Browse: Home / Lost for words: RIP asylum seekers
By tigtog on December 16, 2010
I simply can’t process this very well. Those poor, poor people. Dozens dead and Christmas Island locals devastated by being unable to save more from the rough seas and razor rocks.
Of course the usual suspects are dusting off their usual lines. No matter how many asylum seeker myths are debunked by simple fact, the old adage remains sadly apposite: a lie can get around the world before the truth can get its boots on.
Posted in culture wars, ethics & philosophy, Politics, social justice | Tagged asylum-seekers |
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tigtog (aka Viv) is the founder of this blog. She lives in Sydney, Australia: husband, 2 kids, cat, house, garden, just enough wine-racks and (sigh) far too few bookshelves.
This author has written 3288 posts for Hoyden About Town. Read more about tigtog »
Yeah, I’m feeling much the same way, and I’m pretty disgusted by all the lies that are being told to blame this on the left. As one of the commenters on that ABC article said, people are claiming that this wouldn’t have happened had we turned the boat away — but all that really means is that it would have happened somewhere else.
Or not even that: Push vs. Pull – Asylum Seeker Numbers and Statistics basically tries to answer the question: if we change our laws, does it actually affect the plans of asylum seekers? The answer seems to be: probably not.
I’m pleasantly surprised that the current SMH article on the issue seems to be supporting the view that in order to prevent tragedies like this, we need to have a more open policy on refugees arriving by boat, so that they are able to contact authorities without fear.
It’s so terrible to think, however, that many of the survivors are now being held in detention, after such a traumatic experience. (Well, it’s terrible that they’re held in detention at all, but this experience must make it even worse.)
This tragedy highlights how much we need compassion rather than condemnation in times like these. Just horrific.
It is a terribly tragic event. After all they have been through to die this way, in such terror and unable to save their children, just ghastly.