I believe there are some on the 'put Aussies first' side who are racist, Islamophobic, Neo-nazi or whatever label you want to give them. Yet these groups do give voice to the discontent and anger felt by too many of us.
Suicide rates in rural areas are consistently 40 per cent higher than the rates in metropolitan areas, according to Sane Australia ... "We know from the research that 50 percent less money is spent on mental health services in rural and remote Australia, so access to medical help is compromised. (ABC Rural, 12/11/17). Drought, cheap imports, green tape and more is really hurting the bush with farmers being forced off farms that have been in their families for generations.
Police, emergency workers and veterans to name a few suffer the scourge of PTSD. My interest is more with Veterans and I am more familiar with their situation. Whether on active or peacekeeping service these people see things that human being shouldn't - and the same is true of the police and others. Vet's are drowned in red tape, an obstructive Dept of Vet Affairs that some advocates claim has driven their mates to suicide. Many vets, not just those with mental issues, feel betrayed and let down by the Government - and there is plenty of evidence to support that claim.
The globalisation of the economy that started back the Hawke/Keating days has led to the loss of many manufacturing and other jobs.
Many of our fellow Australians are hurting, feeling betrayed, forgotten, abandoned by Government and the comfortable metropolitan majority.
How do these people feel when they see comfortable, educated elite on 'our ABC' dismissing them as racist, Islamophobic and more. How do they feel when they see someone who is obviously a refugee or the child of one who has the privilege of an Australian University education and a comfortable job lecturing them on white privilege, someone who has opportunities given them by this country that many of them didn't have?
I believe we should not limit our generosity and compassionate to our own. We are are wealthy country by world standards and if there was a will to do so we should be able to strike a fair balance between one and the other. Let's face it, our foreign aid is rarely for purely altruistic purposes - it is driven my national self-interest.
Every problem in the world happens within a broader context. If we fail to recognise the bigger picture, focusing on simplistic solutions we are likely to make things worse, not better. We will never change things for the better by preaching, yelling, lecturing and abusing. Those who go down this road will only entrench the very attitudes they say they want to change.
I do feel for refugees and asylum seekers. I support foreign aid, seeing it as part of our being a good international citizen.
Maybe if those hurting, angry Australians felt their plight was been understood by the many advocates for those off shore, if they felt these advocates were as passionate about their cries for help, there would not be the antagonism that now exists.
We need to look for win-win solutions.
