Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 1996

Edito ial comment

The quality of mercy is not strained Every now and again in our lives wash the past 10 rimke us lee! more the come times when we are coin- comfortable in Ihe preseni pelled 10 PLUSe and ate stock o our- As a person. I do not want to be selves. orwhaiwe are doing and where harsh. unkind. narrow-, winded orspite we are going. not only as individuals. rul. I do not want 10 by unfeeling bui as a community and a nation as lowardsiheneedy. orihoseiniro"ble well. As we study for final exams and Iwan, rodevelopihequali, icsof mercy. consider our options for future careers. compassion. undersunding and sym the quesiion ' where to now, " is never pathy. to treat others as I would want far from Ihe mindsof"Yam 125". MOSi them to treat me of us have already answered the ques- As a member of society I do not lion of what we want to "do" when we want 10 live in a community which is leave school exclusionist confomtisi. intoIerani or However. thereareotherquesiions difference. racist and ungenerous; a we need to ask ourselves at this lime. community which is unsharing and These questions are notabouiwhat we uncaring in spint and in reelice want to dg. but about what we want to As an Austinlian Ido noi want my bE unity to withdraw, from the world. "Whatsoriof aperson do Iwantio do not wariiAusimlia to euro its aid b. ?" to deserving corinthes. Ido not wanti "Whatsoriofcommunitydolwani 10 cease to be a member of the Untied to be a on" Nations. to participate nolongerin the "What soit of a world do I warniio processes of internalional decision live in?" Inaking. particularly on matters affect These are questions of conscience ing human rights Many peopl refuted Pauline and ethics and we needtoiakeiimeout loretlecronthem. D. ,tinglecentweeks Hanson's views on Aboriginal wet I have decided what I. at least, do nor rare, multicul, uralism. foreign nidand won Ihavercochedihispointwiihihe membership or the United Nations in help OFFauline Hangon andoihers par- terms which have shown her views to lieipniingin the various aspecte of de- be not only ignomni. bur also eco bale on the status o Aboriginal people nomically and culturelly urnsusiain in Austinlian amieiy able and socially divisive. Pauline I do no. want to livein the merei- heartl Ihem less world of Pauline Hunson's jinag- Sh decided to Iak a hip 10 Palm ining. Nor do I want to live in ithe Island a tow weeks ago to see for her unktnd and unfeeling world or those rel how so Aboriginal people un or Australia live laday. She who would deny the injustice* orour one past. Pauline Hanson denigmted and weni to see for herself. bulbhe did not irisul, ed Aboriginaljieople. Asiansand go by he'sel . Channel and '60 multicultumlism in general. 01her Minutes' television crew wereihere to people are denying the inhumani, y o record 11. This visi run well have government policies which over rev- opened her eyes. but what about her eral decades. removed more than heart? 100,000Aboriginalchildren from Iheir You see. Ih qualiiy or mercy I\ families for o other reamnc exce no strained - it cannot be forced or for reusons ofirace We do rin have 10 faked The qtiblity Dr mercy cornus feel personal gull about a pas, in from the hen , it must be true and which we ourselves played no parr. natural. Did Panline Hanson walk bu neither should we try to white- awa with mercy in her heard ~- .,,,!--- ---:-.:.;^^j, ., ,.-;:; WE I "^;;I - you^ SAY ^^' ,=.'. You a. '.^ is. - " . .-. ...,.. .*. ., a. ESPONSES ' = " ,.:r. ., ^. " ""' " " " , \.!..^*. V .'. \. ,,.; . '; ." ~ e. g. ,:-'-

Letter to the Editor

depe enc

ay .

