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Jim Pavlidis<\/span>Credit: <\/span>.<\/cite><\/p>\n To submit a letter to The Age<\/em>, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.<\/strong><\/p>\n Usman Khawaja, like many, has been deeply affected by the distressing scenes of destruction and suffering since Hamas\u2019 barbaric October 7 attacks on Israel precipitated the current Gazan horror. Why not a letter in blue?<\/strong> The religion should not matter<\/strong> On the calculus of caring<\/strong> Human rights worldwide need our attention<\/strong> Israel is in an impossible situation<\/strong> Please, immunise the kids<\/strong> Immigration rewards<\/strong> Dutton\u2019s followers<\/strong> At least, it\u2019s a step<\/strong> Tomorrow, we fry . . .<\/strong> Just more words<\/strong> Window is closing<\/strong> Here comes the sun<\/strong> Decision to save lives<\/strong> Drum to be missed<\/strong> Cultural vandalism<\/strong> An asset removed<\/strong> A garden of delight<\/strong> Vote applauded<\/strong> Gift possibilities<\/strong> Can the Cans<\/strong> War<\/strong> The purpose of the players\u2019 uniform is to unite them into a team. They should not be individual billboards. I would support Usman Khawaja wearing one shoe with slogans supporting Palestinians provided he wore slogans denouncing Hamas on the other. Bravo Australia. Voting for a ceasefire and not blindly following the United States for once. Most people who watch sport do so to get a break from the problems of the world so Usman Khawaja please leave your marked shoes in your cricket bag. If there is no ceasefire in Gaza, only the ideology of Hamas will remain. Years ago, we only heard of the wars through newspapers and radio. I wonder if we have become desensitised by the continual television footage.
Khawaja\u2019s messages on his shoes, in the Palestinian colours of black, white, green and red, are not inflammatory, political rhetoric designed to create division, hatred or animosity. The words, \u201cFreedom is a human right\u201d and \u201cAll lives are equal\u201d, are non-partisan, and all-encompassing in their plea for humanity to be humane: for all lives to be respected and valued, be they Palestinian, Gazan, Jewish or Israeli, or any other faith or ethnicity. It\u2019s a message that transcends politics, ideologies and cricket.
Deborah Morrison, Malvern East<\/strong><\/p>\n
I noticed the words \u201call lives are equal\u201d on Usman Khawaja\u2019s shoes were written in green, red and black to represent the deaths of innocent Palestinians in the Gaza war. If he truly believes that statement, why didn\u2019t he also write one of the words in blue to represent the innocent Jewish lives that were lost on October 7 which precipitated this war?
At the very least, why did he not include a single blue letter out of respect for the Jewish women who were raped, mutilated and murdered? Ernie Schwartz, McKinnon<\/strong><\/p>\n
All lives surely do matter. Usman Khawaja is not making an outrageous or a political statement whatsoever. What\u2019s the problem with the cricket board? Would the reaction be different if a nominally Christian player did the same? I\u2019m with Usman.
Andrew Barnes, Ringwood<\/strong><\/p>\n
If Usman Khawaja is not political but rather making the point that all lives are equal then perhaps he should have one shoe supporting the poor Gazans losing their homes and lives in conflict and the other supporting the innocent Israeli hostages, including those still being held in inhumane conditions, and innocent Israelis who have had to flee their homes due to incessant bombings. Then I would agree he cares about all human life equally. Judy Joss, Jerusalem<\/strong><\/p>\n
I find it difficult to understand the reaction to Usman Khawaja\u2019s statement emblazoned on his shoes, \u201cAll lives are equal\u201d and \u201cFreedom is a human right\u201d. Surely, most Australians would endorse this message as a way of bringing attention to the massive injustices and breaches of human rights around the world. It is a humanitarian message and should not be politicised. But do many care?
Angela Woolard, Mordialloc<\/strong><\/p>\n
Israel is being called upon to do the impossible: on the one hand, to eliminate Hamas from power in Gaza, and on the other hand, not to harm the civilian communities where Hamas is hiding. No other nation has ever managed to defeat entrenched terrorist infrastructure without exacting a heavy toll on civilians.
If there were a ready solution to this dilemma, Israel would have taken it long ago. It behooves all those calling for a ceasefire to detail their magical solution to dislodging Hamas from power without causing civilian casualties.
