It is ANZAC Day and

this year and our Defence Minister is telling us to "prepare for war so as to keep the peace".  

"Be prepared?" I suppose so. 

It worries me. I suppose I am closer to such things than many people. Even though I have slowly, sometimes much too slowly, started to hand over the work I do to other people there are still moments things  hit harder than usual. 

It is not because I am feeling more fragile than usual it is because we should all care when a mother and her three month old child are killed in an act of senseless violence. That this should happen under the command of a calculating mad man intent on bringing another nation to its knees simply makes it even worse. 

Right now it seems that nothing can be done, that Putin will get away with his heinous behaviour because there is the threat of a wider war in the background, a war with the potential use of nuclear weapons. He would not hesitate. He won't stop where it is being suggested he will stop. He will want to go on.  He wants the "glorious USSR" back. It matters not to him that this is not what the people he is intent on conquering want. 

I thought of all this last night as I watched a segment on the news. One of the candidates for the upcoming election had to be interviewed from a secret location. She has had death threats. Her family has had threats. The police are involved. I can only assume she was in a "safe house" under armed guard. It means she cannot campaign.

Her sin? It was to say that transgender people should not compete against biological women in sport. It was to say that she believes certain procedures in children amount to genital mutilation and should not be allowed.  This is what we have come to. Last night she was choosing her words very carefully. It is something she should not have to do. 

Whether we agree with her or not is beside the point. She is not advocating we go out and kill one another. A minority, and they are a minority, should not be dictating in this way. The "politically correct" or "woke" brigade is being allowed to tell the rest of us how and what we should be thinking. They are (ab)using the law to try and prevent people from voicing their genuine concerns. Such actions may make "news" but it really is not news at all. It is no better than the words "special military operation". 

I know more than one person is going to say, "Don't be ridiculous. It isn't the same at all." Really? When did we start to believe that it is okay if someone needs police protection for saying something that does not condone violence? When did we start to believe that threatening violence if others don't agree with us is acceptable?

We all have some rights - but they also come with responsibilities.