Letters to the editor

FILM THE POLICE

‘Say Something!’ is a terrific concept/theme for this year’s MG. My something-to-say is ‘Film the cops!’

Why ‘Film the cops!’? The way NSW Police now handle public events, including Mardi Gras parties, is to curb civil liberties and to suppress the expression of joy and freedom that once characterised Sydney as a world-famous party town.

Revealing this behaviour to a wider audience — by filming the cops at our parties  — might go some way to changing their brutal policing practices and revitalising our parties and venues.

I’m not saying to interfere with police performing their job — that would be a crime in itself. However, there is (currently) no law which prevents a person from filming the actions of police in a public setting.

The police exist to serve the public. It is hard to see any public benefit in over-zealous policing of drug possession and other victimless crimes. And the large number of police swarming in and around our events seems like a waste of public resources — it is intimidating, unnecessary and is out of all proportion to what most Australians expect of policing in a modern democracy. Yet we seem to cop it sweet.

There’s no doubt the police also come down hard on other major music events like Field Day and Splendour in the Grass. However, there seems to be a special zeal reserved for gay and lesbian events.

One wonders whether the over-the-top police presence, including sniffer dogs, which was evident at Sleaze Ball — an event attended by little over 4000 — was evident at, say, the Hillsong Church’s big concert held at the Entertainment Centre in December, an event attended by 12,000. (This may seem like a cheap shot at the Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and some of his direct reports who are members of the Hillsong Church — it is — but it’s worth noting that the NSW Police policy-makers include members of a church which is hostile to non-straights.)

So this Mardi Gras, I say “Film the cops!” — on mobile phones or cameras — and post the results on the internet. Make good use of social networking sites to reveal to the wider community the extent to which our civil liberties have been eroded over recent years.

Show the majority of fair-thinking straight Australians real examples of the police presence and police behaviours reserved especially for our events.

If a friend is pulled aside after a sniffer dog has sat next to them, pull out your phone and film the ensuing police actions. If you see someone being searched by the cops, stand back and film the incident.

If you see a wall of uniforms as you approach a Mardi Gras event, film it so it can be compared to the police presence at other big events and judged against the wider community standards.

Film the cops and hold them to account!

— Ian

VOICE FOR CHANGE

Before it all kicks off, before the costumes, floats, crowds and parties, before the sound of HAPPY MARDI GRAS fills the night, let’s stop and reflect on just where it is we are going.

At last year’s party, the same numbers of people as previous years were herded into a concrete jungle half the size with not a patch of grass to be seen. Because of the cramped conditions, there were no outside spaces, so the major venues became jam-packed and were forced to close for long periods of time.

As there were no portaloos, we had to wait in long lines.

Then there was the fleeting appearance of George Michael.

The word that best described the mood was ‘tired’.

So why are the wheels falling off the pink cart?

Why do many young people in particular find no connection with events like this?

I believe the party has become another moneymaking exercise with little consideration for the community principles upon which it was originally based. In short, it is big and impersonal, and no longer reflective of the needs of many in the community.

We can be a powerful voice for change in this society but we must become clear on the messages we are putting out. Now is our opportunity to look a little deeper into who we really are and how best we can advance our needs and those of the greater community.

Have a great festival season.

— Brent

GOOD PUBLICITY

Wow! “…drunken youths … lust and filth … drugs … debauchery…” (‘Video calls for parade “warriors” ’ SSO 1057).

Clearly it’s time to hand the advertising for MG to the Christian Democrats. First time I’ve wanted to go in yonks.

— David

COSTELLO’S ORDER

So, Peter Costello’s been awarded the Order of Australia.

For what?

Not long ago, when asked his views on same-sex marriage, he said gay people “should be happy with what they’ve got”.

— Stuart

NO TO SOCIALISM

I agree we should have the right to marry, however, we should be ashamed at ourselves for what we are willing to give up to achieve this.

Whenever gay marriage is debated we are told to vote Green which is an unashamedly socialist party.

I also believe in a democratically elected government. The ‘United Nations’ is an unelected world government by default. We are yet again told if we want gay marriage all we need to do is hand over more power to this unelected government.

I support gay marriage but without hesitation or compromise I will fight against socialism and unelected world governments.

— Adam

POLICE COMPLICIT

In New South Wales homosexual vilification is against the law.

It is against the law for speeches and statements made in public that vilify lesbians and gay men, abuse that happens in public that vilifies lesbians and gay men, statements or remarks in a newspaper or journal, in other publications, or on radio or television that vilify lesbians or gay men and gestures made in public that vilify lesbians or gay men.

Peter Madden of the Christian Democrat Party is allowed to vilify gay people in the press, on television, on video and allowed to arrange a public rally to further vilify gay people on the eve of the Mardi Gras parade.

The NSW Police Force are complicit in these actions by relocating the rally organised by Mr Madden from Hyde Park, for his own safety, to Martin Place.

Instead of protecting and encouraging these illegal acts should NSW Police be enforcing the law or does NSW now have a two-tiered law system, one for homophobes and one for the wider community?

Instead of enforcing the law NSW Police is protecting and encouraging the vilification of gay people by their actions. Does the Mardi Gras committee feel comfortable in allowing NSW Police permission to march in the Mardi Gras parade as being gay-friendly and protectors of our community on one end of town while they allow an anti-gay rally to be illegally held at the other end of town while taking no action?

— Ron

ALARMING TALK

After reading about Peter Madden of the Christian Democratic Party’s Youtube video in issue 1057 (and subsequently viewing said video), I was shocked and disturbed.

I find it amazing and the height of hypocrisy that Australia invades countries along with other warmongering nations and lectures their people about religious extremism and tolerance while under our very noses we have our own ‘Christian’ version of the Taliban spreading hatred and lies.

A lunatic fringe they may be, but we ignore this kind of fundamentalism at our peril. Talk of being ‘at war’ and ‘rising up’ is particularly alarming. Just how long will it be before one of these nutters acts out one of their so-called ‘spiritual battles’?

Let them raise an army of 10,000 ‘warriors’, I say. We’ll meet them with an army of 200,000+ made up of out and proud gays and lesbians along with their families and friends!

What part of ‘I don’t believe in your God and I don’t subscribe to your dogma’ don’t these people understand?

— David