TWENTY years on
A PERSONAL REFLECTION ON 9/11
WHY IT'S WORTH ASKING "R U OK?"
A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY
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WHAT IN THE WORLD "STRIKINGLY POOR" HUMAN RIGHTS
SMOKE FREE BY 2025 NEW ZEALAND
Two proposals are being touted in New Zealand to curb smoking addiction, including raising the legal smoking age and banning cigarette sales to anyone born after 2004. The proposed laws are in response to the 4500 deaths attributed to smoking in the country each year. Eighty-five per cent of the population is currently smoke-free. —NZ Ministry of Health, Scoop 4
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PHILIPP KATZENBERGER—UNSPLASH, ADRIEN OLICHON—UNSPLASH, SEBASTIAN COMAN—UNSPLASH, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, STRECLIUC DUMITRU —GETTY
AUSTRALIA
The latest results in the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) found Australia had "strikingly poor" results. The country was found to be negligent in issues of education, health, food and work, while Indigenous Australians were identified as being at risk of arrest, detention and torture. HRMI co-founder Anne-Marie Brook called the findings "very disappointing", while also acknowledging how human rights across the globe have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.—SBS
Day 2021 CHURCH WIPES MEDICAL DEBT UNITED STATES
St Bede's Episcopal church in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has cleared $A1.8 million worth of medical debt for 782 households. Through donations by its members, the church helped families which were identified as being on the poverty line. The church, parterning with charity RIP Medical Debt, purchased and cleared existing debts in more than six counties.—Episcopal News Service
Australia's Lifeline and Beyond Blue services recorded 10 and 27 per cent increases in calls and contact numbers respectively during the January 2020–2021 period. —AIHW
55 per cent of young people reported being concerned about their mental health as a result of the pandemic. —Foundation for Young Australians
A survey of adults in New Zealand after last year's alert level 4 lockdown found a third of the participants reporting mental distress. —Science Daily
POVERTY CRISIS WORLD
Global charity organisation Oxfam has declared 11 people die every minute from hunger, which has increased sixfold since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Numbers of people living in extreme poverty are expected to reach 745 million by the end of this year, an increase of 100 million since the beginning of 2020. The death rate is higher than for Covid-19 deaths—which stand at seven deaths each minute.—Sky
New Zealand's essential workers were also found to be exhibiting higher rates of distress. However, this was still lower than in other countries due to lower rates of Covid-19 community infection. —PLOS ONE
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FROM A DAD WHO LEARNED
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n e t s i l o t
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This father learned some important lessons from the stories he told, the stories he heard and the stories he lived. BY DAVE EDGREN
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I
want to talk to him alone!” the three-year-old girl demanded, pointing at her two-day-old brother who had just come home from hospital. Big sister continued, “In his room, with the door closed!” The parents weren’t sure what to make of this request. Was this sibling jealousy? Were her intentions good or bad? They tried to dissuade her but over the next few hours, her request only became more anxious. Finally, the parents decided to set up the baby monitor and listen. Once it was on and tested, to make sure the slightest sound could be heard, they told the girl she could talk to her brother alone. As the little girl shut the door of the baby’s room, the parents rushed to the monitor. Padding quietly over to the cot, the little girl said, “Quick, tell me about God. I’ve almost forgotten!”
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This story, retold by many, is attributed to author Peter Palmer. Parenting isn’t easy. Every day there are decisions. Some are more memorable than others! If your parenting journey is anything like mine, you have a collection of cherished stories you like to tell about your kids. The above story is one little girl’s legacy. She would have heard that story a thousand times. She was shaped by it, as was her brother and their family. “Babies are a gift from God,” she was no doubt told. She believed and acted on that wisdom. Because her parents listened, they heard her words and that moment became legend. My three children are all adults now. It is said that age comes with wisdom. But, given I have grey hair myself, I now realise it’s not age that brings wisdom but all the stories. Life
is lived. Stuff happens. Stories form and reform. Memories are made. In the repeated telling of those stories, wisdom is created. So, as a dad, here are a few of the stories that shape me.
listen to your children
son—maybe four years old—took me aside and said, “Dad, can you not be so funny around me? I like to be serious.” And he does, still. We have had amazing deep conversations over the years. Sometimes I still am a bit too silly. But I remember and I try!
