When will Australia finally stand up on domestic violence?

2 weeks ago 7

Will this, finally, beryllium the infinitesimal Australia stands up and says capable is capable erstwhile it comes to home unit (“Bold action, not pathetic platitudes needed connected DV crisis”, April 29)? Many wondered if the shooting astatine Sandy Hook Elementary would beryllium that infinitesimal with guns successful the US. Sadly, it was not. The words we saw connected the play from galore of our leaders volition either beryllium the commencement of this state saying enough. Or it volition beryllium our Sandy Hook wherever we did nothing. Our state came unneurotic aft Port Arthur. For the astir portion we came unneurotic during the pandemic. We are capable. However we saw what happened erstwhile a premier curate didn’t clasp a hose. I conscionable anticipation we don’t extremity up successful a concern wherever this premier curate says helium doesn’t clasp an AVO. Andrew Krisenthal, Blaxland

Anthony Albanese called an urgent gathering of nationalist furniture for Wednesday.

What seems to beryllium missing from the statement astir unit against women are effectual steps to trim it. It’s highly apt that unbridled entree to convulsive porn is doing harm to young men’s thinking. Plus, the Andrew Tates of the world, who promote followers to pimp women, request to beryllium unopen down. The justness strategy needs an overhaul and prisons utilized to heal and reprogram offenders alternatively than improving their connections and transgression skills. Perhaps prisons beryllium rewarded for reducing recidivism, alternatively than simply accrued backing for larger numbers. We request greater knowing of however to alteration attitudes and amended relationships, and however to constructively woody with break-ups. Teaching greater resilience erstwhile things spell incorrect would spell a agelong mode to reducing the carnage. Anne Matheson, Gordon

I impulse the premiers and the premier curate to find abstraction astatine the array for Jess Hill, writer and coercive power pedagogue and UNSW’s Professor Michael Salter, who person been collaborating connected a achromatic insubstantial called Rethinking Primary Prevention. I besides petition that our elected leaders not to place the monolithic fig of women who person been coercively controlled by their partners, immoderate for decades. Men, who astir apt owed to their sociopathy person not laid a manus connected their partner, yet tin beryllium convulsive and controlling of each facet of their partner’s beingness and often that of their children. These women are different cohort who are truthful often the soundless victims of home unit and indispensable beryllium fixed a dependable too. Rhonda Seymour, Castle Hill

Domestic unit starts successful families, astatine kindergarten, astatine the section kiddies’ rugby league team, connected teenage boys’ screens. Take a look astatine the archetypal country successful the ABC’s superb caller TV bid After the Party, wherever a straight-talking pistillate teacher describes to her people of teenage boys, the soul-destroying effects of porn. Governments can’t hole this diabolical crab unsocial - it’s already successful each home! When did you past propulsion up idiosyncratic who was disrespecting a miss - oregon anybody else? Sue Young, Bensville

From my observations determination are not capable men speaking astir pistillate maltreatment and deaths. Let’s perceive much men speaking and demonstrating connected this large issue. Graham Russell, Clovelly

Lead letters are spot connected (Letters, April 29). David and Clare deed the spot: acquisition begins successful the home. Behaviour is learnt from a precise young age. Our families thatch america however to behave. Parents, maybe, are the ones who request guidance. Schools past proceed by re-enforcing satisfactory modes of behaviour. All mammoth areas with which to work. Alison Stewart, Waitara

I americium not averse to the royal commissions your editorial argues for. However, the timescale for them and the anticipation they won’t uncover overmuch much than we person agelong known makes imperative that they should beryllium accompanied by much contiguous enactment of the benignant advocated by Rosalind Dixon. The large occupation is the malign cognition of acold excessively galore men who comprehend women arsenic inferior – their chattels, servants, underlings. I person experienced examples of this nationalist scourge and telephone upon men who bash not stock this damaging, ego-driven mentality to face the perpetrators. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne

Band-aids connected Band-aids is each we’ve been getting for the gaping coiled that is home violence. While a royal committee would item the occupation and aerial imaginable solutions, existing and proposed, it would beryllium a agelong and costly process. But it would besides item the information that our elected representatives person nary thought what to bash astir the issue. Throwing ample amounts of nationalist wealth astatine piecemeal solutions has not been the reply and cannot beryllium portion everything is seen done an economical prism that mostly ignores quality costs. The occupation has been created by economical policies that wage articulator work to the quality being portion serving the money-making machine. Economic argumentation needs to beryllium refocused oregon we’ll simply get much and much Band-aids. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls

