Tuesday 27 March 2012

A Mid Week Smorgasboard of Mini Rants!


A couple of news items have held my attention over the past week or so, but as I am currently quite unwell, I don't have the stamina to write a whole blog about each. So here's a collection of whats grinding my gears at the moment:

1) US in talks with Australia over station on Cocos Islands
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/us-military-eyes-cocos-islands-as-a-future-indian-ocean-spy-base-20120327-1vwo0.html
I'm sorry, but haven't Australians been very vocal to their politicians that we wish to decoup,le ourselves from America's Warmongering ways after the multibillion dollar disasters that were Afghanistan and Iraq? Perhaps, just perhaps, we should have learnt our lesson even earlier than that and realised from the Vietnam War that no good comes from chasing invisible enemies...

2) The Trayvon Martin Case
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/trayvon-martin
The incident itself is intense. The reaction from communities throughout America have been intense. The several different accounts that George Zimmerman has told the Police are intense. I am on the verge of being obssessed with this case. I am hopeful, but not optimistic, that this Zimmerman will be convicted of manslaughter. Amid all the different accounts of what happened (and I'm not going to insist this Zimmerman guy is a racist from the little I've read about the case- we just don't know what motivated him) no one is really speaking about what all other countries thing is the crux of the issue: WHY ARE PEOPLE ALLOWED TO JUST CARRY AROUND FIREARMS? UGH America's Laws, in particular laws relating to guns, just make me want to vomit! So many deaths could be prevented if stupid yanks amended their stupid gun laws!!!

3) There was something else, but I've forgotten... Oh well, two mini rants to a non existant audience is good enough...

** UPDATE** Just remembered number 3...

3) Legalising sex workers for PWD...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-27/call-to-legalise-sex-workers-for-people-with-disability/3915538
EVERYONE who even vaguely knows me knows that I'm a huge advocate for equal rights, for everyone, but in particular for people with disability. But reading this article irritated me to no end- why only legalise prostitutes for pwd? It just seems so pointless to me. NSW has shown that legalising prostitution has generous benefits for the community, for example more education and therefore less spread of STIs. Why is SA choosing to focus on only sex workers who provide services to PWD? I.Just.Dont.Get.It!!!!!


Feel free to share the news items that have made you angry recently :)

3 comments:

  1. Sorry guys, this is a poorly written post. As I said my mental health is not the best at the moment. Will rewrite and make it spectacular once I'm feeling better xo

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  2. Get well soon. And for when your better you might like to touch on Pakistans treatment of woman and cone of silence on domestic violence... I had no idea pouring acid on your wife was a common thing. When I am cranky I may raise my voice, I may even do 'the silent treatment'. But I can't say I have ever considered pouring acid on a sleeping woman... That is just messed up. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8443209

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    1. Thanks for your comment D. As we discussed over email it's just so horrific that acts like these can go virtually unpunished. Unfortunately Pakistan is not the only country that virtually condones violence against women, either.

      P.S. I imagine you are very good at doing the guilt-provoking "silent treatment" ;)

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