06 September 2011

Each to their own, or not??

At the moment I am feeling physically ill.  I want to vomit profusely!   Every inch of my body is clenched and stressed beyond belief and my heart aches.   I am not sick but I am sickened.


I am sickened by the beliefs some people hold.  Mostly I have the attitude of 'each to their own'.  If you want to bottle feed, vax, use disposable nappies etc then go for it.  I choose not to and I don't believe it is the best practice but hey!.....


However, when your beliefs could (and usually do) contribute to hysteria, fear, pain or suffering I have to draw the line.  And, yes this does happen.  Particular when the subject is asylum seekers and refugees.  There is nothing better to catch a red neck with than the dangling hook of a refugee discussion!  This applies to those in the upper echelons of government through to the ordinary Joe Blow down the street.  
For now I am concentrating on Mr and Mrs J Blow, who unfortunately frequent social media such as facebook.  It often intrigues me that someone with such minimal social skills, intelligence and logic can even master the internet but they do.  They also spread their xenaphobic and hateful, small minded attitudes via this medium.  It is not uncommon to see groups set up such as the ever so eloquent "fuck off we're full" and it's many variations  or profile updates such as:
"Interesting.... If you cross the North Korean Border illegally, you get 12 years hard labor. If you cross the Afghanistan border illegally, you get shot. Two Americans just got eight years for crossing the Iranian border. If you cross the AUSTRALIAN border illegally you get get a job, a drivers license, food stamps, a place too live, health care, housing & child benefits, education, & a free business for 7 yrs. No wonder we are a country in debt. Re-post if you agree".                                                                                                                                  
The above was posted today on someone's profile. This person was on my friend list.  Probably only because we have known each other since childhood and our mothers are best of friends.  That would really be the only connection we have as we eventually grew apart and pursued completely different lives. The thing that disturbs me the most is that it appears to have been copied off my brother's profile, I don't know for sure as I don't have him on my facebook friend list (for various reasons).  That people can think this way is sickening enough but so close to home makes me ashamed to know these people and yes, to be related to someone who can think this way.  


I commented on the post, knowing I would cop a fair amount of flack.  But the interesting thing was that when I asked 
"and if you are being persecuted and need to leave Australia and go to another country to save your family and only option is to arrive as many do here......what would you do??"  


No-one could answer my question.  There was plenty of abusing me and calling me small minded, and reminding me how kind and wonderful and caring the original poster is though.  I don't dispute that she would give the shirt of her back or her last $5.  I don't disagree that we should be looking after our homeless, our children, our elderly.   
But why is it so hard to extend our hand to others in need.  Others who are risking their lives coming here to save their families from prosecution, death, torture.  They don't make this decision lightly, they are desperate and they are at the mercy of criminals such as the people smugglers.  We could solve the issue of the smugglers by just letting them come here without having to further risk their lives on barely sea-worthy boats.  We could cut out the middle man!

But I digress,  my heart breaks that people feel the need to spread this red neck crap and perpetuate the myth that we are somehow missing out if we invite 'them' in.  That our tax dollars will be wasted or jobs taken.  This is bullshit and if people bothered to do their research they would know this.  However, it is much easier to hate, blame, persercute than to admit fear at change.  At the end of the day we were all immigrants at some stage in our ancestry...
Needless to say, I have culled my friend list and perhaps if you are on it and disagree with me 
you can save me the trouble next time and just remove yourself :)



5 comments:

Miss Cinders said...

All I have to say is - I love you <3

I posted yesterday on the John Laws FB page saying pretty much the same thing.

It makes me want to cry. I'm gobsmacked at how people are so cruel in their way of thinking.

You haven't lost me as a reader. You've made me proud of you.

Tanya Wade said...

luv and hugs.....i know u and i disagree on vaccine but that is as we say it each to their own.....and i luv the fact that we can discuss it, i am a huge and strong believer that if my family is in any danger i will do whatever it takes to keep them safe......and it makes me cry what so many have to do on a daily bases just to keep their family together and alive.... I only hope this person can see reason as we are all entitled to feel safe and to keep our family safe no matter where we are in the world or where we have to try and go to keep safe.....i could keep talking but i think you understand.....luv u guys xxxxx

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

Hello, kebeni! Not being Australian, I can't say what's best for your country. The problem with your brother et al's post is that they are comparing countries where human life is not valued with our own, really. There is a reason people want to leave those places.

I do think there is a security issue here in the US in that we have all these people here we don't officially "know" about. And Mexican gangs *are* coming across the border and threatening our police. And I know people in Arizona who are literally rescuing *little* girls from the illegal sex trade. In ARIZONA. No one wants to talk about what is really going on there.

But that isn't to say that every dude who crosses the border here is some evil person who has an easy life, a job and all that... where does your ex-friend get all that stuff? I immigrated (legally) to Aus for a few years in the late 70s/early 80s and never saw anything like that. They were very strict about who could work and forbade my mother from doing so during our stay there. Only my father could work.

Rebecca Dunsdon said...

Well said, Kelli. (and happy birthday!) x

gemiNy said...

I wasn't quite sure what happened on FB until I read this. Great post & I'm right there with you xxx