Maintain the Rage 

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Sitting in my room at Lincoln College in 1975 I was startled to hear of the deposing of the Whitlam Labor government.  I called from the balcony to the evening volley-ballers. Steve Prouse told me "bullshit." Like me and many other Australians he was stunned. Labor called on people to "maintain the rage" at what had happened.  It was a wise call. It is easy to forget.

I have forgotten in the last 12 months.  It has been a time of being too tired. My partner has been working in an extraordinarily hard situation.  My own job has been the busiest I have known it.  We have taken in a lass who had nowhere to live. Our son is in year 12.  I have been doing practical work for Baxter refugees and TPV's... fixing computers, and not just writing. All good and necessary things.  But for almost 12 months I have barely been working on my website. I am just today posting commentary on news articles 12 months old.  And the situation for refugees in Australia is the same and worse. The government with its total lack of mercy and its never give in fixation... is it hatred?... of refugees has now regained the right to detain children in detention. 

The outrage in Australia is mounting.  The press is growing in its condemnation. The Nicholson's and Peeks and other cartoonists are ever more pungent in their criticism. And community organisations are ceaseless in their agitation. But despite this, the removal of our current government and the regaining of compassion and respect for humanity in this country for ALL people is not assured. We must "maintain the rage" if it is to happen.

A programmer in a UseNet group I was part of had this email signature "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." He owned a tank... God bless America!... so I had little in common with him, but he was right.  The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.  If we do not maintain our outrage at wrong, and do not live and demand compassion and justice, then evil will grow and control.  

Yes, this is a platitude for me as I sit comfortably in bed with a laptop, feeling guilty about Saamsi's computer bits I've been too busy to send him in prison.  And... it's all true. Jan

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