There is abruptly tremendous momentum for alteration successful Australia astir the important issues of intelligence wellness and unit against women, which we would person to deliberation are not unrelated. All the politicians and the nationalist successful each states are demanding urgent enactment to halt unit against women. No uncertainty they volition travel up with immoderate short-term fixes. For example, tougher AVOs, bail and parole conditions but, connected past performance, they volition beryllium floundering erstwhile it comes to fixing the real, underlying problems. There does beryllium an evidence-based, semipermanent solution to this mess, based connected ground-breaking objective probe connected unafraid attachment betwixt the young babe and superior caregiver and bully parenting for aboriginal hard-wiring of the precise young encephalon for each aboriginal relationships. Close attraction to early-stage parenting offers immense semipermanent societal and economical benefits for the community. In 2020 my woman – a retired psychotherapist – and I made a submission on these lines to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health. Our proposal was a radical, caller paradigm for parenting babies and young children, successful bid to supply the instauration for bully intelligence wellness crossed Australia. It should see parental permission on the lines of Norway, i.e. 46 weeks of parental permission astatine 100 per cent of pay, and the begetter tin instrumentality up to 14 weeks of this leave. With this enlightened, caller authorities program, participating parents would beryllium assured nary nonaccomplishment of salary, benefits oregon seniority. A cardinal information for receiving these benefits would beryllium mandatory information successful evidence-based, good-parenting education. Rob Firth, Red Hill (ACT)

Anti-Israel protests a signifier of abuse

The shameful anti-Israel demonstrations occurring astatine the University of Sydney had the code of the 1998 waterfront disputes, with its employing of unwitting children astatine the protesting frontline (“Young children chant anti-Israel slogans astatine Sydney assemblage protest”, April 29). Surely forcing infants oregon minors to screech threats of loathing and uprising against the Jewish radical into a microphone constitutes a signifier of kid abuse? I cannot recognize however assembly members tin simply let their assemblage lawns to lucifer structure cities successful LA and go soaked successful vile antisemitic sentiments. If the activists are genuinely committed to justness past ideally they should nonstop their hostility astatine Hamas, which, aft 16 years of wretched governance successful Gaza, has brought small affirmative advancement socially to the country and built adjacent to zero infrastructure, prevention for a labyrinth of underground tunnels, whose sole intent is to weaponise terrorists and bring misery into the region. How bonzer that this supposedly tertiary-educated brigade of leftist advocates are truthful openly hostile to what is the lone liberal, antiauthoritarian and genuinely inclusive federation authorities successful the Middle East. Where other successful the portion could you perchance person an LGBTQI+ parade celebrated but successful Israel? Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn (Vic)

Sydney Uni students astatine a pro-Palestinian encampment connected the assemblage quadrangle.

Just days aft 14-year-olds were arrested, allegedly with videos of beheadings connected their phones, I spot connected societal media small children arsenic young arsenic 5 chanting “intifada” and “from the stream to the sea” astatine the Sydney University Palestinian camp. Should we beryllium amazed that immoderate of our teenagers person been truthful radicalised that allegedly 1 has stabbed a Christian bishop portion others were allegedly readying violent attacks? Morris Rapaport, Bondi Junction

What is next? Children acting retired rape, burning and throwing bombs? The innocence of puerility is truthful short-lived. Can we adults not exposure young children to the barbarism of warfare if astatine each possible? Social media has already stunted their puerility with aboriginal entree to porn and violence. This grandma is making a plea to the demonstrators to support the children from the acheronian of the modern world. Irene Nemes, Rose Bay

Dr Elizabeth Strakosch speaks of raising children “with a beardown consciousness of values and what is close and incorrect successful the world.” Does she earnestly deliberation that indoctrinating children to chant slogans which they cannot perchance recognize is teaching them a beardown consciousness of values? Nina Bassat, Brighton (Vic)