Or perhaps Israel is instead being asked to do the impossible and allow a murderous enemy to regroup so that they can fulfil their stated aim of more atrocities at the first available opportunity?
Steven Prawer, Caulfield<\/strong><\/p>\nFORUM<\/strong><\/h3>\n
When I was in primary school in the early 1950s, there were kids wearing calipers, the result of polio, and kids wearing large hearing aids because their mothers had had rubella in pregnancy. Then in 1969, I was an intern at the Fairfield Infectious Disease Hospital and saw very sick children from a variety of diseases. Now these diseases are very rare \u2013 because of immunisation. All people hear of nowadays are the very rare side effects of vaccines such as \u2033\u2063my child had [x] immunisation and suffered [y]\u201c.
The balance between benefit and risk is overwhelmingly tilted to benefit. Please, ensure your children are fully immunised.
Dr Paul Nisselle, Middle Park<\/strong><\/p>\n
Like your correspondent (Letters, 14\/12), I am also saddened by the cuts in immigration.
At our school\u2019s presentation day this week, the guest speaker was a former student, who had graduated in 2011. He was a refugee from Bhutan, who entered year 10 with very little English and went on to become dux of the school two years later.
He has since studied medicine at two universities and now works as a doctor in regional Australia. By his own words, he is keen to \u2033\u2063give back\u2033\u2063 to Australia. A shining example of the benefits of immigration and public education.
Craig Jory, Albury, NSW<\/strong><\/p>\n
Your correspondent (Letters, 14\/12) says that Peter Dutton doesn\u2019t speak for him when he demanded an apology for the cancellation of a planned Australia Day function in London in January. That may be so, but Dutton certainly speaks for the 61 per cent of Australians who voted No in the recent referendum.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully<\/strong><\/p>\n
Realistically, no outcome from the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai was ever going to phase out fossil fuels. But the unanimous decision to transition from fossil fuels, which sounds very much like \u2033\u2063phase-down\u2033\u2063, is the best we could have hoped for.
Here again, we must not sacrifice the good for the perfect. This is the first time fossil fuels have been addressed in any of the previous 27 final statements at these COP conferences.
However slowly, it\u2019s still a step in the right direction. The world is watching the transition.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris<\/strong><\/p>\n
It should now be clear that during the next quarter century or so, we are likely to witness one of two scenarios.
Optimistically, the efforts of the world in developing and installing renewable energy will accelerate and be increasingly successful, reducing its cost of supply well below the point at which any fossil fuel can compete anywhere.
Alternatively, we\u2019ll all fry.
Under either scenario, the demand for fossil fuels will be effectively zero.
Faced with this future, is it any surprise that the fossil-fuel mega producers \u2013 whether oil-rich or coal rich \u2013 will do their utmost to extract and sell at current prices as much as they possibly can? Not fools, they know there is a strong probability that the \u201cvaluable\u201d reserves they are sitting on today will be worthless in the foreseeable and not-too-distant future.
Regrettably, that makes the second scenario the most likely of the two.
Ronald Burnstein, Heidelberg<\/strong><\/p>\n
COP28 has delivered a carefully hedged conclusion that fossil fuels must eventually be withdrawn from the energy mix and replaced by clean-energy sources. Yet there was no sense of urgency and no enforceable commitment, just more pious aspirations.
The prospect is for more fossil fuels being produced and burnt, much of this sourced from Australia. The world\u2019s emissions will continue to rise, the planet will continue to heat up and another COP will be organised. Just who are we trying to fool here?
Peter Barry, Marysville<\/strong><\/p>\n
At COP28, the world finally committed to \u201ctransition away\u201d from fossil fuels (\u201cFossil fuel phase-out sticking point at talks\u201d, 14\/12). As the climate envoy from the Marshall Islands and other devastated island states noted, however, this language is not nearly adequate to drive the urgent emissions reductions required to hold warming below
1.5 degrees. Once again, to achieve consensus, creative ambiguity was included in the final COP text.
Disappointingly, like previous summits, COP28 demonstrated that it is petro-states with vested interests in fossil-fuel profits holding the rest of the world back from a healthier, clean energy future. The narrative must change. As we\u2019ve seen with the rapid uptake of cars in the early
20th century and the rise of the mobile phone and now AI, humanity has great capacity to innovate and find solutions.
