Been There Done That

30 Aug 2018

Political chaos – is this the new normal? …

Anniversary, Community, Disasters, Environment, Gay, History, Inigenous, transgender

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Political chaos – is this the new normal? …

Well – we weren’t expecting that melt-down in Canberra. And ‘they’ wonder why they lose credibility and relevance with the general voters.

We mention three members of our community who lead very interesting lives – being born as one gender then realising the appropriateness of transitioning to their gender of choice. We talk about tennis star Renee Richards, Olympic star Caitlin Jenner and Chelsea Manning who was involved with the public release of US Government documents.

We are reminded that some serious injustices have been committed against our first peoples. We detail the circumstances of the Coniston Massacres – a 2-month revenge rampage by white forces in 1928 against the aboriginal population, resulting in over 100 innocent deaths.
In 1966, the 7-year long protest by indigenous employees at the Wave Hill cattle station against wage and living conditions, resulted in the handing back of land to the local peoples, as enacted symbolically by PM Whitlam and an elder of the Gurindji peoples (see photo).

And at this time in August, we also reflect upon the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

The terror of Mount Vesuvius’ violent eruption in the year 79, is relived each 24 August in Italy. The poisonous gasses which rolled down the slopes of the mountain engulfed the town of Pompeii and the innocent people who were caught unawares, to be buried in the volcanic ash.

Luckily, our mood is lightened by the wonderful spring blooms of Australia’s National Wattle Day celebrations.