Equal recognition? Why is it that the SSSA track and field competition still gels only a friction of the coinmuniiy recognition and support that GPS boys receive? Are we noi talenied enough? Are we noi worth reporting? Don', we per fom us well? Are people noi in Ie, esied? I think the girls should lake 81eai offence We competed during the daytime which was convenient (and Is"ppose it was cheaper). However. less than a thirdof the school was present. There was ample room for hundreds more specialors. The boys managed 10 ac coinmoda, e man extra spectators around the edges of the track and on the largeareasof grass whichadded to the atmosphere. if we are competing for our school, why can't the school be there to see us perform? Sorry. bulljusi don't understand Brisbane Girls' Groinmar School hadabrillia"Iseasonoverco, wing many pro^Cnis to reach the standaad we did Notonly did wer"ch our, earn goalof viciory. but we also led, he whole day. winning convincingIy by almost one hundred points Don't lire Granular Girls who con. inhaled tofusairwiigfoaidesa vearleasi a naruor, in on toI newsppys? lamentd tireGPS cam, colon Sanr day hight 10 support cor vigilbmuing sellooL Tire pat^eq re. e in^ing ami, ngtifuait. Tire wine boys throngily d^^ tire pts tire re^"genre. hawverbia^ditwasto rerun setols Asmieof foundic* co^ISOflfus xinnL amnion^ironm"a^hit too"copy, 18mmi. "rentsa"algals' 5,110ds wlro Don rumtifu, ktt""^caml^o atewhTnnlpl^corone^10n", dd^lay am palau ad hilum aymyrurs, Sally Scat

I, , 11 I I It ;*\ ,:! I I, I'I' ^a e^'@ C, @ C> I=-. ^

*

,

4.04 ,.

@

a^,,

eQ@ CD, @

a .-."'

.

.

,

,

,

"

,

I

I"

..

.^ .

.

*

\

^

.

Egg. ^ at:

.J

,.

,

*

,

414,

.

,141, ^ <1^ , ," ' I ,N, ,.. :^, TUG, 11 ,I A I

,

*

^^

F I^.,,, A I.

r's reRT A 10

'I

Editorial Comumittee

Editor Sub-Ediior/ S it Sub-ERiior/School News Illustrators Staff origulunits

Cailin Malthews reyr Patterson SUBanna Siega Mirinda Youngs and foisty Allen Paul Benneii. kiwine Cooke. Aun Fancy and John towell

As many o1 you will know. I am a control freak: I need to know

deera"lion of the roady. Perh" the res nsibilities attached

sri of lire Australian orker cullure No. when re look bac all of on them. too. Bu why slop hare? uncertainty of cor seventeenth year whatisgoingonamundme. a, vibe rots? winhav beentoso, reex, ent, amIved in charge of what I'm doing and Violeiree on _ ? e Rape. murder. PIO vetopnents on - lire wornes we had will have either sometimes what ather 10 are Savannah. Surely it is very easy and materialised and been dealt with. or doing, 100. But the changing envi verycosytoaitribuieeveryihing, rega- have eventualed at all. We will roninen, . the big leap from Groin live to this group? we blame it on have found more or less our direct, on mar to uni. none of this can linealen someone else. then Iha diminishes in tire. And so. in hindsigh, . the uricer. my control over whatlwm and will rigibility for w is going thinly in removed and our years a riotsUppOrl. whyl want 10 do. and OUR on. doesn't in If we got rld _. ham. schoolseemaha pier. salari, me in the what sort of person Iwanr to be

Why Pauline? Kim, y Dadsworlh

lion. and she s scared. She sees Ih

it con'I threaten Ine because I will accept change and try to under

then all the o1he problems would go. ., faceo . say. a futurerevoiuiionin tech

acknowledgment of and reconciliation wouldn't they?

