to the editor Organise the peace Our media in all its forms has been consumed with distressing and confronting coverage and commentary of conflicts and war, civil or international, which seem to have no end, particularly in Gaza at present. We are distressed and moved but feel helpless to make any meaningful contribution to the plight of those suffering unimaginable atrocity and suffering, and, as a result, can easily become complacent. Mindful of all the current conflicts around the world, not only in Gaza, we must remember all those affected by war, particularly the innocent civilians. At times like these, I am reminded of the timeless wisdom of Aristotle: ‘It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organise the peace’. - Angela Kueter-Luks, Bruce
Double standards Interestingly, a lot of the letter writers in the local lefty newspaper that were hanging LNP staffer Bruce Lehrmann without a guilty verdict and an innocent man were non-existent in expressing
their guilty-until-proven innocent verdict on the local Greens accused Jonathan Davis. Seems like double standards always apply to the left. - Ian Pilsner, Weston
Rewritten history Mike Alves’ claim that Israel is a cancer echoes terrorist groups like Hamas and their Iranian sponsor (CW 16 November). No wonder he felt the need to rewrite Israel’s early history. The Palestinian Mandate was established by the League of Nations after World War I specifically to establish a Jewish national home. It was previously part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, not the “Palestinian nation”. Following World War II, the UN partitioned what was left of the Mandate after Britain carved off Jordan between Jews and Arabs, giving areas where Jews were in the majority in Israel. The Jews were not happy with the plan, but agreed, but the Arabs in the Mandate and every surrounding country launched a war of genocidal intent, aiming to kill or
SPREAD THE NEWS AND EARN EXTRA $$$ DELIVER THE ACT REGION’S LEADING FREE NEWS Suited for persons who are retired or semi-retired looking for additional income. Applicants need a driver’s licence and one tonne ute, van or equivalent. Must be available on Thursday mornings from 8am to commence deliveries.
Call Vincent Samaras 0418 182 664 22
30 November 2023
expel all Jews. Roughly 700,000 Arabs left Israel as a result of this war they started, some forced out by fighting, but most left in fear or to get out of the way. Those who stayed became Israeli citizens. To resolve the conflict, Hamas, which will never accept a Jewish state, must be uprooted, and the Palestinian Authority must negotiate in good faith about the next Israeli offer of statehood. It has refused three previous offers though they met international expectations. - Alan Shroot, Forrest
Multi-faceted approach needed Re: Bill Stefaniak’s comment on the hospitals in the ACT (CW 23 November), he and the rest of the community have a right to be appalled. Addressing concerns about declining standards in healthcare institutions such as Canberra and [North Canberra] Hospitals involves a multi-faceted approach that often requires collaboration between the government, healthcare professionals, and the community. Encourage open and transparent communication between the government, healthcare providers, and the public, thus helping in understanding the specific issues. Independent review of the hospitals to assess the quality of care, identify areas of improvement, and ensure compliance with healthcare standards, including sufficient funding and staffing to improve equipment and overall quality of services, which includes investment in training and professional development of healthcare staff to ensure they are up to date with the latest medical practices and standards. Collaborate with healthcare professionals and their associations to address concerns, implement evidence-based practices, and
improve overall patient care. Engage with the local community to gather feedback on their experiences with healthcare services. Hold the government accountable for the standards of healthcare delivery, and ensure that there is political will to address the issues and implement necessary changes. Public advocacy, community involvement, and ongoing monitoring are crucial components of achieving lasting positive change. - Errol Good, Macgregor
Plenty to worry about
In the Down to Business article ‘Plea to to be polite to frontline workers’ (CW 23 November), Greg Hartford appeals to clients and customers of Canberra businesses to be calm, patent and polite to business staff: a perfectly reasonable request. He also notes “The (rudeness) situation seems to have got a lot worse after the COVID-19 lockdowns”. I am inclined to agree. In my view, there may well be another factor at work here: people worrying, albeit many of them subconsciously, about climate change. This would most likely be the case with younger people and parents with young children. These folk understand that if climate change is as bad as climate scientists insist it is, young adults and children will feel the full force of increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events and climate catastrophes. From the business point of view, many business premises will become very expensive to insure or be uninsurable, especially close to a low-lying coast, because of sea-level rise and costal erosion; or on or near a floodplain, due to more frequent and severe floods.The possible (some would say likely) consequences of climate change provide plenty to worry about. – Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Want to share your opinion? Email news@canberraweekly.com.au with ‘To the editor’ in the subject field; include your full name, phone number, street address (NFP) and suburb. Keep letters to 250 words maximum. Note, letters may be shortened if space restrictions dictate. Read more letters at canberradaily.com.au canberradaily.com.au