Calls for peace marred by politicisation of tragedy

Much has been made of the booing at the memorial service at Bondi (“Pleas for peace and unity, jeers for Albanese as thousands attend Bondi vigil”, December 22). In a crowd of many thousands and with emotions running high, there were bound to be some people voicing their disapproval that way. But there was none among the large group around me, and we were all disturbed by that sign of disrespect. The fact is that the prime minister would have been pilloried either way, if he had attended or not shown up. Unfortunately, the booing became the story and distracted from the true meaning of the service. We all sat there in the heat, and then the rain, listening with sorrow, awe and deep love for those who gave their all to keep us safe. Let’s do what was asked – a small mitzvah (act of kindness) from each of us. Carry the light within. Beverley Fine, Pagewood

Mourners sing together at the end of the memorial held for the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach.Credit: Getty Images

Blaming Anthony Albanese for not doing enough to prevent the Bondi attack is just political opportunism driven by the right wing and some parts of the media. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps the government could have adopted some of the recommendations of envoy to combat antisemitism Jillian Segal sooner, however, the perpetrators of this heinous act were radicalised lone wolves and extremely difficult to identify. Albanese has also been slammed for not attending funerals, however, the families said he should not attend. What is clear is how Australians, in the spirit of mateship, came together to support the Jewish community. People risked their lives trying to stop the terrorists, surf lifesavers came under fire as they were helping the wounded, 50,000 people donated blood for the victims, and the thousands of people left floral and other tributes. It shows that apart from certain politicians, Australians of all faiths and backgrounds are remarkably kind, caring and empathetic people. Let us stop laying blame, learn from our institutional failings, and make sure that hatred directed at anyone is unacceptable. Australia is an exceptional country where genuine mateship is the norm. Barrington Salter, Elanora (Qld)

It is depressing that so many Coalition and ex-Coalition politicians have quickly exploited the Bondi shootings to ramp up partisan attacks on the Labor government, claiming it is to blame for this tragedy, apparently unaware of their own hypocrisy (“Albanese’s approval rating plummets as social cohesion frays”, December 22). For example, John Howard, of all people, claims gun reform to be a “distraction”; Sussan Ley asks what “values” migrants have brought to Australia; Andrew Hastie asks, “who are we letting into our country?” while Josh Frydenberg asks, “How did they come here?” Well, Mr Frydenberg and others, apart from the migrants who risked their lives trying to disarm the killers, shooter Sajid Akram came to Australia under Howard’s government; he received a gun licence under Tony Abbott’s government and his Australian-born son was assessed and cleared by ASIO under Scott Morrison’s government, of which you were a cabinet minister. John Oakley, Wollongong

Part way through watching the Bondi memorial service I had to turn off the television. The behaviour of those in the crowd who felt free to boo the prime minister, and the words of some of the speakers, were clearly aimed at stoking division and hatred. They did not honour the dead, they diminished them. Joanna Mendelssohn, Dulwich Hill

Accusations that the Bondi massacre is being politicised is just another attempt to deflect attention from the government’s poor performance in protecting Australian Jews. After the worst terror attack on Australian soil, what could be more political than the prime minister’s refusal to call a royal commission into this atrocity? Judy Maynard, Rose Bay

During Chris Minns’ premiership, firebombings, threats and antisemitic graffiti aimed at the Jewish community has left many people feeling unsafe. The media seems to adore the premier and very rarely criticises him. In light of the latest heinous attack, maybe it’s time for them to evaluate his performance in addressing antisemitism and protecting people. The prime minister is not the only person who should shoulder the blame for the attack. It’s easy for the premier to show reverence attending funerals and delivering impassioned speeches, however, his inaction on antisemitism should also be scrutinised. Pat Mcfarlane, Cabarita

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his wife Jodie Haydon and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles arrive at the memorial service.Credit: Getty Images