I remember setting up camp one summer afternoon. Five-yearthey are also listening to you old Mikey stopped me. “Dad, my One night, before putting the kids tummy hurts.” I asked him if he was to bed, I told them a story about hungry. He was. I peeled a banana Elisha helping a woman who had no and gave it to him. A few minutes food (found in the Bible in 2 Kings later, “Dad, my tummy hurts.” I chapter 4). He told her to get as asked him if many jars as she he was thirsty. could find and put He was. I them in her house. opened a bottle She sent her two of water and sons around the gave it to him. village and they Water gone, he collected empty it's not age that brings returned, “Dad, jars. Her house my tummy full of empty jars, the wisdom but all the hurts.” Elisha told her to stories “Why does get an oil jar. She your tummy did. It only had a hurt, Mikey?” I few drops left. He asked, exaspertold her to pour oil into the jars. Acting in faith, she ated. began pouring the oil into one of He pulled up his shirt revealing a tummy covered in angry scratches. “I the empty jars. Soon the jar was full. She moved to the next and the next slid down the rocks,” he said matteruntil, as she reached the last jar in of-factly. the house, the oil stopped pouring. I’ve told that story many times Elisha told the woman to sell the oil over the years. And it has reminded and use the money to feed her family. me of some valuable lessons many I finished by telling my kids prayer times. Listen. Ask questions. Listen was like the oil. If we pray in faith, again. Then act. God will answer our prayers. Another time, having just As I tucked my youngest child laughed uproariously at one of my into her bed, she said, “God never own excellent dad jokes, my eldest
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ELL B EING
WHY IT'S WORTH ASKING
"R U OK?" Mental health is being talked about more than ever before, but the stigma surrounding it still exists. This personal story helps break down misconceptions. BY ASHLEY STANTON
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my personal journey
I’ve been clinically diagnosed with anxiety and depression for six years now. At the peak of my depression, I wished I could cease to exist. I never fell so deep into my depression to try to follow through on that desire, but I can certainly see how someone could. The beginning of 2016 was smooth sailing, or so I thought. It seemed that my coping mechanism for dealing with my anxiety and panic attacks was working. But it wasn’t. I was just putting a Band-Aid on something that needed stitches. By the time I addressed it, I needed surgery. Midway through the year I broke down. My mental health spiralled into depression. I became desperate for love, desperate to be told that 14
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my life was worth living, because I certainly didn’t feel that way. I had suicidal ideations. It was a painful time. And that’s when I went to see a psychologist. It was difficult at first. I desperately needed help but I felt that by asking for help I had failed, that I wasn’t strong enough to cope on my own. I quickly learned otherwise.
what is mental illness?
At this point, it may be beneficial to define mental illness. According to the Australian Department of Health, “Mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves and interacts with other people. It is diagnosed according to standardised criteria. The term mental disorder is also used to refer to these health problems.”1
understanding mental illness
I understand why it is so difficult for people who do not have mental illness or a mental disorder to grasp the concept. The solutions to mental illness seem obvious and easy to someone who hasn’t experienced it. “Are you depressed? Do things that make you happy!” “Anxious? Just chill out, learn how to relax.” It’s easy to blame the person experiencing mental illness for their situation. Unlike physical illness where we can often see the cause of the injury, without a proper understanding of mental health disorders, we blame people for their mental illness.
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I
was 18 years old the first time someone I knew committed suicide. She attended a neighbouring high school. We were both in Year 12, about to take our final HSC exams and she decided it was all too much. I remember going to her Facebook profile and scrolling through post after post dedicated to this seemingly happy, beautiful girl who was no longer with us. I was young and carefree. People my age weren’t supposed to die. The concept that someone would willingly choose to end their life was something I couldn’t fathom. Until I found myself entertaining the same thoughts.
