BEING profoundly deaf and wearing two hearing devices - a cochlear implant and a hearing aid - I also read lips to enable me to understand what people are saying. It then becomes extremely hard to understand people who are wearing a mask. Whilst I fully realise the importance of wearing a mask in these uncertain times, especially for all our wonderful medical people, it makes it almost impossible for me to understand what they are asking me to do or are telling me.
My audiologist tells me my devices are designed to be at their premium at a metre, so add social distancing to the mix and I am in a bit of trouble. Gesture and miming helps if there is no unmasked person nearby to repeat or interpret for me. I nearly ran down a fully kitted out nurse at Belmont Hospital yesterday as I didn't realise she was asking me to turn my car off, not move forward. There was more than one hazard she had to be mindful of. Please be aware and understanding of all us deafies out there.
Adrienne Roberts, Kahibah
OLDER MODELS, NEW WOES
I WISH to speak for the seniors who like me are gradually or totally losing their marbles. Being a 92 year old who over the passage of time has been losing the race in understanding the never ending changes to technology I wish to speak up.
I don't have a smartphone because it is too complicated for me to use. My daughter found me a less complicated mobile (thank God) but it can't handle apps. I wonder, is the government aware of the problem as stated for seniors and how many seniors cannot manage apps because they don't have a smartphone?
For this reason I thought it prudent to raise the issue because many like me have no smartphone.
More importantly, I wish to point out that those like me who have not been able to access the very important information contained in the app are of the age group most at risk from coronavirus.
Perhaps a flyer to all seniors would be appropriate?
Ken Doubikin, Tea Gardens
NOT A PREMIER RESULT
WHILE overall NSW has been congratulated for its handling of COVID-19, I believe there have been some remarkable signs of poor leadership from the Premier.
First I deplore Premier Berejiklian's failure to adequately reprimand Minister Don Harwin for breaching social isolation rules, waiting instead for Mr Harwin to succumb to political pressure and resign.
Second, I was dismayed at her inability to promptly reprimand the deputy premier and Andrew Constance for their war of words (and text messages) over their proposed candidacies in the Eden-Monaro byelection triggered by Mike Kelly stepping down.
If anyone deserves to be demoted I believe it's the deputy premier, who reportedly lashed out first with unbecoming and expletive-filled texts directed at both Constance and the Deputy Prime Minister that were published in a Sydney newspaper.
Trust requires consistency, and in my opinion the premier's handling of her team has been anything but consistent. Do any of her Ministers truly know where they stand?
Franklin White, Belmont
FEW JOYS IN COLONIALISM
CONGRATULATIONS to Roland Bannister (Letters, 8/5) on a succinct summary of Australian history. I was reminded that only a week ago, a friend of mine, a British migrant, apologised for the way the indigenous had been treated by the invaders. I pointed out to her that the British had been no worse than the other European nations who, from the 16th century, believed it was their right to plunder the resources and exploit, even unto death, the inhabitants of the countries they 'discovered', more accurately invaded. The indigenous of Asia, North and South America, Africa and Australia all suffered.
We also need to remember that in the 20th century, Australia was the colonial master of Papua New Guinea. Our record there is nothing to be proud of. Some believe that it would have been of benefit to establish a sugar cane industry there, but, sorry, that would have competed with the Australian industry. We thrust them into independence with a minimum of preparation.
There is little positive that can be said about colonialism, anywhere in the world, except that it benefited the colonisers.
Joan Lambert, Adamstown
TESTS, NOT APP, THE ANSWER
ONE wonders how much thought those who have downloaded the COVIDSafe app have given their choice. As I understand it, the app will alert you if you have come into contact with someone who has tested positive, but those people should have been notified and be in isolation.
Sadly, by the time the app lets you know you've probably already caught COVID-19. More importantly, the roughly 900,000 tests leaves around 24,100,000 people of unknown status.
Will I download the app? No, there is no point until the whole population is tested. The app won't protect you, but widespread testing will.
Susan Simmonds, Aberdare
A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY
HERE'S me agreeing with David Stuart (Letters, 6/5). My occupation and a minor case of identity theft means I'm hard to find and careful with personal information. Not trusting the government, I do trust the explanation of the tech expert with a regular spot on a local radio station who travels the world using and reviewing the latest technology.
His explanation, not mine, is that COVIDsafe collects phone numbers in close proximity to yours. Concerned with tracking? That can already be done, and does anyone think the government doesn't already know everyone's phone number anyway? If you want an improving economy and freedom of movement, download the app.
What's not secure is your credit information. A mobile and account was obtained using my name, address and bogus date of birth. Not one number was correct but it was good enough to pass a check with those credit reporting agencies.
It seems anyone who can read a phone book and string a few numbers together can pass a credit check in this country, just as long as they're not dumb enough to make the last number bigger than 2020. You'd hope they'd spot that one.
Colin Fordham, Lambton
TAKE STOCK OF DRAWBACKS
DAVID Berlin (Short Takes, 8/5), some experts express your view of offshore dredging but the question of continual costs and uncertainty of success are still there. I have not polled all the people in Stockton for their views but many I have spoken to want the land to be secure and a safe beach, particularly on the southern end. Most surfing, I understand, is done towards the northern end. I respect your opinion as I hope you respect mine.
Milton Caine, Birmingham Gardens
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words.
SHORT TAKES
I WOULDN'T know one if I saw one, but I reckon there are a few psychoapths in politics in the USA. I wasn't overly impressed with the bog roll rush here, but what happened in America? A mass gun grab just in case your neighbour had more than you. And a firearm always looks good at a freedom rally, apparently. Funny, isn't it, in a nation so hell bent on sharing everything else.
Vic Davies, Tighes Hill
GEORGE Tattersell (Short Takes, 7/5), you are a timely reminder Aussies are really switched on. Australia cannot have "planes on wheels'' for decades, if ever. However, Australia should have a much faster outer metropolitan rail system. For example, between Newcastle and Sydney we need tilting rolling stock, track upgrade or realignment, digital signalling. The national need for long distance freight, to bypass Newcastle at Fassifern, would mean 90-minute journeys. It's a commercial flyer.
Graeme Tychsen, Rankin Park
THE Newcastle Permanent Building Society is opening call centres during the pandemic. I suppose there's one upside to it; they're not based in the Philippines.
David Davies, Blackalls Park
IS there an organisation or business out there that can spend customer or shareholders mney on a report, and then refuse to reveal the author and contents of the report? ('Stonewalled: The secret report you are not allowed to read', Newcastle Herald 2/5). This appears to be censorship in its basic form and is essentially saying they know what is best for you, so you don't need to know. Maybe it's another example of talking down to the quiet Australian who our Prime Minister speaks of. Dangerous times. Big brother appears to know what is best for us. The people of Stockton deserve better and so do Newcastle ratepayers.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Mayfield
THE good news this week is that Oxford University has reportedly developed a coronavirus vaccine that works on monkeys. The bad news is that in humans it'll only work on politicians at this stage.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
I SEE that a lot of rugby league players in the Newcastle Rugby League are going to play for no pay ('Coach raises 2020 concerns', Herald 27/4). There was a lot of that going around in the 1960s and '70s in lower grades, but we got a lot more out of it than money; friends for life. What price is that? Good move, boys. You will see a much greater benefit than cash.
Richie Blanch, Charlestown
PLEASE tell me there are other blokes playing NRL apart from Latrell Mitchell. I am just sick and tired of the human headline. Please, please, please no more.
Matt McAlary, Waratah
HOW do you trust the government when they say the supplement for COVID-19 will run for six months? From the end of April until the end of September was five months when I went to school.