Calls for peace, love and consideration in the wake of the shootings do not seem to include our prime minister, who was not personally responsible for the actions of two very evil people with guns. I imagine he is just as shocked and distressed as every other Australian. He should be given the courtesy, with support from the opposition, to do what needs to be done to prevent this situation from ever occurring again. All Australians have been changed by what happened last Sunday. Kath Maher, Lidcombe

Booing is now accepted in part of our Australian way of life – a legitimate way to voice our disapproval of just about anything. As Rob Hickey said in his letter yesterday, our citizens need hope, not hatred (Letters, December 22). It’s time for us to listen, love and peacefully make positive changes that will better bind our multicultural society together. Cecily Chittick, Wyong

What sort of parallel universe am I living in when our prime minister, a man committed to unity and fairness, is roundly booed at the “light over darkness” vigil, while earlier in the week, at the same location, the leader of One Nation, a political party based on ignorance and hatred, together with her recent buffoon of a recruit, is roundly applauded? Believe me, Pauline Hanson is not the answer. Shame on all those who expressed their feelings on both those occasions. Bill Young, Killcare Heights

The ad in Monday’s Herald from Australia’s multicultural peak bodies says “This is not Australia”. Unfortunately, it is Australia. The shooting of Jews at a celebration did happen. Denial doesn’t help. Maybe the ad should say “We don’t want this to be Australia, but it is.” Only by facing reality can real change happen. We have to fully acknowledge how this came to happen and how we let it get this bad. We have to face the fact that antisemitism does exist, to such an extreme extent that 15 innocent people were killed. Only by admitting our shocking truth can we humbly change the culture that has allowed antisemitism to fester in our society. Celia Ziegler, Maroubra

Jeering, booing and declining to invite Albanese to memorial ceremonies are unhelpful responses to this crisis. The PM has honestly acknowledged that his government could or should have done more to try to stem antisemitism, and has refused to buy into the divisive narrative being promoted by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, the Liberal opposition and certain people in the community. If you want cohesion, unity and peace, if you deplore division, exclusion or discrimination, you cannot expect the outcomes for which you aim if you yourself do not practise what you preach. Frederick Jansohn, Rose Bay

Albanese and his colleagues are strong on apologising for tragedies that happened centuries ago, but can’t bring themselves to apologise for what happened on their watch last week. Graham Kenny, Killarney Heights

Thank you for the brilliant job the Herald is doing of reporting and editorialising in the midst of this tragedy. Some of the best letters ever submitted from readers have been evoked by what took place last Sunday, and by the enormity of the task of preventing a similar atrocity and tackling the most fundamental challenge ahead of us – eliminating antisemitism. Would the Herald consider running a forum to oversee and report on this massive undertaking? Or will it just go back to business as usual, where the other perennial news issues distract us from this imperative? Peter Skinner, Beecroft

Don’t rush legislation

The NSW government should hasten slowly when it comes to legislative change after the despicable act of terrorism against Sydney’s Jewish community (“Quick fixes won’t make us safer”, December 22). That attack was perpetrated not only, though avowedly, against that sector of our society, but against our free society as a whole. It was an attack upon our collective freedom to express ourselves religiously, socially, politically, artistically or otherwise. The right to free expression and assembly is central to our democracy, and, while there are rare occasions concerned with public safety where it may justifiably be curbed, any proposed restrictions must be carefully considered and the subject of proper consultation. Rushing legislation through in the current environment is inadvisable and potentially dangerous. Dominic Toomey SC, president, NSW Bar Association

A woman lights a candle to pay her respects to the lives lost in the shooting.Credit: Jessica Hromas

In his article, John Coyne highlights the pitfalls of short-term, knee-jerk attempts to identify causes and impose solutions after attacks like Bondi. These responses often aim to alleviate feelings that stem from heightened emotion, anger and grief. That is why we appoint professionals who can examine events objectively, identify the underlying causes and propose long-term solutions. Quick fixes may soothe anger and satisfy the desire for revenge, but they are just quick fixes that often prove counterproductive over time. Manbir Singh Kohli, Pemulwuy

