The services meant to protect us failed to work together effectively
SOURCE:Sydney Morning Herald
That the NSW Police failed to upgrade security at Bondi Beach on December 14 casts doubt on the co-ordination of services meant to protect us.
The news that the NSW Police failed to upgrade security at Bondi Beach on December 14, despite requests from the Jewish community (“Jewish community raised alarm over safety in Bondi”, December 27), comes after several revelations that cast doubt on the effective co-ordination of services meant to protect Australians. There were the failure in communication that led to the Nazi-style demonstration outside the NSW Parliament, the failure to link gun licences to known security risks and the apparent failure of ASIO to “join the dots” with the alleged gunmen. This pattern suggests that we need to re-examine our security infrastructure far more broadly than a limited investigation could, and a royal commission is the only way to address shortcomings in multiple jurisdictions and agencies. It should address the general issue of community security, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, and most importantly, how to do this without unnecessary restrictions on our freedom to express a variety of political and religious views. Laurie Wilson, Allambie Heights
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns, Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley and Attorney General Michael Daley alongside Stephen Bendle, Convenor of the Australian Gun Safety Alliance, and Sarah Davies, CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, provide an update on the government’s response to the Bondi Beach terror attack at Parliament House in SydneyCredit: Dominic Lorrimer
When a pro-Palestine march on the Harbour Bridge was proposed in August, police went to court to try to stop it on the grounds of public safety. Their application was refused, and the march went ahead without problems. Yet when the Jewish community raised concerns that their event was high-risk, the police did not advise them to cancel it or even allocate extra officers to attend. And, strangely, the Jewish community decided to go ahead, despite being forewarned of the risks involved. It seems known risks were ignored and poor decisions were made regarding this event, so perhaps the fingers pointed at the prime minister should be turned elsewhere. Merona Martin, Meroo Meadow
Teenagers are strip-searched at music festivals, and the NSW Police response is that searches will continue due to safety concerns. Police and sniffer dogs are visibly present at music events, so why not a Bondi Beach festival?
Given the ongoing pain and anger directed at Anthony Albanese, I would urge him to use the break to spend time alone in nature and appreciate the wondrous country he has been elected to lead (“This is no time for partisan rage”, December 27). May Bondi also act as a cautionary tale about the price of timidity and inspire not only gun reform but also the use of his authority to bring Australians together. I deeply believe any government ignoring inequality towards its Indigenous people, the foundation of our nation, is doomed. Then comes halting the mounting generational drift towards despair. Racism, declining home ownership, gambling addiction and falling productivity are all shaping our future as strongly as Gallipoli, Bradman and “she’ll be right” shaped our past. May the prime minister’s bushwalk open his eyes to the health and beauty of nature in harmony with itself. Peter Farmer, Northbridge
Credit: Megan Herbert
No royal commission
I can’t see the point of a royal commission. We know all we need to know and homing in on the story day after day would be unbearable torture for those trying to cope with the loss of their loved ones. The government and the prime minister were not the cause of the tragedy. It was allowed to happen because NSW Police ignored the request for a strong police presence at the event (“Jewish community raised alarm over safety in Bondi”, December 27). To my knowledge, security is always front and centre when planning an event in the Jewish community. No such high-risk event would have gone ahead in the knowledge that two inexperienced young policemen would “monitor the event intermittently.” There can only have been a tragic lapse in communication between the police and the organisers that allowed the event to go ahead in the full expectation that proper security was organised. Jeannette Tsoulos, West Pymble
I reckon I know enough about the Bondi shooting massacre: two blokes, a father and son, with multiple rifles, killed 15 people and injured 40 people. A royal commission? Whatever for? What good was the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody? Has anything changed? Any of the 339 recommendations been implemented yet? Antoinette Riley, Marrickville
Royal commissions sound grand, resulting in findings that we knew at the outset. Recommendations may be implemented, or not. I even sent a submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. How has that played out? We’re still waiting for recommendations to be put into practice. An inquiry with more effective outcomes would be desirable. Rosemary Wolf, Mount Warrigal
Tough crowd
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
At the moment, I feel ashamed of how we have publicly treated our elected prime minister, Anthony Albanese. The behaviour of the crowd at the Bondi Beach memorial was disgraceful. Some booed the prime minister, who was nothing but gracious, attending as a peacemaker rather than making political mileage as have some Coalition members. Those who took part should be ashamed because this type of mob behaviour, a rabble, finding someone innocent to blame, is the foundation of discrimination. Christina Foo, Wahroonga
Stay positive
The tragedy of the Bondi massacre cast a long shadow over the joy of this festive season, yet the message of light has been shining even more brightly in response. Numbers of people in attendance at Christmas services at St Matthew’s in Albury were up by 33 per cent, which reflects a commitment to a positive attitude and action from a community that also felt the blows experienced by violence, hatred and bloodshed as a result of the attack at Bondi. There is an international and interfaith maxim about shining a light rather than just cursing the darkness, and that light is shining in so many ways. Thanks to all those who have generously contributed to St Matthew’s Emergency Care, which allows us to contact individuals and families, not just at Christmas but into the New Year. Quiet acts make a powerful difference, and we have heard of strangers even paying the bill for others at the cash registers of Albury and Wodonga. The report of a stolen bicycle from a homeless man immediately generated offers of replacements, once again by open-hearted strangers. Fr Peter MacLeod-Miller, Albury
Embrace Asian neighbours
