I wonder if those who are so quick to condemn those of us
who question the sense of just opening up our borders to all and sundry, no
questions asked, ever consider the future impact of that.
The behaviour of the rioters on Manus should be a clue to
the type of person who could be on our shores now. And certainly would be on our
shores if it wasn't for Operation Sovereign Borders. These are people who now choose
violence in an attempt to bully the government into changing their policy,
rather than patiently waiting their turn in applying for refugee status through
the correct channels. We see evidence of the type of behaviour that was the
case on Sunday and Monday on Manus, on the streets of Melbourne & Sydney.
Whilst a lot of what comes out of the UK is hyped up,
there are elements of truth with regards to the impact of mass and uncontrolled
migration and illegal entry. We should
learn from their experiences before it gets worse here. And before we end up
with all and sundry right-wing fascists groups inflaming already tense situations
in some areas.
As global citizens we should (and we do) endeavour to
look after refugees. Australia has a proud history in that regard. That said,
we need to debate and to be selective in whom we grant the privilege of sharing
this great country with. There is
nothing racist is making that comment although many will brand it such. As consumers we expect the best for our money
and surely as hard working tax payers we should expect the same when it comes
to who we share our wealth and our good fortune with. This has nothing to do with colour or religion
but it has everything to do with attitude.
We need people who hold the vision of a better life. That
they contribute to building their new life not just rely on others. We don’t
want nr can we afford to accommodate those who seek to bring with them the
worst of their 'old' lives. Not those who view Australia as the easy option and
who are not prepared to make the effort to build their lives based on a set of
values that is compatible to the values of Australians. This is;
- People who learn to speak the language
- People who swear allegiance to Australia first and foremost
- People who are prepared to work and not just take handouts
- People who obey the laws of the land
- People who allow others to participate in their religion without fear of retribution
- People who respect each other regardless of race, position or religious belief
- People who value what we value; our freedom, the many blessings we enjoy living in this great country, the relative safety we enjoy to go about our daily lives and who want to contribute economically and culturally
In seeking the best it doesn’t mean we don’t accept the
damaged people, the illiterate people however if we do, those we accept have to
want to do something about fixing their problems. That means educating themselves.
That means seeking help to deal with their problems. There are any number of options available
however many choose to do nothing and then blame their issues when they break
the law. This is not acceptable.
I could go on but the above is not a bad start. As many of us have pointed out there is a
long tradition of supporting refugees in this country. In the past, it has been
'Australians' who have attacked those same refugees. All too often now it's the
other way around.
We need to be able to talk about this without being labelled racists, intolerant or any other form of abuse that is so often hurled in our direction.
