Gratitude to teachers who have given their all
Credit:Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number.COVID-19Gratitude to teachers who have given their allAfter 36 years as a teacher, I retired at the start of 2020. My friend subsequently asked if I “knew†something that others did not, or had a hot tip from the almighty. I have watched my ex-colleagues (and my wife, also a teacher) do something extraordinary over these last 18 months. In the face of such adversity, they have continued to do their very best for the children in their care, but they have suffered too, both physically and mentally. No one gets out of this unscathed. They have my admiration and I am sure, the thanks of their students and perhaps more importantly, parents.
Frank Flynn, Cape Paterson
I have had reason lately to travel across the CBD by tram, with return trips twice. I wore a mask and checked in via the QR code on the trams each time. There are three reasons why I was willing, and able, to do this: I am in good physical and mental health, I am cognisant of the health advice, and I own a smartphone. However, on each trip I noted maskless individuals who did not check in. Some appeared to be suffering from mental illness and/or homelessness, and therefore likely did not have my advantages. We need to address the needs of our most vulnerable in order for them, and the community, to stay well.
Valerie Seal, North Fitzroy
I am a residential disability support worker caring for immune-compromised children on the Mornington Peninsula. After 23 phone calls and three drop-ins to vaccine centres, the earliest I can get the Pfizer jab is in six weeks despite Dan Andrews’ insistence that I have priority. “First in, best dressed†was what one clinic told me this week â€" despite my occupation . So much for protecting our most vulnerable, Premier.
Georgia Trotter, Rye
Why has the conversation about mandatory vaccination of aged care workers focused on staff in residential aged care? Tens of thousands of staff work in community aged care, providing a range of home-based support services to vulnerable, elderly clients. This cohort of the workforce has so far been forgotten in the mandatory vaccination debate.
Guy Thomson, Brunswick
The Victorian government’s lockdown requirement is that “if you can work from home, you must work from homeâ€. Our MPs should lead the way, but no, sittings of Parliament have been “indefinitely suspended†(The Age, 31/8). They should have created a way to do this from home, in order to carry out their fundamental responsibility of scrutinising the workings of government, including how our money is spent.
Betty Russell, Warrandyte
At the daily media conferences, we are told the number of cases, hospitalisations and geographical areas of most concern. I challenge our government representatives to include the number of hospitalisations by age group and locations for COVID-related mental illness in lockdown. For example, the suicide attempts, self-harm episodes and mental health issues. The number of deaths would need to be reported too. “Keeping Victorians safe†will then take on a new meaning when looking at ways to combat this virus.
Mandy Morgan, Malvern
Your correspondent from Mount Eliza asks “Where are the police?†(Letters 31/8). There is certainly a police presence in Echuca. Yesterday morning I saw a highway patrol car had pulled over a truck on Ogilvie Avenue (Murray Valley Highway). And on the way back from my walk, there was the usual police roadblock on High Street. Obviously the police are out in force trying to prevent any further incursions of COVID-19 into Victoria from NSW.
Wilma Hills, Echuca
If anyone wonders why lockdown is continuing, you only need to look at all the people whose masks are hanging below their noses or around their chins, and I do not just mean those silly coffee drinkers and smokers.
And also look at peak-hour traffic: Where are all these people going? The government needs to police people’s behaviour properly, or else this lockdown will not be over any time soon.
Gert Petersen, Heidelberg
Hooray, the curfew has been lifted. Well, at least on the Monash Freeway judging by the ceaseless roar of traffic throughout Monday night and the early hours before 5am yesterday.
Susan Caughey, Glen Iris
The first time I went to Singapore, I needed to show proof of vaccination against smallpox or I would have been refused entry. This was accepted as quite normal. So it should be with COVID-19 here: no jab, no admittance.
Geoff Schmidt, Richmond
Sophie Weiner’s article â€" “Radio’s power to comfort, connect†(Opinion, 31/8) â€" was music to my ears. Local radio has been a great source of comfort throughout the conga line of lockdowns experienced by Melburnians since March last year. Where would we be without the ABC’s fiery Virginia Trioli, crazy Sammy J, and ahh, Phillip Adams to get us through the “working†week?
And with our weekends filled with pretty much nothing at all, it’s The Coodabeens and PBS’ Emma Peel and Vince Peach who help keep us sane. Admittedly sometimes the radio is not enough. On Monday night my husband and I broke out a few moves to Going Back to My Roots over the kitchen sink. Zippin up my boots ...
Kerry Martin, Balaclava
First it was COVID-19 drivel in my letterbox, now it is political nonsense in my phone. Does someone know how to stop this endless drip, drip of unsolicited, ill-advised garbage from Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party and his new sidekick, Craig Kelly?
Melvin Patch, North Croydon
In the early 1980s I, along with other tertiary history students, volunteered to do oral history interviews for the bicentennial history project of people who had lived in Melbourne in 1938.
One man, who was a child in that year, caught polio (from which he later made a full recovery). He told me his family’s neighbours painted their fences with tar because they believed this would protect their children from being infected.
It is deeply disappointing that more than 80 years later, large numbers of people believe in treatments like Ivermectin for COVID-19 despite a lack of evidence supporting its efficacy, and that it could even do them harm.
Bronwyn Benn, Burwood
Almost out of nowhere, the Liberal Party has made mental health a key point of its position regarding COVID-19. Yet, where was its concern during the past decade, when suicide remained the biggest killer of those under 25, and depression and anxiety rates skyrocketed? Not to mention extraordinary wait times for Headspace and other psychological services, currently averaging six months (Opinion, 31/8). This party politicisation of mental health is an insult to every Australian who has experienced mental health issues and had to face a heavily under-resourced and underfunded system.
