Dear Politicians in Australia
In 2001 I wrote a letter to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and I am sad to say, the contents is unfortunately still topical 10 years on. Back then I wrote:
Quote
In recent weeks I have read the flood of letters and articles in the SMH in relation to the Afghan refugees who were picked up by the Tampa. With a lot of those ‘good on you Johnny’ letter writers praising the tough stand of our current Prime Minister.
I have often wondered whether they have ever tried to look beyond their and Johnny’s legalistic stands taken from the comfortable armchair position in a country where legal processes and orderly processing of life events are taken for granted. (and never mind the lies about children overboard)
I have just come back from visiting my 85 year old mother who lives a comfortable life in Germany. And as the news broke on the Tampa incidence whilst I was over there, we could not but talk about the experience of fleeing, the things you do when you are forced to flee a country because of the political, social conditions which make life unbearable.
I know from oral history and from the experiences of some of my family members that under these
extraordinary circumstances it is often necessary to ‘break’ the ‘rules’, disregard the regulations, jump some queues and try to reach a goal which is to live a normal decent life under humane conditions.
Like so many things in the last 100 years, the means of fleeing an oppressive and often murderous regime and inhumane environment like Afghanistan have changed. Horse drawn carts and “Bollerwagen” have often been replaced by ships and planes. However, the essential human endeavour and the determination to reach your goal ‘what ever it takes’ have remained the same
And people smugglers are as old as mankind. I know that my parents used some in their long battle of getting away from Russian troops towards the West of Germany in the early forties of the last century.
End of quote
One could argue that Moses (the one of Bible fame) was one of the first famous people smugglers who got an extensive write up on his ‘business model’.
During that same visit to German in 2001 I happened to find the postcard (below). I never quite worked out whether it was just coincidence or clear intend by Gerhard Polt, a well known Bavarian political and social satirist, to publish this postcard at that time.
But what I know is that your – the government and the opposition ‘solutions’ are inhumane, farcical and at times satirical. However, unlike Gerhard Polt’s musings, no laughing matter.
With 'hesitantly' kind regards
Jochen Holzrichter
legal German Immigrant
Australian Citizen
Market researcher
Communication consultant
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