or > given a label, in and of itself, which attempts to diminish your > argument.

BULLSHIT

We have to return to the Australian way where we can debate and discuss > issues without intellectually belittling and intimidating people. > Anything that falls short of this threatens our way of life.

BULLSHIT

I want every Australian to be able to walk down the street and feel safe,

That has never been the case

and to have the confidence that our institutions, which are designed to > protect them, are delivering on this.

Pity about the feral kids in Qld, NT and northern WA

I want Australians – whoever they are and wherever they are from – > to know they have an unrestricted opportunity to get ahead. But mostly, > I want them to feel free in this great country.
But with freedom comes responsibility.
Freedom is not the freedom to vilify, hate, persecute, or intimidate. > Freedom is a cherished right. We must protect it and remember that it is > never a licence for division.

Pity about those into Invasion Day instead of Australia Day

As we reflect on what Australia Day means and look ahead to a year that > could define our national character, let’s hope we make the right > choices and return to the country, identity and values I love.
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/feature_story/opinion_were_losing_the_plot_on_how_to_be_australian

--- Synchronet 3.21e-Win32 NewsLink 1.2