Chenny Chen, Werribee
This amazing lady â€" “Rape survivor speaks out†(The Age, 31/8) â€" has encapsulated so well my experience and I suspect that of all survivors: “I fight every day to prove that I am worth something.“In other words, you have been trashed, so you subconsciously believe you are trash. You therefore accept poor treatment. You do not defend or assert yourself. You take on serving roles rather than step out to reach your potential. Your whole attitude and direction in life is affected without recognition of this on your part until later. I commend this lady for achieving her medical degree.
Name withheld, Rosebud
Jack Latimore’s article â€" “Language is important but it can be tricky†(The Age, 31/8) â€" struck a chord. In our emerging awareness of First Nation Australians’ history, we must acknowledge their need to tell their stories using words that may vary from mob to mob. Our task is to listen, read the room and move with the flow. Always maintaining respect for the unique stories and how they are conveyed.
Brian Short, Colac
Graeme Perry (Letters, 31/8) hits the nail on the head. There is a mismatch between voters’ opinions about the need for effective climate action and the way they cast their votes. Two things need to happen. One is for Labor to present a convincing climate future plan, and the other is for voters to translate opinion into action. Without both these conditions being fulfilled, Australia will continue to let its children and the world down.
Tom Knowles, Parkville
The Prime Minister claims his government is addressing climate action. Yes, indeed, it is taking the issue very seriously with no need to do more. We have made the target. He fails to admit that we are in a race, with maybe a decade to transform our economy from being based around fossil fuels.
Does he understand that his puny targets, which have taken so little action to reach, will not put us on a path to net zero emissions until well into next century? Matching Joe Biden or Boris Johnson in their targets would be an excellent start.
Carolyn Ingvarson, Canterbury
Now that the crisis in Afghanistan has disappeared from the front page of the newspaper, it was good to read inside the human stories of ordinary Afghans stuck in Kabul â€" “Blast brutally ends hope for a new life†(World, 31/8). It made the crisis more real but also heartbreaking, to know that ordinary people, some who have helped Australians, some separated from their family, some families torn apart by the suicide bombing, are still stuck there. Keep the personal stories coming so that we may understand their plight, and maybe even try to help where we can.
Margaret Collings, Anglesea
Giants player Toby Greene has been given a three-match suspension for making intentional contact with an umpire. No one goes to the footy to watch the umpires. There is no cheer squad for the AFL Tribunal. Methinks the AFL may have forgotten it is an entertainment industry.
Ken Connor, Elwood
A three-game ban for Toby Greene is not a sufficient deterrent for community footballers where behaviour is not moderated by multiple camera angles and a fear of losing large pay sums.
Peter Gould, Moonee Ponds
In my playing days many years ago, the dressing rooms would have a sign: “The man in white is always right.†I suppose now they have a sign that reads: “The man in yellow is an untouchable fellow.“
Robert Furness, Mordialloc
Toby Greene may well be guilty as charged but the onus lay squarely with Greater Western Sydney for their failure to educate and discipline him to “pull his head inâ€.
Mary Wise, Ringwood
Spot on, Ross Gittins (Opinion, 30/8). The stage for our lack of preparedness for the serious crises we face, including this pandemic and especially climate change with increasingly catastrophic consequences, has been set by decades of governments abrogating and outsourcing their responsibilities, while blinded by ideology and the mirage of false economy.
The lack of appreciation of the true value of so many areas in which cost-cutting has been spun as sound economic management reflects the lack of understanding of the meaning and wisdom of the old dictum, “Penny wise, pound foolishâ€. Unfortunately it seems that only when the true cost can no longer be avoided is the true extent of the damage understood.
Joe Di Stefano, Geelong
Ross Gittins says, “Our pandemic problems are just the latest demonstration of the failure of the Smaller Government projectâ€. Another example is telecommunications. In other countries fibre optic cable began to be rolled out in the early 1980s, but most Australians had to wait two, three or four decades.
Why? Because instead of giving the publicly owned Telecom Australia (later renamed Telstra) the green light to install a fibre optic network, governments (both Labor and Coalition) implemented the neoliberal agenda. They cut Telstra’s workforce, introduced competition, and privatised Telstra. This all delayed the rollout.
Chris Slee, Coburg
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
COVID-19If I borrow my friend’s phone, can I also “borrow†my friend’s vaccine passport?
Peter Dann, Blackburn
O’Brien carps at Andrews. I bet, behind the scenes, he’s relieved he didn’t win the election.
Gerry Lonergan, Reservoir
It’s not about you. It’s about all of us. Get vaccinated.
Graham Cadd, Dromana
Darwin’s theory of evolution is sadly lacking in the face of COVID.
Peter Roberts, Eltham
Morrison might note that India vaccinated 10million people in one day.
Rod Matthews, Fairfield
Leunig’s cartoon (30/8) depicts exactly how I feel. He’s a genius.
Sue Gray, Kew
Leunig gets it right. Too many deafening, biased opinions cloud the issue, journalists among them.
Duncan McLaren (opinionated), Bendigo
We need an overall plan to track emissions reduction and increase jobs in renewables.
John Hughes, Mentone
Angus Taylor: the accidental low emitter.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
What will happen to old cars, trucks and buses when they’re replaced by EVs? Recycle or landfill
Penny Garnett, Castlemaine
What a delight to read Martin Flanagan’s words (Sport, 30/8). Journalism from the heart and sincere. Please bring him back.
John Cutler, Maddingley
As always, a thoughtful, tender column from Melissa Coburn (30/8).
Glenise Michaelson, Montmorency
Apparently the US gave intelligence about a suspected
IS-K attack to the Taliban. The enemy of your enemy is your friend.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
As an engineer, I was taught not to use the words ″â£hope, wish, should and could″â£. PM and premiers, take note.
Leon Ryan, Whittington
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