56 years ago, in the 1967 referendum, the original inhabitants of this land who had been here for 60,000 years or more were formally acknowledged as part of our nation's population. How strange that before 1967 Aboriginal people were classed as foreigners or aliens in their own country. I smell racism at that point of time.
I am not qualified to speak for Aboriginal people; I have not experienced the pain, loss, pillage, stolen generation, and lots of other criminal acts. Hence, I will vote 'yes' and will ignore some mealymouthed politician or cash-for-comment media type telling me to vote 'no'. I find it strange a race of people whose descendants have been on this land for less than 300 years is telling another race of people who have been here for 60,000 years or more how to vote.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
Football fans deserve their say
IT is 23 years since my husband and I signed up for our first corporate box with Con Constantine, the then-owner of the Newcastle Jets Football Team. Since then we have attended almost every home game and continued to support the Newcastle Jets every season. We have five children who all played local grassroots football and my husband coached many of their teams, in addition to sponsorship. We are clearly a football-mad family. We attended three of the Women's World Cup games in Sydney and were also at the grand final.
The profile of football for females has received a terrific boost with the Women's World Cup being held in Australia, but many people do not know what is actually happening in women's football in NSW.
In the Football NSW women's league, there are transgender players and some people wrote to Football NSW with concerns. I believe people speaking out have been reported to the E-safety commission. I was blocked by Football NSW on Twitter, who I believe are refusing to engage fully on this issue.
If "Celebrating the women and girls that exist as part of our football family" and "You can't be what you can't see" are genuine aims of Football NSW, then in my opinion the concerns of all need to be considered.
Judith Hunter, The Junction
Talk solutions, not pseudoscience
WE constantly see letters to the editor regarding the perceived failures of solar or green energy. My home with a commonly installed solar panel system generated an average 36.32 kilowatt hours per day in 2019 and 32.82 kilowatt hours per day in 2020, a year of bushfires and then constant rain both depleting solar generation.
Even in cloudy weather you can still generate. My power account is zero. I get refunds. An average home uses 16 kilowatts per day. Putting your surplus into the grid or into a battery or charging your battery when the power grid has surplus generation when the power cost is low is a no brainer, so please talk about solutions to climate change instead of non-scientists discussing the science.
Darryl Stevenson, Coal Point
Healthy respect for medical staff
BE aware of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA). Due to a recent and ongoing medical condition with myself I would like to make the general public aware. In my 86 years I have never heard of them and when I ask around, neither has very many of the general public.
Who would have knowledge to go to GP and say "I am aching all over and also have jaw claudication"?
I understand the two conditions generally go together and GCA is the real devil as it needs prompt attention (steroid medication) to prevent blindness. Jaw claudication is a sharp pain that comes up through the neck and jaw and up to the temple. It can come on very quickly, even overnight, but only in people over 50. It is more prevalent in women than men.
After my own experience and some online research I realise that it is the same condition that afflicted a friend eight years ago with sudden loss of almost total sight in both eyes. Perhaps someone far more versed in the subject might like to contribute more. Might I also add my praise and appreciation to all of the medical professionals who have been treating me these last six months for various other reasons as well. We are very lucky in our part of the world.
Laurie Bowman, Charlestown
Show us what we're voting for
WHEN is Linda Burney or someone going to get out in these isolated, so-called marginalised Aboriginal communities, and spend a couple of nights there? It would make great television, and I reckon it would allow us to see firsthand what this Voice is all about.
Steven Busch, Rathmines
The choice on the Voice is a clear-cut one
WE'RE certainly not responsible for the treatment of Aboriginal people in the past, but we are certainly going to be responsible for their treatment in the future. Continue the disadvantage or provide hope? Think about that voting power carefully.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Legislate it, don't make us vote
RICHARD Ryan ("Who are you to decide for them?", Letters, 29/8), I strongly doubt you are more qualified to tell us how to vote than Anthony Mundine, who is urging us to vote 'no'. I'm not telling anyone how they should vote, but personally will be voting 'no' in the hope we can force our PM to swallow his ego and do what he should have done a year ago: legislate the Voice.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
Fortress filled for the big match
A HOME finals game guaranteed for the Knights. We will all be there. Thanks.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
Penguins are canaries in coal bind
THE poor Emperor penguins in Antarctica.The sea ice is melting resulting last year in no chicks surviving from four of five Emperor penguin colonies in a region of Antarctica. This has been called a "catastrophic breeding failure". When will humans realise that the burning of fossil fuels, that is the prime cause of human induced climate change, must now stop as a matter of extreme urgency?
Brian Measday, Kingswood
Cracks showing in fuel use
COUNTLESS thousands of emperor penguin chicks have recently died in an Antarctic ice break-up. The ice is melting and with it, their habitat. Perhaps now, we can set a date to phase out fossil fuels.
Anne O'Hara, Wanniassa
Comedy is certainly subjective
WHEN I am feeling down, I like to watch comedy TV shows like Sky and Fox News. When watching Sky and Fox I just laugh and giggle and sometimes I even turn the sound on. Apologies to Don Rickles.
Mike Sargent, Cootamundra
Deterrent must be part of rebuke
GEE authorities really came down hard on the latest climate protesters who blocked trains on Kooragang ("Protestors in court over climate action", Newcastle Herald 29/8). Do we really expect these penalties will make other protesters think twice?
