Australia – as with many developed countries is a wealthy
nation; high standard of living; high standard of education and the under-privileged
are (relatively) well cared for. But we have a blot on our Nation’s Escutcheon –
that of our treatment of those “illegals” – “queue jumpers” – “boat people” or
whatever other derogatory name they are given by politicians. They are still
people in need.
This time of year – Christmas time – is a time to reconsider
our commitments and the one time of year, if at none other, when we should help
those less fortunate. Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves of what others
have said about this.
The following quote is from Charles Dickens timeless “A
Christmas Carol” (written December 1843):
“But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time,
when it has come around – apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and
origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that – as a good time; a
kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the
long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their
shut up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were
fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on
other journeys.”
We need to closely attend these wise words. We need, also,
to recall that these people, politically diminished voyagers from another
country, are fleeing persecution or abuse; they are human beings; they are not aliens. They have hopes and aspirations
just like you and I. And just like you and I they bleed when hurt. And just
like you and I they can be emotionally scarred by the actions and behaviour of
others.
What are we doing to ourselves by our nation’s politically motivated
mis-treatment of these unfortunate people?
We are diminished as a people and as a nation.
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