What a timely article by John Coyne. There have been all sorts of knee-jerk demands for immediate action at a time when a calm, considered review is essential. We need to keep in mind Coyne’s observation that “blame-hunting hysterics and rage-baiting serve a nation poorly”. Col Nicholson, Hawks Nest

Joyce’s self-promotion

Sunday was designated a national day of reflection. Thousands gathered all around Australia to share messages of hope, peace and positivity, and to show strength in unity and community. And yet on this day, only one week after the tragic Bondi shootings, Barnaby Joyce chooses to promote an unauthorised anti-immigration rally to stoke negativity, xenophobia and division (“Barnaby Joyce to join Sydney anti-immigration rally”, December 12). It seems Joyce’s self-promotion and lack of judgment know no bounds. Hopefully, his brand of hatred and negativity will be rejected by voters at the next election. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl

In April 1996, Martin Bryant massacred 35 people at Port Arthur. In March 2019, white supremacist Brenton Tarrant murdered 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand. These killers were neither Muslims nor immigrants. Michael Perry, Murwillumbah

We’re all cousins

I’m sorry Philip Cooney, but the solution to religion-based intolerance is not more religion (Letters, December 22). Christianity has hardly been a shining example of peace, love and understanding over the past 2000 years; if its message was ever going to work, it would have already. It’s time to try something else. For instance, thanks to science we now know that every single person on earth is descended from one woman. So everyone is related to everyone else – we are all cousins. People should think about that when they feel hatred toward someone, because you are hating your own family. Andrew Taubman, Queens Park

Consider ethics

There were a number of mentions in the letters columns last week about the teaching of ethics in schools (Letters, December 20). As a volunteer teacher of primary ethics at a local school, I endorse those comments. However, I do not actually “teach” ethics; rather, I guide my students through a series of scenarios and questions whereby they think, reason and discuss things such as fairness, inclusion, right from wrong, empathy, etc. I do not impose my philosophy, but follow a tightly scripted text approved by the NSW Department of Education. In these fraught times when decent people are wondering how they can make a contribution to a better, more inclusive Australia, perhaps they could consider becoming a volunteer ethics teacher. Hugh Barrett, Sanctuary Point

Gun storage

I don’t understand how limiting the number of weapons held in a home can be seen as an effective solution to gun violence (“NSW Coalition splits over gun laws”, December 12). Never mind the proposed limit of four, just one firearm in the wrong hands can be highly destructive. Why are guns allowed to be kept in domestic homes in the first place? If people like going to shooting ranges, then have their guns stored securely on location so there is no need to take them home. Admittedly, this doesn’t solve all the potential issues and risks around gun ownership, but it surely lessens them. If this is not the time to introduce significant changes, then when is it? Let’s not wait for another tragedy. Donald Sleer, Manly

NSW Premier Chris Minns speaks at Sunday’s memorial.Credit: Getty

A gun only becomes lethal once a bullet has been loaded. The government should therefore consider limiting the number of bullets a gun owner can obtain. Marli Davies, Wentworth Falls

Israel’s settlements

Tensions in the Middle East and elsewhere will not be eased by the recent recognition by Israel’s security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. While the Israeli government frames this as a move for national security and strategic interests, many around the world view it as a major barrier to long-term stability in the region. Sadly, many more tears are waiting to be shed. John Bailey, Canterbury

Baby on hold

I recently observed a distracted new mum heading towards me, one hand on the pram and other scrolling through her smartphone. As she drew closer, I’d hoped that baby was sound asleep and as she passed, I couldn’t resist a sideways glance. Alas, mum was still engrossed in her screen while bub gazed up at her for attention. I don’t know who I felt the greater sadness for (“Who’d dare put a dumb phone under the tree for a kid? You should do it for adults, too”, December 22). Viv Munter, Tumbi Umbi

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