MY heart so cries for the people of Afghanistan. I can only imagine what will happen to the lives of the women who thought they had a future where they could be educated and live a life as we in Australia can lead. To think we have so many selfish people in this country who can not follow straightforward health advice to keep our communities safe from the spread of COVID is abominable, and then to think of the hopelessness that the Afghan people must be feeling at the moment. The west has abandoned them.
The Taliban is an enemy that will not die, as quoted by Stan Grant. My message to those Australians flouting the health advice: wake up to yourself and start appreciating what we have. If we do the right thing we have a future to be cherished. Those poor people in Afghanistan have no future.
Carol Selmeci, Murrays Beach
Too slow to help friends
NOW that Kabul has fallen to the Taliban, we are thinking how to evacuate the brave Afghan interpreters who served beside our forces during the war. We have been talking about this for months but have been slow to take any action. Why is it so that we have once again waited too long to implement a rescue plan? Our government should have evacuated these brave people weeks ago. Just another case of all talk and no action from the Morrison government. I fear that this will not end well and our government may have blood on their hands.
Stan Keifer, Arakoon
Leaders' hubris has done harm
WHEN asked if he has any regrets about joining the United States in sending troops into Afghanistan, former prime minister John Howard responds: "No, the answer is no. I have no regrets at all" ("Howard says he has no regrets over war", Herald 17/8). So, after 20 years, America and Australia complete their retreat from Afghanistan (other NATO countries had withdrawn their forces years earlier), the Taliban retake control of the country and the people of Afghanistan are back to where they were 20 years ago.
The cost to Australia? Forty-one Australian troops killed in action plus hundreds more who took their own lives after returning to Australia; some Australian troops brutalised to the point where there is now credible evidence that a small number may have murdered innocent Afghan civilians. Yet John Howard has no regrets.
This is the hubris that seems endemic in many conservative politicians in this country: never admit that you might have been wrong. Never apologise - unless it is politically expedient to do so. Never countenance that an alternate view might have merit. And never, never admit that you have done the wrong thing, either deliberately or inadvertently. It seems to me that this state of mind began to take hold of conservative politicians during Howard's time as prime minister and has now become embedded in their psyche. What an appalling role model Mr Howard turned out to be.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
Accountability policed by public
I WAS disturbed to hear the NSW Police commissioner publicly announce to the effect that people should not write to him to complain about any lockdown policing because they would be disregarded. Supposedly this is because "enough warnings" had been issued. Where does this man get the authority to shut out the public from a reasonable opportunity to call into question the activities of the police. Who is the Police Commissioner to decide that any complaint he might receive is invalid? It is a dangerous move that an unelected public official can decide to arbitrarily shut out his organisation's accountability. Maybe he will receive complaints that are unreasonable, too bad, that is the price of being in charge of an accountable service in a free society. We must be very wary about any "the end justifies the means", that is tyranny in the making.
Neville Briggs, Branxton
Stop hindering our helpers
OUR daughter and son-in-law are medical practitioners in a large and busy hospital in a capital city now in lockdown. One is a surgeon, the other an intensive care consultant. Outside their rostered working hours they are on-call for emergencies. When called in they are often stopped by police to check why they are travelling. The delay could endanger lives. Cannot they and others in similar situations have their car registration numbers uploaded onto a database accessible for the police to check and so, as essential workers, avoid unnecessary and potentially life-threatening stops?
Reverend Dr Brian Roach, Whitebridge
Incensed at missing census mail
NOW that the census day has come and gone, I wonder if many people had the experience that we did? We had received no letter or any other paperwork.
Tuesday morning the ABC Newcastle broadcast a phone number for the census people, so my wife rang them, the person that answered the phone said "you have all the information in the letter you received." We did not receive any letter or paper work at all, "Oh." She took our names and address and said she would forward the letter, it may take up to two weeks to arrive, but you must fill it out as things were on census night, (you would think that was common sense).
So we are just awaiting the letter. At least in the "old days" when the census people called at your door it was all done and dusted in person and few if any mistakes. The idea that we have progressed is debatable.
Fred J Saunders, Waratah West
Decency prevailed on island name
JUNE Clark, deciding on the offensiveness of place names comes down to historical context. The towns of Coonabarabran and Coonamble are Aboriginal in origin and used to honour and recognise the original inhabitants of the area. The name Coon Island came about around 1915 because a local man worked in the mines and came home with his face covered in black dust. As a result the locals gave him and the island the derogatory and racist name. This is not acceptable in the 21st century and common sense and decency has prevailed.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Measures haven't measured up
EVERY week police are granted "extra powers". Every day the Sydney virus creeps out infecting the state. But, a bolted horse has not bolted.
Gary Hayward, Cardiff
Knights win, but room to improve
AFTER 12 minutes the Knights successfully had me in tears again. Grown men are not supposed to cry, but the ball handling and the back line defence is nothing more than pathetic. Ponga may be a superstar, but in my opinion he tackles like a six-year-old with the mumps. Fair dinkum, teach this team to tackle, take their headwear off them and toughen them up. Heaven forbid they should play Souths or Melbourne.
Dennis Crampton, Swansea
SHORT TAKES
A FEW examples of failed invasions of Afghanistan have been by Alexander the Great, British Empire, Soviet Union and now America, but I am sure China will succeed without firing a shot when they sign up the Taliban to the Belt and Road Initiative.
Alan Hamilton, Hamilton East
IN these troubled times, I thought I would put forward a suggestion that may have a bit of merit (tongue in cheek, of course!). What about Peter V'landys for Prime Minister, Craig Bellamy as his deputy with Nick Politis the treasurer?
Col Parkins, Wallsend
WITH regard to Monday's editorial, I would like to say well said. You nailed it. We don't appreciate what we have.
Alex Fraser, Charlestown
NICHOLAS and Kiera-Lee Mayer's dream of another child shattered by an inconsiderate woman who thinks she's above the rules who might have children of her own. I feel for the Mayers.
Gary Bruce, Swansea
JOHN Barilaro looking after National voters and stuff Novocastrians. What's new? And gets it wrong. Typical. Doesn't know about the sewage samples. Doesn't know Newcastle is 'stable.' And forgets it was his government that did not put a ring of steel around Sydney and let COVID into the regions. Then again, he is a Nationals politician.
Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill
BIG shout out to Paul Gallen, what was it you said about Mitch Pearce signing with the mighty Knights? Well, he just knocked your tadpoles out of the finals and look out in your next fight with Darcy Lussick. Methinks he will do the same with you.
Mick Porter, Raymond Terrace
HOW easily we have forgotten that not so long ago we blamed the government for letting in the Ruby Princess and wanted accountability held to someone who stuffed up hotel quarantine. Now, it seems the government will hold the community responsible for not abiding by, in my opinion, their overbearing, repeatedly drummed into your head propaganda. I abide by the health orders and would like my choices to be made from good information and my own free will, without in your face scare tactics from bullying, babbling drones.
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
THE moral of the story: Australia, stop following America into unwinnable wars. The days of invading Muslim lands is over. For the record, more innocent Afghans were killed by the invaders, than by the Taliban, not to mention the hushed up war crimes.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
WITH growing hostility towards Sydney, calls for creating a new state are reappearing. May I suggest a new model? Two states, one called NSW and one called Sydney. This would recognise the reality that Sydney has already seceded from our state.
Peter Moylan, Glendale
WITH Gladys going so bad with her COVID response, where is the Labor Opposition leader? Chris Minns, who are you?
