The Australian ABC TV  News Program ‘Four Corners’ ran a journalism piece concerning the mis-treatment of Australian cattle exported live to Indonesia. A few days later Eliza, Jane and Doris (See About Us)  had the following conversation. We decided to share it with you…

Eliza: The response to ‘Four Corners’ was pretty quick. I didn’t watch it and I’m not going to watch it on iview.

Jane: I didn’t watch it either, but I noticed a couple of comments about it on Twitter. The comments stopped me changing channels…I don’t want to watch anything being killed. I know there is stuff that goes on but I don’t like to see it.

I did hear about it the next day on Australian national radio. There were a lot of people calling in, all upset. Then tehy’d talk about the specifics of what upset them.

Eliza: Even though I didn’t see it, I noticed the whole deal snowballed pretty quick People seemed really outraged. Why don’t they kill the cattle here?

 

Doris: I think there is a religious reason for that. It has to be done in certain circumstances …kind of like kosher requirements…not the same but there is a set of rules etc.

Eliza: It seemed like just a few days and there were reports that the Government was going to ban the exports to Indonesia.

 

Doris: It all happened so fast. I guess there is such a thing as people-power.

Jane: some other aspects of it all really worry me…

Doris: I know what you mean, now there are farmers that say they are losing up to $70,000 a day. They have had such a tough time in last few years.

Eliza: I heard there are discussions to maybe set up an appropriate slaughter facility here, to then freeze the meat and ship it.

 

Jane: What really worries me is the speed at which the public can rise up and demand humane treatment of cattle in Indonesia, but remain largely silent in terms of Boat People, refugee applicants being sent to Indonesia for ‘processing’.  Why are we so indignant about the beef but not about the people?

A young man I know recently called to my attention the words of the 2nd verse of our Australian National Anthem.

Doris: Really?  I don’t know the second verse.

Eliza: Hardly anyone does…

Jane: well maybe we ought to; because our National Song is meant to be what we believe…surely.

It goes like this (she didn’t sing it, thankfully)

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.

 

The young man suggested that the Government might not be acting in accordance with

The Constitution, or at the very least with the stated attitude of Australians, given we, the Australian people chose the National Anthem.

I asked a couple of times on Twitter about why we are standing up for the cattle’s rights but not so much for the boat people. I didn’t get much response.  I wonder why.

Eliza: Now that you mention it, I am wondering why as well. I wonder if lots of people are like me, and just think about it but do nothing…or don’t know what to do.

 

Doris: Or just feel too busy to do anything. There are so many important causes now.   But I wonder what other women think.

 

What do you think? Do oyu care how cattle is killed? Did you protest against the cattle exports?

Have you ever protested in any way for the rights of the boat people?

We would be interested in reading your views and of your protest experiences.

Read how we acquired our current National Anthem.

http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/nat_anthem.html

Read this Letter

(Copy of letter sent to Four Corners, long but well worth reading)

by Cattle Country Magazine on Friday, June 10, 2011 at 1:22pm

Eliza, Doris and Jane participated in this conversation. Meet all 3.