A Lesson from Two Little Boys

He may be some distance from a household name these days, but Rolf Harris has enjoyed international and domestic exposure for his music and art. Tim Freedman tonight on the ABC sang the song "Two Little Boys" for which Rolf Harris is renown. It struck me at that time that the chorus is somewhat similar to that stereotypical Australian concept of mateship:

"Did you think that I would leave you crying?
When there's room on my horse for two
Climb up here, Jack and don't be crying
I can go just as fast with two."

When did we forget this idea as a nation? We have one of the strongest and most successful economies in the world, and yet we quibble and squabble and argue and fight about the refugee problem. We politicise the response, debate the morality and effectively do very little. When will we say to them that we won't leave them crying? We can go just as fast with two!

 To be continued...

A Fair Go in the Lucky Country

I hear a lot of talk about "God's Will". Jesus himself said that the poor we shall always have with us, yet he spent his entire life shunning material gain, admonishing others to give all they have to the poor, to follow him in a life of service and humility.

Australians have forgotten their birthright, their core values, and have sought to temper their values with material wealth. This has wrought all sorts of mean spirited policies and there are few left to advocate the true values of being Australian. Australia is the land of opportunity, yet if you happen to speak another language, believe in a different religion, pray to a different god, admonish the rights of humans rather than citizens, then your opportunities are somewhat less than those who maintain the status quo of a power base long forgone in search of the quick buck which is only available because of the global village we now find ourselves in.

Think about the irony here: we ride the wave of wealth that comes from the orient of old, yet we mistrust those upon whom our wealth is built when it comes to who we allow to share in the rites of citizenship. We can scarcely contain our excitement at the bargain we have obtained in our favourite store, yet spare no thought for the wages the one who has formed the object of our favour has earned as a result, nor the conditions of their lives, their freedoms, rights and responsibilities in their communities. Would we be so eager to accept the prizes of consumerism at its peak if we were the ones to bear the costs of such wealth? I dare say "no".

Australia is dead to opportunity if we believe in a fair go, yet cannot find the humanity to accept those from other countries whose only hope for "a fair go" is to seek it in distant lands without expectation of success. What is the price of wealth? It is the responsibility to help those upon whose sweat and blood the wealth is wrought, both domestically and internationally.

Our new Prime Minister has promised much but has yet to fully realise this. My prayer is that her constituents, our fellow Australians of diverse backgrounds, exercise their rights in a free and democratic society in order to remind her of our collective responsibilities which inevitably will result from our position of wealth, opportunity and advantage.

Keeping our earth for our children and our children's children.
Earth Keeper.