DEBRA GIBSON
Writing for the Townsville Bulletin
boat people saga unfolds on our
screens and in the print media,
I have wondered why this situation
seems to have caused
such a difference of opinion
with our politicians and dogooders
and the average person
in the street.
There may be several possible
explanations, but I believe
the most paramount reason is
this: Australians in past wars
and adversity have never run
from an enemy or not pulled
their weight. Our proud and
noble fighting prowess has
been apparent over many conflicts,
if our soldiers had run
from the Japanese in World
War II, if they had sought
protection and asylum in
America or England or anywhere
else, we may have a very
different life to what we have
today.
If our brave soldiers, even
now, did not put themselves in
harm’s way, then the terrorists
would win. So the claim by
these people that they may be
killed is so cowardly and weak
that it immediately conjures
up an insignificant reason.
Our soldiers are getting
killed doing what these illegal
immigrants should be doing
themselves and that is fighting
and protecting themselves,
their land, way of life and their
families. These men have often
left women and children to run
for cover in our country, then
plead asylum. What kind of
people are these, that will do
that and then demand our help,
money, housing, medical care
and welfare?
But the most insulting of all,
is to keep allowing our soldiers
to die at the hands of an enemy
that will shoot them in the
back, when those soldiers have
extended the hand of friendship,
help and protection in
their own country.
To the average person in the
street, this is not acceptable.
Our soldiers died making sure
their families and friends back
home would be safe from an
invader. They did not put their
tail between their legs and run
for the nearest hole. They stood
and died to give us the country
we have today, and they are
still doing it better than any
soldiers in the world.
I saw Greens Senator Sarah
Hanson-Young cry on television
about the illegal boat
people. I wonder has she cried
for the fallen soldiers just the
same? Has she cried for the
men in World War II who have
given her the right to have the
freedom she expects so easily?
Did she cry and demand action
for our Vietnam veterans and
other veterans who have to
battle government red tape just
to get the pension and assistance
that these people demand
as soon as they hit our shores?
I watched the ABC’s 7.30 on
asylum seekers. These people
portrayed in the report were
not threatened like our
soldiers, they have made it to
a country illegally and are illegally
trying to get to our
country to live a life of luxury,
to quote one of the men
interviewed.
The United Nations expects
us to pick up the pieces of failed
and weak policies. The world
has the means to get rid of
corrupt governments, dictators
and mass murderers in these
far-off lands. However, lives
are lost every second of every
day while they dine and discuss
problems that are so far
away, they become just a topic
over wine.
Thank you to the soldiers
who have kept our land safe
and given us the right to everyday
freedom.
3 comments:
Thank you. Thank you for such a well written article. Thank you for showing these PC sooks a glimpse of reality...IF they managed to pull their collective heads out of their collective butts that is.... Thank you for saying aloud what too many people are afraid of saying... I am ex Army and also a fan of peace...but sometimes there has to be war to get that peace...esp from fanatics who think us Westerners should all burn in hell and try to make it so....yet...our Govts let these same people into our Country and give them everything they need to set up shop and kill us from within. Yep...makes sense.... : /
What a bunch of drivel, full of hearsay and rhetoric and nothing based on fact. Nothing different in here than any other populist garbage being trampled out by mainstream fear mongering media, or todays political leaders after the populist vote.
Why are you people so scared? You're going to wake up in 50 years time and realise that you wasted half your life being scared of something that never happened or affected you. The irony is that this means a victory to the terrorists, as they have terrorised you from the other side of the world with a big silent BOO!
Grow up and grow a spine, and stop whinging.
Yes our soldiers do a wonderful job, and they've got an excellent history, and I am very proud of my grandfather and uncle who served bravely and were distinguished in both world wars. But if Debra did some research she would find that Aust troops have on average the same desertion rates as any other country. UK, US, Canada, NZ, Italy, France - all had similar rates of AWOL troops. And if they had sought asylum in the UK or US, they would have been shot for their actions in WWII. Aust didn't actually execute their deserters, but most other countries did to set an example.
Debra has obviously never met an asylum seeker, heard their stories of the atrocities they have witnessed, many of them still unaware of the fate of their family members. And despite what she claims, there is nothing illegal in anybody coming to Australia by any means possible and asking for asylum here, as we signed the Refugees Convention treaty in 1951 - one of the first countries to do so.
And despite that, and despite our wealth, and size, we still take in less refugees than places like Kazakhstan, Guinea and Djibouti. Not particularly inspiring stuff.
Also, it is not the fault of the asylum seekers that a) our troops are over there, b) our troops die or c) home grown troops being trained by Australian soldiers turn and commit horrific acts of terrorism against them. There is no link between the two.
People, please stop worrying about terrorism and terrorists. If you continue to worry, they win - that's their aim.
And when you see someone less fortunate than yourself, whether they are an asylum seeker or a street sleeper or whoever, tell yourself quietly that under other circumstances, that could be you, and still may be in the future. How would you like to be treated if you had to seek asylum in another country in order to stay alive.
"There but for the grace of God go I"
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