The window to achieve the Paris summit goal is closing.
Strong leadership and collective will are vital to truly close the door on the fossil-fuel era.
Amy Hiller, Kew<\/strong><\/p>\n
We should triple the use of nuclear energy but only its advanced version \u2013 nuclear fusion. Fortunately, we have access to a reliable fusion reactor, which is likely to last another 5 billion years. It is safely situated
150 million kilometres away.
It is called the sun.
Kishor Dabke, Mount Waverley<\/strong><\/p>\n
When the news is often doom and gloom, the decision of the federal, state and territory ministers for industrial relations and workplace safety to ban engineered stone provides a bright light.
The decision will save the lives of workers and is worthy of congratulations particularly because it is a world-first and can be used as inspiration and a model for other countries.
The unions, community groups and relevant governments deserve recognition and thanks from all workers and their families.
How unfortunate it took so long for asbestos to be banned.
Dianne Foggo, inaugural chair, <\/strong>
Victorian Asbestos Eradication Agency<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Drum will be sadly missed in my circle of acquaintances for its in-depth discussion and the opportunity for Australians from diverse backgrounds to have a voice. Most importantly, it stood out as informative because the audience were not subjected to any current or recent politicians and their ability to avoid answering questions.
Please ABC, duplicate these philosophies in any replacement program.
Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Drum has become a blessed refuge from partisan brawls for my household.
Most of its guests have deep lived experience of particular issues, and thoughtful responses to other panel members.
The excellent presenters have managed to facilitate respectful discussions, often in very difficult areas, while other panel shows produce unproductive shouting matches or cosy chats among journalists. Cancelling this show is cultural vandalism.
Caroline Williamson, Brunswick<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Drum has been such an asset for the ABC. At 6pm, I could count on a range of opinions from skilled people, and good discussion on the issues of the moment. It is not Canberra-centric, or capital city-centric. There is cross pollination as a person skilled in one area thinks on a different area. It is not heated, there is genuine discussion. It has been an elevating program. The ABC\u2019s decision is quite devastating.
Barbara Darvall, Caulfield North<\/strong><\/p>\n
I agree with your correspondent (Letters, 14\/12), The Drum is a tranquil pool of sanity in a maelstrom of political and media mendacity and abrasion. To paraphrase poet Minnie Aumonier, when the world wearies and society fails, there\u2019s always The Drum. Like the garden, it is our refuge from the madness of the world and a renewal of hope that there are people who understand the root cause of the problems that ail us, and are able to offer experience-based solutions.
Please ABC, it\u2019s not too late to change your mind. It\u2019s our ABC, remember.
John Mosig, Kew<\/strong><\/p>\n
As an Ahmadi Muslim, I welcome Australia\u2019s vote at the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire. I also welcome the prime minister\u2019s joint statement with leaders from Canada and New Zealand which recognises the responsibilities of both sides in establishing peace and highlights possible barriers to peace including the detention of innocent Israeli hostages, as well as the forcible displacement of Palestinians, re-occupation of Gaza, and settlements.
Khizar Rana, Hyde Park, SA<\/strong><\/p>\n
A simple remedy for Shona Hendley (Comment, 13\/12) if she doesn\u2019t want miscellaneous gifts from her students. Rather than increasing landfill, what about talking to her students well before Christmas about the desirability of choosing a cause that means something to each student and their families and ask them to make a donation. Oxfam, MSF, RSPCA and UNHCR are only a few possibilities.
Juliet Flesch, Kew<\/strong><\/p>\n
Where is this place called Cans which is experiencing a cyclone?
How does the perfectly straightforward pronunciation of the city of Cairns become so mangled, and soon becomes almost commonplace? Stop it.
Bette Erskine, Port Melbourne<\/strong><\/p>\nAND ANOTHER THING<\/strong><\/h3>\n
I don\u2019t know much about cricket, but go Usman Khawaja, with his shoes for peace and humanity.
Anne Sgro, Coburg North<\/strong><\/p>\n
Merryn Boan, Brighton<\/strong><\/p>\n
Les Aisen, Elsternwick<\/strong><\/p>\n
Mary Fenelon, Doncaster East<\/strong><\/p>\n
Paul Miller, Albury<\/strong><\/p>\n
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood<\/strong><\/p>\n
Susan Munday, Bentleigh East<\/strong><\/p>\n