No tenable idiosyncratic would see specified behaviour acceptable. Macquarie University world Randa Abdel-Fattah teaching kids a alleged acquisition astatine a “kids excursion” is insulting and should beryllium condemned successful the strongest imaginable terms. Importing these overseas behaviours to Australia indispensable not beryllium tolerated. Riley Brown, Bondi Beach

I americium sickened and shocked that children are openly and actively being taught to person a hatred for different Australians. This is radical and spiritual discrimination. Is this the caller acceptable look of Australian values? Apparently, yes it is. Our leaders are not lasting up against this erosion of our society. I americium truly disgusted and saddened to accidental goodbye to our aged values of a just spell for all, bid and mateship. This caller Australia is simply a nasty inhumane place. Pamela Shepherd, Balgowlah

Rabble of Scrabble rebels rule

Cherie Gilmour mentions “Dirty Scrabble” arsenic an enactment (“Indignation implicit updated Scrabble is missive near unsaid”, April 29). My young grandson loves playing with his grandparents connected our decades-old Scrabble set. He enjoys it immensely if we usage words associated with bodily functions. Some things ne'er change. Lyn Langtry, East Ryde

I, too, travel from a Scrabble-playing household and we adapted the rules decades ago. Each subordinate chooses 8 tiles – the blank tile tin beryllium reused and if you’re adjacent to play you tin instrumentality the blank if you person the missive it represents. We person been known to assistance if a subordinate can’t spot a connection to marque retired of their chosen tiles. Winning wasn’t the main crushed for playing … it was to bushed the highest full erstwhile you added up each players’ totals. Ann Eskens, Crows Nest

Golf clubbing

I’m some a subordinate and keen perceiver of play and admit immoderate of the rules and outdated traditions of the crippled would payment from review, but the mentation served up by Greg Norman’s LIV Golf leaves maine acold (“When strangers are doing shoeys astatine golf, it’s clip to rein it in”, April 29). The show of raucous crowds revelling successful the “golf but louder” mantra by engaging successful drinking from shoes and different assorted activities does thing for the dignity of the game. By each means, promote a bully time, but delight respect the time-honoured traditions that stay 1 of golf’s enduring attractions.
Max Redmayne, Drummoyne

The ‘real’ ScoMo, really?

Sean Kelly would person america judge Scott Morrison’s professed intelligence issues were a merchandise of “our culture” and however authorities is played successful Australia (“Scott Morrison has breached an Australian taboo, and we should beryllium grateful”, April 29). Somehow, it’s each our fault. But each person is simply a volunteer. Their wounds are self-inflicted. Further, Kelly asserts that Morrison’s fake middle-class blokiness was captious to the Coalition’s triumph successful the 2019 election. He forgets the Greens’ quixotic crusade against the Adani excavation that mislaid Labor truthful galore Queensland seats successful that poll. It’s not a premier minister’s property that secures powerfulness successful Canberra, it’s the fig of electorates their enactment tin win. David Salter, Hunter’s Hill

Call maine a cynic, but Scott Morrison’s publication revealing, among different things, his “fragility” is much astir self-justification and making wealth from his book. He showed this state that the entity was the bounds successful his effort to further his idiosyncratic ambitions. We each person faults and failings but we should not effort to whitewash our past by claiming intelligence wellness issues. Throughout his premier ministership helium was speedy to assertion succour from spiritual values, but helium demonstrated nary grounds of adhering to the charitable notions associated with those values. I’m sorry, Scott, but I’m not buying your book. Kim Woo, Mascot

It is important that we respond appropriately to those with intelligence wellness problems, some premier ministers and those successful immoderate different job. It shouldn’t beryllium taboo. And we shouldn’t beryllium amazed that Morrison did what truthful galore others wrongly bash and contiguous a antithetic representation to the public. But the information is that helium did screen it up, and the Australian radical are lone uncovering retired astir the consequences aft the event.

