What would Chiefley do?

What would Chiefley do?

Seem the world is increasingly confused - we seem to have polles who race to the latest trend no matter what:

• Homeland Security
• Immigration Control
• Social Security Reform
• Sanctity of Marriage
• Education Reform
• Australian Values
  

"Poor fella him, my country" to quote a wise man.

What on earth are Australian Values - would Chiefley recognize our value system - would he mind the changes. Lets give the man time to get past the shock of arriving some half a century into the future and to get past the thinking of his day - Remember White Australia folks - to have fresh look at OZ now.

I think he would see a community that strives for common ground - of acceptance of the other, we still have racisism and oppression but we try to do better.

Yet this attempt to build a Commonwealth of Australia is all too often assailed by the mad dogs of Left and Right. At the moment the Right are ascendant with assaults on Habeas Corpus and much of the rest of the basis of a just law that came from Magna Carta and the works of Jurisprudence and legislation that followed. We need to remember that it is the concept of a civil society and a Commonwealth based in fairness and justice that allows any "values" to florish and be practised freely.

Perhaps we are not seeing a discussion of Australian Values so much as what some folk honestly hold to be moral values - and here enters that dreadful Boogie Man of religion, belief and faith. It is fair enough that folks have belief systems of one type or another but we must agree to disagree on what is the "right" belief or the "right" values.

Our society must be run by the rule of law and we need to take a wee learning from medicine - first do no harm. We must run our society based on evidence - based on truth and openess in the way we are governed and the way we make decisions as a community. Security has a place - we all need to feel safe but what do we most need to be safe from -
People with bombs or Domestic Violence and Alcoholism
Immigrants taking over our country or folk pushing right wing agendas and wedge politics.

All things in moderation - and decision made after civilised and informed conversation.

I'm sure I can still see a light on the hill