Accusations of rape, vandalising paintings

and telling us we "must" vote according to the plans of the present government.

I think I need to move to another island...and turn off the news.  I would miss some people -  such as regular readers of this blog - but there is something wrong with the way we are being given the news now. 

Almost every night a news story will come with a "warning" that the content might upset and a link to a site in case it has upset someone and they need help.  Yes, it is upsetting. Yes, people do need help.

At the same time do we really need four full pages in today's paper about a rape case that has not yet been decided? Would we need four full pages anyway? Who on earth would reportedly pay $325,000 for a book deal about such an incident?  And that is the least of it. The media has been banging on about this for weeks now - to the point where the trial almost did not go ahead. Very little has been heard from the accused but a great deal has been heard from and written about the alleged victim. Everyone is different but I can't help thinking about all those rape victims who have never had their day in court, who perhaps have never been able to speak up. Hearing about something like this must be so hard for them - and almost impossible to avoid. 

And why give the fools who do senseless acts of "protest" like gluing themselves to a Picasso (in Melbourne) or a van Gogh (in London) any publicity at all? It will only encourage others to do the same, particularly as they will no doubt get nothing more than a sympathetic slap on the wrist from the courts. In this city two "activists" were not fined anything "because they have limited means to pay" even after they caused a major disruption to morning traffic. No, it isn't the way to get the message across. The media thinks it is though. It would be better if these things were not reported at all - starve such activists of media oxygen. They need to find positive ways of getting their message across...planting more trees perhaps?

The present government also seems to believe that getting a message across involves telling only one side of the story or the argument. Yes, there will be a referendum on the issue but you don't need to know what arguments there might be against our idea. If you oppose that "Voice" you are automatically a "racist" - even if you are one of those the idea of a "voice to parliament" is supposed to benefit. The media is telling us it is wrong to vote "No" even when legitimate questions are being asked. 

We are being told it is no longer possible to think for ourselves, that we must follow the "correct" way of thinking. Really? Isn't this how we stop growing?