Ciara Morris (“Knowing Asia is not un-Australian”, December 27) has expressed a reality that must count as one of Australia’s greatest failures of the past few decades. Indifference and even hostility towards those who take time to learn an Asian language, or study in depth the culture of Asian countries, have set back our relationships with the people of our nearest neighbouring countries, who should be our friends, not feared enemies. As an idealistic 19-year-old, I was inspired by a New Zealand ecumenical leader, the Reverend Alan Brash, who had lived in Asia for many years, when he declared that both our countries had “a European heritage of enormous value but an Asian destiny of immense challenge”. In the ensuing 65 years, I believe that our nation has wasted many opportunities to rise to that challenge, as the innovative Colombo Plan was allowed to wither and die, and the many attempts to cultivate the study of Asian languages and cultures in our schools and universities failed to attract ongoing funds from national and state governments and short-sighted university administrations. Morris’ experience is far too common among those who attempt to fulfil the dreams of my inspiring speaker in 1959. It is not too late to change course. Doug Hewitt, Hamilton
The reward of pursuing passions
Thanks to Julia Baird (“In praise of mediocrity: Just have a go”, December 27) for giving people like me – those with more enthusiasm than ability – the encouragement to have a crack at crack. I am a mediocre husband, father, letter writer to the Herald, podcaster and, as my colleagues would say, worker. Beyond the things we do to earn a living, we also do things for pleasure, for expression, to be heard, and to understand ourselves. These pursuits shouldn’t need to be graded or compared. We often, unfortunately, carry the burden of seeking validation. We want to be heard, yet we also crave validation — which determines whether we will be heard. This is self-defeating, an obstacle to genuine expression. As space to be heard or appreciated shrinks, we’ve introduced competition and the pursuit of excellence — because it appears only the very best will get attention. If Van Gogh had relied on external validation or the need to be heard, he wouldn’t have given us his masterpieces; he barely sold a painting while he lived. Today, we’re fortunate that social media has democratised creativity. We don’t need to be the best to be seen or heard. Your work might deserve validation, which might come asynchronously, not now but later or even, never. What matters is that we give it a go. It’s true that we need people to tell us they like what we do, but at the same time we need to ignore their opinions and keep doing what we need to do. Manbir Singh Kohli, Pemulwuy
Julia Baird, so much more than just mediocreCredit: James Brickwood
Oh Julia, your youthful poetic arms may have been short, but you are wonderfully long on empathy, humour, compassion, good sense and kindness. If only there were more Julias and fewer of those whose hateful negativity and inability to conciliate corrupt the body politic. Alison Stewart, Riverview
Julia Baird may have started off as mediocre in her chosen field of writing, but she has surpassed nearly everyone with her philosophical and biographical masterpieces. We can all have a go. I’ve written poetry in my 80s. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer
Thank you, Julia Baird, for your note on mediocrity, the situation for most of us. But from that lowly station we should recognise talent when we see it and give thanks for the joy it gives us. So a further thank you, Julia, that you recognised that you had a talent to write, you honed that talent, and give pleasure to us all. John Crowe, Cherrybrook
I am glorying in my mediocrity. Julia convinced me. Thank you Amanda Jordan, Artarmon
Theological dice-roll
Your correspondent (Letters, December 27) who refers to Richard Dawkins’ claim that “religion is a delusion” and that removing religion from the equation would promote world peace is misguided on two counts. First, Dawkins bases his atheistic beliefs on probability, which relies on the ability to calculate the odds. This, unlike throwing dice, is impossible without evidence. Second, while religion often serves as a pretext or convenient excuse to unite people in the drive for power and resources, it is very rarely the underlying cause, which in most cases is territorial ambition and expansion. The world wars, the many Roman conquests and the Napoleonic and Ottoman wars were all mainly caused by greed for material gain masquerading under the guise of religion – the “opiate of the masses” in the view of Karl Marx – and as such provides the moral imperative of courage, bravery and loyalty needed by troops on the ground to rationalise the need for brutal warfare. Elizabeth Maher, Gordon
Whichever your god, do you really need Him or Her?Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Your correspondent, questioning the weight given to religious belief in peace negotiations, might also have included a quote from Einstein who wrote: “The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends.” Rob Watson, Myocum
Yes, it would be good to “remove religion from the equation”, at least to a private and personal belief system, and to remember not one of us chose who we were born to, or where that took place. Ann Babington, Thornton
Your correspondent has concluded that if religion were removed from the equation, we could embark on a pathway to world peace. Unfortunately, that has already been tried. It was called communism. That went well, didn’t it? Roger Cedergreen, Kirrawee
Drops in the ocean
It may well be true about people drinking less, but cultural shifts revealed by academic research also offer opportunities that need to be grasped (“Sobering reality for wine industry – young people are drinking less”, December 27). The industry at times is fixated on selling huge volumes of wine for “walk in, walk out” customers in mass retail outlets associated with the grocery behemoths. What is needed is more robust wine education programs that address the needs of consumers of all generations and demographics. Part of these education programs needs to have consumers linked more adeptly to quality Australian wines, which currently are not being given sufficient shelf space in many retail outlets. Rod Leonarder, Roseville
A sight that is becoming less commonCredit: iStock
Admittedly, this reader had no idea what the 33 billion litres of unsold Australian wine might look like. Shock, horror! It’s more than 13,000 Olympic pools. How many lifesavers will be needed?
Col Shephard, Yamba
Off the path, e-bikers
Ever since having to rescue my three-year-old grandson from being mown down by an adult e-bike rider on a footpath (Letters, December 27), I have taken to telling these dangerous lawbreakers to get on the road where their high-powered vehicles belong. Amazingly, I’ve had 100 per cent compliance and no abuse to date, probably because they know they’re in the wrong. I’m inviting all pedestrians to join us in enforcing the law as the police certainly aren’t. Elisabeth Goodsall, Wahroonga