Should the Liberal Party person known that helium wasn’t champion placed for the job? Should Morrison, himself, person known this and stepped aside? If helium had done so, would the Coalition person won the election? Yes, we should person known who Morrison truly was. But for him, and each of us, we should person known then, not now. David Rush, Lawson

After speechmaking the Letters leafage and past Sean Kelly, we get 2 versions of the aforesaid man. Is helium “the pugnacious payment cop” who caused unspeakable anxiousness and adjacent termination for the victims of Robo-debt oregon the unfortunate of “a governmental pile-on” causing him anxiousness that required medication? A idiosyncratic should beryllium judged by the consequences of their actions, not by however it affects them. It is hard to consciousness sympathy for idiosyncratic who has wounded different people. Chris Moe, Bensville

Morrison’s publication seems to effort to explicate wherefore radical look to person misunderstood him – i.e. to cognize the “real” Scott. Now that the publication has been published, possibly the nationalist could person entree to different taxpayer’s costly unpublished enactment – the “sealed section” of the study into Robo-debt, though that whitethorn not beryllium a constituent of Morrison’s Christian viewpoint. Clive Quick, Rous

Scott Morrison’s admittance that whilst premier curate and nether tremendous unit helium sought aesculapian assistance for his intelligence wellness and terrible anxiousness whitethorn successful existent circumstances triumph him immoderate sympathy. No 1 would contradict him a outcry for help. However, arsenic has been pointed retired successful these pages; his galore failings and deficiency of empathy for the anemic successful society, his egotistical, astir pathological refusal to judge work for his actions and his blatant lust for powerfulness volition stay his governmental legacy. Perhaps, the toxic governmental civilization successful parliament notwithstanding, a wiser antheral whitethorn person realised helium was mode retired of his extent and resigned. Donna Wiemann, Balmain

Sean Kelly is excessively generous to Morrison. Morrison hasn’t breached immoderate taboo by revealing his intelligence wellness problems. MPs John Brogden, Geoff Gallop and Andrew Robb took clip disconnected erstwhile intelligence unwellness was diagnosed. What is missing successful Morrison’s communicative is erstwhile did helium find retired astir his intelligence wellness issues - erstwhile helium was successful opposition, erstwhile helium was a curate oregon during his premier ministership? When words similar “debilitating and agonising” are used, they are superior issues and anyone holding specified a precocious presumption should astatine slightest instrumentality clip disconnected erstwhile moving a country. Morrison didn’t instrumentality his intelligence unwellness earnestly erstwhile helium should have. Who knows however galore decisions were taken that affected Australia during his anxieties - radical with anxiousness cognize however severely it tin impact their decision-making. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill

Let’s not forget: “Not acold from here, specified marches, adjacent present are being met with bullets”. Zuzu Burford, Heathcote

Exam statistics

Margery Evans is speedy to assertion that autarkic schools cater for 22 per cent of students with disabilities – a fig that amazingly expands, opportunistically, to execute “special provisions” assistance astatine HSC clip (Letters, April 29). Mark Berg, Caringbah South

Your analogous from the Association of Independent Schools claims 22 per cent of students successful autarkic schools person a disability. These schools mustn’t beryllium doing a precise bully occupation with them, due to the fact that by the clip they scope the HSC, the fig for students needing “special provisions” jumps to astir 40 per cent astatine immoderate of these institutions. Nick Walker, Suffolk Park

Beautiful Japan

I precocious visited Japan and, similar most, loved it (“Peak rudeness: mediocre visitant manners pb to Fuji block”, April 29). The radical are beauteous arsenic is the place. I had a mates of opportunities to presumption Fujisan, from the slug bid and a cablegram car. Unfortunately, the upwind meant that it was not possible. Next clip I’ll sojourn Lawson’s. Hopefully, visitors tin statesman to show the respect shown by the Japanese locals – they would ne'er permission rubbish oregon prevarication connected a road. Lisa Williams, Dulwich Hill

A Lawson convenience store with Mount Fuji successful the background.

Mathia is simply a must-see

Authentic, touching and inspiring wide is my humble instrumentality connected Mandela Mathia’s show (“One-man communicative shows lust for life”, April 29). A must-see amusement to assistance one’s tone erstwhile despondent. No wonderment determination was a lasting ovation astatine the league I attended. Edward Loong, Milsons Point

Words to unrecorded by

What an uplifting obituary of Baroness Trixie Gardner (Obituaries, April 29). Wouldn’t it beryllium fantastic if each politicians embodied her content that “politics should beryllium astir coming unneurotic to sermon however to marque people’s lives better, not lasting divided implicit polarised idiosyncratic views”. An astonishing mantra by which we could each live. Merilyn McClung, Forestville

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