No expense is spared to rescue a lone British yachtsman in trouble thousands of kilometres away in the great southern ocean, but this government comfortably ignores the plight of 60 non-British asylum-seekers in trouble a couple of hundred kilometres off our shores.
Our nation is unworthy of the transparently racist approach to asylum seekers pursued by politicians of both flavours.
Recall our national anthem: ‘For those who’ve come across the seas, We’ve boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine, To Advance Australia Fair’.
We make this promise every time the anthem is sung. Now do we mean it, or should we change the anthem?
Australian society would benefit by welcoming people who have the courage, determination and intelligence to make the desperate journey here in a leaky boat.
They have far more to contribute than racist, bloated politicians appealing to fear and ignorance.
W Boyle, Durrumbul
