Bullies.

I remember when I was young.

School: “Tell your teacher if you get bullied.”
Student gets bullied, tells teacher.
Teacher does nothing.
Student gets bullied until last day there.
Finds it hard to trust people as they move onto the next school or college or wherever
It affects people badly.
They stand up to the bully and fight back and they’re the ones that get in trouble. It’s all just lies.

I can vouch for this.  I was bullied.  But all that was 30-40 years ago. It has changed now, hasn't it? 'No Bullying' policies have changed all that.

Haven't they?

I did not actually write the above 'bolded' text based on my own experience, rather it came from an article written in 2015! Clearly things have not always changed that much. Human nature, for example. Propensity to hurt others for example. Take a look at the news, at the world - the school ground is a microcosm of the way we treat each other in the world.

There has to be a better way.

My better way was a technique called 'tongue-fu'. A way of responding with humour. It worked for me. It won't work for everyone.

What will work for everyone, a universal and generic 'better way' is better supervision and better response to bullying. Responses that cares for the individual and foster environments where bullying can no longer occur.

Build better children and you build better adults. And ultimately, the giant school ground that we call the world will benefit too.

Two Australian's were executed today. At least three other Australians were also executed. By drug dealers.

Today marked the execution of the famous Bali Nine.  Or - as far as Australia is concerned, the Bali 2.

It is a very sad and traumatic day for the families and friends of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.  Execution is not something that Wonko the Sane approves of.  So it is a sad day for me too.   Killing is wrong.  End of story.  Sometimes you have to kill to protect - so it might be justified - but it is always a failure.  Killing is a last resort and a failure of every other solution.

But.

There is a 'but'.

A couple of 'buts' actually.

Firstly, when you enter a country you agree to abide by its laws.   You may not approve of those laws but if you break them then you have to accept the punishment that is dealt out to you if caught.

Imagine if someone came to this country and married (and raped) a thirteen year old girl (yes that happened) and then was let off because in his country it was OK.  The argument has been tried in Australia actually and we - quite rightly - do NOT accept it.

Secondly, in the case of the Bali 2 it is also critical to remember that they chose to be directly involved in the supply of drugs to Australia.  They were not breaking the law in an attempt to protect the lives of oppressed people.  They were not protesting about immoral/unethical oppression.  They were not even ignorant of their crimes.  They made the decision to perpetuate the death and destruction that drugs cause in order to line their own pockets.  They knew the penalty if caught and - presuming that they were not completely stupid - they understood the harm that drugs do.

So although the death penalty is wrong and should not be applied, we must bear these 'two' buts in mind and not try to turn the Bali 2 (or the Bali Nine) into saints, idols or anything else.

But my title said that over three other Australian's were also executed.  And so they were.  Statistically - which means perhaps only two or maybe it was five.

Nearly four Australians die every day from overdose. Overdoses out-numbered road fatalities in Australia in 2012. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics overdose deaths totalled 1,427 in 2012, while road deaths, which have been steadily declining, ended the year at 1,338. (Data provided to Penington Institute by Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014).

Why are Australian's so obsessed about two people who were quite happy to be a part of the murder of these other three 'un-named' Australians? The drugs that the Bali Nine/2 were going to bring into Australia may well have meant the deaths of more than three others.  Is it so easy to close our eyes to that simple fact?

The Bali 2 appeared to have devoted their years in an Indonesian jail to wonderful endeavors and that is to be applauded.  They should not have been executed - that we firmly believe.

But this is being blown all out of proportion - given that the damage to Australians done by drugs is far, far, far greater than just two people in ten years.

"Nearly one in five deaths in Australia is drug-related. In 1998, it was estimated that 17,671 Australians died as a result of harmful drug use and over 18,500 Australians would be hospitalised for conditions resulting from harmful drug use."

This is the perspective we need to maintain.

Justice system betrayed Jill Meagher as failures let Adrian Bayley wander the streets

Our justice system is continually failing the victims of crimes.  The Justice Hall of Shame to the left is LONG (but out of date).  

Jill Meagher is dead - she might well have been alive if not for our perverted, corrupt justice system.  Her killer raped approximately 24 women before killing her.  TWENTY FOUR.  TWO DOZEN.

How's this for a catalog of stupidity:

• Despite convictions for eight victims - INCLUDING MINORS - NOT put on Sex Offenders Register
• DNA lost after he confessed to raping sex workers.  Did they send it by Australia Post?
• Prison psychologists too dumb to see through his fakery
• Breaching parole conditions
• Breaking the jaw of a Geelong man

He was allowed to rape and kill.  Simple as that.

I could go on but I won't.  If you need to know more, read this article.

As usual out justice system is a joke.  Only it's not funny.

So women who desire a career in the medical profession should accept sexual abuse?

That's the message that one surgeon is giving - and as bad as that may seem, it's worse when you find out that she is a woman.  I call that betrayal.

Sexual abuse is never acceptable.  Never.   If it goes unreported then the victim will never see justice but - even worse - the culprit will continue their abuse of the victim, and others - and will likely expand the level of abuse.

Unacceptable.

There needs to be protection against reprisal.
There needs to be transparency in these matters.
There needs to be a learning and working environment where people are treated fairly, with dignity and equality.

Women (or indeed men) should never be told to 'suck it up' - my words. 

Dr Gabrielle McMullin, your advise is a disgrace to your profession and your sex.

Read the news item here:

Surgeon blows whistle

Time has passed - but the stupidity lingers.

She has been found guilty of manslaughter - and received a 2 year suspended sentence.   And yet, "Justice Hoeben said that the mother-of-one believed her “act was necessary” to defend herself and her family."







If she believed it was necessary then why the suspended sentence?


How many times have we read of those on bail who go on to kill?  How many times have we read of the victims of violence and tut-tutted about it.  Well here's a case where the victim didn't die - not because our so-called justice system saved her but because she was forced to fight for her self and her family.  Instead of applauding this outcome, our so-called justice system punishes her for it - with a suspended sentence.

Read all about it : http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/domestic-violence-victim-jessica-silva-guilty-of-manslaughter-but-avoids-jail-for-killing-her-ex-boyfriend/story-fnii5s3x-1227251919788