“Why don’t they just snap out of it?” or “Stop being so negative” are sentiments shared by people who don’t understand mental illness. But just like physical illness can lead to death if untreated, so too can mental illness. While suicide is a taboo topic for most, it is a very real problem. And while death of any kind is upsetting, the truly devastating part about suicide is that it is preventable.2
the impact of mental illness
More than three million Australians are living with anxiety or depression.3 Over 65,000 Australians make a suicide attempt each year.4 Nine Australians die every day by suicide–that’s more than double the road toll.5 Indeed, 75 per cent of people who take their own life are male.5 New Zealand has the highest rate of youth suicide in the world
and data from the 2018/19 financial year shows 685 suspected suicides.6 But unlike car accidents, we have the power to change these overwhelming statistics. It starts by acknowledging mental illness, understanding it and working to remove the debilitating stigma. So what can we do?
we need a culture shift
We need to start treating mental illness the same way we treat physical illness. Just like we visit the doctor when we have broken a bone, it is important to seek help when experiencing mental illness. But currently, there is a stigma attached to having a mental illness which makes people hesitant to speak up and seek help. People with mental health problems say that the social stigma attached to mental illness and the discrimination they experience can make their
To learn more about anxiety, depression and suicide, check out Beyond Blue at <beyondblue.org.au>. For crisis support or suicide prevention, please call Lifeline AU on 13 11 14 or Lifeline NZ 0800 543 354.
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THE DAY THAT
changed SOUTH AGENCY—GETTY IMAGES
THE WORLD
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Looking back at 20 years of changes after one of the most defining moments of the 21st century. BY MATTHEW LUCIO SEPTEMBER 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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THOMAS MARTINEZ—UNSPLASH
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was at work on 9/11, replacing a few pieces of concrete in front of a time-worn smoothie shop. A co-worker and I walked inside just after nine for a second breakfast—we were teenagers, after all. The walls were yellow and happy, but the only employee there wasn’t. He ignored us as we came through the door. He was staring at something toward the back of the store. Rude, I thought. I turned to see what he was looking at. A TV was hanging high in the back corner like a spider. I don’t remember what news channel it was but it wouldn’t have mattered. They were all showing the same thing. I could see smoke billowing from a building on the
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screen. I remember being painfully slow at putting the pieces together: There must have been a fire in an office building. OK, it was clearly New York City. But they’re talking about a plane crash. Wait, they got the Pentagon, too? And then I saw the second plane hit the South Tower. All I could do was stare. I understood that New York City had been attacked. I understood that people were dying. But it was impossible to make sense of it. Why would someone do this? What does this mean? What’s going to happen next? Some pointed out America’s long history of interference in global affairs, but the questions came from a place of injured innocence. The
world’s last colossus, with its head in the clouds, didn’t often notice the effect of its steps upon the earth.
innocence lost
That innocence made room for indignation as war clouds gathered low over America. Someone had to pay and no nation dared to stand in the way. It felt like having a blank cheque. It was not a time for nuance. A few days after 9/11, a Sikh petrol station owner in Arizona was killed by an American too blinded by anger to tell the difference between the innocent and guilty, let alone the Sikh and Muslim faiths. President Bush called the attacks “acts of war”
and America’s gaze, like the lidless eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings, was fixated on Afghanistan, believed to be harbouring Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. A country singer crooned about how “this big dog will fight when you rattle his cage” and that “we’ll put a boot in your a** it’s the American way” to hysterical crowds. The rage helped Americans feel in control again. Airstrikes began a few weeks later. The show 24 aired a few weeks after that. Though written and shot before 9/11, 24 captured the spirit of post9/11 America. The action-packed television show followed Jack Bauer, a counter-terrorist agent SEPTEMBER 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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