Wrote a Song

Opinion 1

ONE OLD BLOKE'S POINT OF VIEW

January 2012

Another festive season has come and gone and we enjoyed being with our families and celebrating Christmas once again. There are many prisoners overseas who are wrongly or rightly incarcerated in foreign prisons who didn't have that same opportunity. In the true Aussie tradition, I believe in a fair go, human rights and dignity. I also believe that regardless of country or person concerned, that these three basic principles should be stringently adhered to. The world is now more accessable than it's ever been. There is a whole new generation of young people including grand children, some of whom no doubt will be travelling overseas in the future.

To the percentage of Australian people who are so convinced that Schapelle Corby is guilty, I ask --- were you there on that afternoon in 2004 when this Aussie sister was arrested? And has your assumption been influenced by some of the outrageous claims made by some of the media, current affairs programs etc? Edited interviews bent and twisted around so as to capitalise on some one else's pain and misery simply to enhance ratings?

As I sat down to Christmas dinner with family and friends this time, my thoughts went out to this mentally frail young woman as she was about to endure her eighth Christmas in a Balinese prison on a unproven drug charge.

I personally share the view that has been expressed by some of our legal people and body language experts through out the world, that Schapelle was an unsuspecting drug mule set up by persons unknown and that she had no knowledge what so ever, that the marijuana was there until custom officers in Bali opened the bag. Everyone has their own opinion on this aspect, and that is fair enough. This just happens to be mine. However, I ask the question, if you or one of your family or grand children got into an adverse situation similar to Schapelle's,

1. Would you want every option available to you as laid down by that country's investigation and legal process?
2. Would you want dignity and human respect administered?
3. Would you expect your home country government, while not being able to intervene while your trial was in progress, to at least protest once the trial and appeals were over that certain aspects and legal requirements were not adhered to?

If your answers to these three questions are NO, then I will say "I do not believe you". However, if your answer is YES, then folks step back, take a breath and re assess. You and I are on the same quest for truth and justice and a much fairer outcome. Friendship with an overseas country that is virtually on our door step is fine, so long as Australian citizens and others in doubtful circumstances are not used as the proverbial "sacrificial lamb" to secure and maintain that friendship. Friendship is a two-way commitment, which I believe should include compassion and compromise. Like that saying about one hand clapping, you cannot have one without the other.

Hypothetically speaking and with as much respect that I can muster, I ask our previous Prime Minister John Howard and our present Prime Minister Julia Gillard, if the daughter of a high profile "Australian Government Minister" happened to find herself in the same adverse situation as Schapelle, would she eight years on still be held in a Balinese prison mentally frail and with an uncertain future? I would suggest that all clear thinking Australians as well as the 'anti Schapelle brigade' might know the possible answer to that.

Continues on Opinion 2