in o103. or culture

with a racethatthegovemmenrdenied o blame in herehildhood. and she's wetting he and the capricity of hale. He saw. in future; it is not a srep in the righ, deny, tsexisrence. Thatis futile. and pants. Pauline Hanson's world is very 1920s. Cerium race a was very direction. Romanticising the past won't make men stronger person. in uncertain. and she can deal with i in uncertainabm, itheirfutum. in con, Dimc doesn'Idissolveihe uncertainty of to. makes me totally allhe mercy o the only two ways : romanticis, rig the past. ruin and political shambles. He knew day. or cmpower us 10 control our very events I deny or light against and wanting to regress 10 nand aimb- Embrace novelty and change power uld be achieved 1100ugh future. it anyihing it diminislre< Ihe uiing blameto a minority gouP forthe allocating blame and pelteruling nun- power. The hereand nowcan be scary. allow for adaptation and a re-evalu noriiies. through unifying a group especially i you take away those illu. ajion or your views. and you can uncertainty Ms Hangon harps on about the hangh hale. and through moving cory safety nets o blame and Ihe past. only be empowered to succeed in a 'good old days'. an Australia in the Thair, e, ponsibility for, hair future. He Uncertainiy for conepeoptecan mean changing world. 1950s whereeveryihing was good and profused a return 10 older times to tottering on the brink ore greatchasm. I hope that none a us in future stable and positive certainty. tosafetyin whatpeoptekriew. and the gu reaction 15 to take a step uncertainty will emulaie the sad. ill Well. Brisbane in I 50s inigh . to fluid an excu not educared. xenophobicbigotry orMs We all know what eventualed back. to re havebeen 'good' if you werea middle Romanticismgihe I. and look- 10 advance, to blame something for Pauline Hanson. The legacy to class. whilemale But it wasn't goodif ing for people to blameisn'I the way to pulling chasm there her children will nor be of liner you were an Aborigine. wilhou, the dealwith change. For orient makes the Uriceriainry for me is like the ality. but Ihe same 'Asians taking voie and withou, the righ"10 your civil. assum lion Ihai. change is necessarily schooliucksho . You haveihe sand. over the world' orientation Ihai dren. Andi wasn't goodifyou wereof bad. wiches and the Juice which have bermolherneverquesiioned and Greek orlialian origin. being a 'Wog here will come ajimein, he beeniheresince1883. andwillprob- Ihal she certainly never ques ora 'Dago' without much hop, of ever rutur when we are perhaps experi- ably be there in 2083. Bui then you lioned. in us a bequest o belng being regimed us anyihing else. kid encing difficulties in our relation- have the addiiion . replacemeni .Ih aira, d 10 step ouiside your own I wasn't good it you were a woman. ships, or our career. when we are u grades. Ihe Slurpies. the chicktn safety blankei world and ration Few rights few real chotces feeling old. or digenfranchised. we burgers. Ih Monaco Bars that go on ,lily examine new ideas and new 11wasn'11hesecure. idealiru! wcrrl will look back on this. our final sale so thini I can afford thenI . a cullures that Panline Hunson would wish us 10 year. and s eak fondly of i as 'the whole realm of culinary OPPoriuni- Thai's a sad legacy indeed to believe. The 195 100. were riddled IC. IVC a new generation. And one goodold days'. W won'Ireniem- ties o nine up before me wilh instcuri"us: about world peace. her the umeeriainiy we reel righ Multicul, uralism. Ihe leehnn. than I I hope we mev*r will Ih oronomy. the future We are fortunate in Ihai WCCome now about what we are going to do. logical revolution. these thing* But never mind what Ms Hanson or the confusing sensation o being widen our know!edg, and our per- lit, in an educ"lion"I and in most would have us rerun 10. let s look al on the br, nk of adulthood. without SPCciivc. by riden our horizon . cases. family backgroundwh ch pro one of Ihe things she blameq for our really knowing if we're ready to be Some, bing new iq not o in ch a moles Ihe philo\uph of 101e, allcL problein Ichy: Ihe Asian Influence adults. W might not recall how grea black hole 10 b" reared. rather and acceptancL. We \hould promnie WL are. and quoie 'being ITaui"allc it 15 to b a teenager. 10 a new palh Ihai can be laken with such a philo\ophy in the w, der coin swamped by Asia". U us blame un. want desperately to belong. to crave many more Iravellcrs that can ac- mumity 111 the only philosophy for employrnenionA*lulls widthemo, al freedom. bur have, o dealwith the company you on the Journey IhL future Butthe pastis notche way into Ihe sundii. Iwontlry to holdithack or Miler knew the

The recent emergence o the in dependent ER Pauline Hamson. and her outspoken views about Asians and Aborigines has sparked an in fomoofdebaieabouirace. rightsand niul, icultumlism. Everybody has an O In 10n; genemiions are Sei again each other in their support or leiec lion of her beliefs words like 'roc ism' and 'bigotry' netlunwn amu, xi amilsilpersonallyfindherviews ign^, land abhorreni. andwhilsLit distresses Ine 10 see how much sup 00 they seem to be receiving. I think that the majority onoum"lists and coriumeniators have railed to answer one queeiion in this whole debate - why? From where do these views come. and why ami ysosupponed? 11' not enough 10 say Iha her par Grits held Ihem Why did they" Or Iha, the had Iimired education. So did many other Austinlians. and yet they have avoided ianomni bigotry Why the Hangon focior? Be cause she is a very. very 'cared woman. Pauline an son is living in a world that Iq changing. and she doesn't know how to deal with that change She see\ a challenge oilhe p vinusly doin, nani ringlo-saxon culture and she's armid. She see a revoluiion macehnology and educ"-

Page 4 GRAMMAR GAZETrE, Term 4,996