22.6 C
Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Mote and Beam

Latest News

Blue skies for Bluesfest day 1

If yesterday at Bluesfest was anything to go by, it's going to be an incredible event and with the weather holding, (so far) the Easter weekend's future is looking bright.

Other News

Heavy traffic on M1 predicted over Easter long weekend

Bottlenecks in Northern NSW are predicted to occur at Coffs Harbour and Tugun over the Easter long weekend. This is expected to be further impacted by work on the Pacific Highway just north of the Queensland border.

Laid-back but lively

Ooz is an acoustic roots reggae artist with a large, eclectic repertoire of crowd favourites. His unique, laid-back but lively style creates a relaxed atmosphere and his song choices have you remembering many of those forgotten classics.

Retired local professor launches book on grief

A leading international thinker and researcher in the development of innovative sport coaching and physical education teaching has returned home to Byron Bay and is launching his first non-academic book, 'Grief and Growth', on April 4 at The Book Room in Byron. 

Urgent appeal

At last Thursday’s Byron Council meeting a long and dedicated campaign to save rail tracks and restore trains in...

How the coral crisis affects other marine wildlife

Marine heatwaves are killing coral and denuding reefs of their colourful beauty – but in a world where everything is food for something else, these heatwaves also pose a major threat to biodiversity.

Saddle Road group home DA decision this week

Plans to build Byron Shire’s first permanent group home for women and children in housing stress are moving ahead, with the development application for the project coming before Council this week.

We are hypocrites. We criticise other countries, China and Qatar for example, for perceived breaches of human rights when our own record is poor at best and that of our closest ally is woeful.

Our treatment of Indigenous Australians, including the disproportionate incarceration rates, weigh heavily on our human rights record. Our performance is shameful.

Australia’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers, including prolonged incarceration offshore and prolonged detention of children, were criticised by the UN Human Rights Council as were our prosecution and jailing of children as young as ten. In addition some of our military have apparently committed war crimes in Afghanistan. 

Our close ally the United States of America’s human rights breaches are numerous: some 8–10 million dead through their illegal wars, invasions, and sanctions plus many more millions wounded; numerous war crimes; use of chemicals in war (Agent Orange and depleted uranium weapons resulted in thousands of stillbirths and deformities); kidnapping and torture; indefinite detention without charge or trial; murder by drone; incitement of coups; and illegal collective punishment of entire populations (Venezuela being just one example). These are among the many grievous breaches of human rights routinely carried out by our ally. America is arguably the most violent, aggressive, and belligerent nation on Earth and probably the world’s worst human rights abuser. 

And yet we and America have the gall to criticise other nations’ human rights records. 

As it says in the Bible, ‘Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye’. [Matthew 7:5] We are this hypocrite. 

Foreign minister Penny Wong said that she raised human rights issues with China ‘consistent with our values’. What does ignoring America’s and our own human rights abuses while we criticise others’ say about these ‘values’? 

Warren Kennedy, Mullumbimby


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I prefer ‘…and the truth shall make you free.’. There is more to the issues you raise, and the devil is in the details.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Retired local professor launches book on grief

A leading international thinker and researcher in the development of innovative sport coaching and physical education teaching has returned home to Byron Bay and is launching his first non-academic book, 'Grief and Growth', on April 4 at The Book Room in Byron. 

Resilient Lismore’s ‘Repair to Return’ funding

On the eve of the second anniversary of the second devastating flood in 2022, Resilient Lismore has welcomed the finalisation of its funding deed with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, which will enable the continuation of its ‘Repair to Return’ program.

Editorial – Joyous propaganda! 

The NSW Labor government marked its one year in office this week with a jubilant statement of achievements issued from Macquarie Street HQ.

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.