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Weekly feature
Myths and truths of Australian bigotry
by Larry Schwartz
 Too often I've opened my front door and found myself tempted by some sales pitch. So today I'd answered warily, spoke through the screen door and tried to keep the encounter brief. 'I'm sorry, but we're not interested.' The salesman knew better: 'It's because of the colour of my skin,' he replied.
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Morris affair contains lessons for Church hierarchy
Frank Brennan 24-Jan-2012
 Just because there is no legal remedy to the denial of natural justice to former bishop Bill Morris, that is no reason for the senior hierarchy not to reflect acutely on their treatment of him. Respectful dialogue with Toowoomba's church leaders would be a good start.
Bill Morris and natural justice
Andrew Hamilon 22-Jan-2012
 The reports by a retired judge and a canon lawyer into the dismissal of Bishop Morris make disturbing reading. Given that the obligation of natural justice carries moral as well as legal weight, Morris was entitled to expect his right to it would be respected by the Vatican.
Best of 2011: Why I support gay marriage
Kristina Keneally 02-Jan-2012
 It gives me no relish to be at odds with my Church. But it also gives me no joy to see people who are created in God's image unable to fully express their humanity, or live with the rights and dignity that heterosexual people are afforded. Published 25 September 2011
Myths and truths of Australian bigotry
Larry Schwartz 22-Jan-2012
Too often I've opened my front door and found myself tempted by some sales pitch. So today I'd answered warily, spoke through the screen door and tried to keep the encounter brief. 'I'm sorry, but we're not interested.' The salesman knew better: 'It's because of the colour of my skin,' he replied.
Beyond Catholic corporate spin
Andrew Hamilton 18-Jan-2012
 The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Great Britain last year prompted an interesting experiment. The Church asked for lay volunteers to deal with media enquiries. At first glance this could be construed as an exercise in corporate spin with a focus on persuasion and not on truth.
Parenting habits of Mormons and Catholics
Brian Doyle 17-Jan-2012
 In Mormon families, the first kid has to be a bishop or scout leader, and the second through fifth are trained fpr football. In the Catholic system, a family produces a priest or nun, a cop, a teacher, and a solider, after which the rest of the kids can be whatever they want, even Lutherans in some cases.
Weighing Wikipedia
Philip Harvey 15-Jan-2012
 Somedays it looks like the most extravagant love letter to the humanist project, other days like the biggest ragbag of unsorted intellectual capital. The sheer scale of information is truly amazing. But as a reference, the time has come for Wikipedia to up its game.
Best of 2011: Germaine Greer's Catholic education
Gregory Day 05-Jan-2012
 In trying to convince my atheist goddaughter to embrace her Catholic schooling, I found an unlikely role model. I'd never thought of Greer as a chip off the old block of a convent education. Now I realised that that's exactly what she was. Published 22 February 2011
Thatcher's blame game
Michael Mullins 15-Jan-2012
 It is arguable that, because she was one of the architects of the free market financial system that lacked protection for ordinary citizens, Margaret Thatcher shares responsibility for the widespread public harm caused by the GFC and the eurozone crisis.
Once upon a time in multicultural Australia
Zac Alstin 19-Jan-2012
Embracing an individualistic Australia that transcends ethnic heritage would leave us with a culture that is young, thin and commercialised. If we wish to promote unity and equality, the best thing we can do is learn our own forgotten stories of ethnic heritage.
Most Commented
Morris affair contains lessons for Church hierarchy
Frank Brennan 24-Jan-2012
Just because there is no legal remedy to the denial of natural justice to former bishop Bill Morris, that is no reason for the senior hierarchy not to reflect acutely on their treatment of him. Respectful dialogue with Toowoomba's church leaders would be a good start.
Bill Morris and natural justice
Andrew Hamilon 22-Jan-2012
The reports by a retired judge and a canon lawyer into the dismissal of Bishop Morris make disturbing reading. Given that the obligation of natural justice carries moral as well as legal weight, Morris was entitled to expect his right to it would be respected by the Vatican.
Best of 2011: Why I support gay marriage
Kristina Keneally 02-Jan-2012
It gives me no relish to be at odds with my Church. But it also gives me no joy to see people who are created in God's image unable to fully express their humanity, or live with the rights and dignity that heterosexual people are afforded. Published 25 September 2011
Praise for Wilkie's rage against the machines
Tony Kevin 23-Jan-2012
 Catholics in Australia have tended to be more tolerant of alcohol and gambling than 'wowser' Protestants. But too many Catholics turn a blind eye to how today's poker machine technology and operating environment is designed to nurture dangerous (but profitable) addiction.
Once upon a time in multicultural Australia
Zac Alstin 19-Jan-2012
Embracing an individualistic Australia that transcends ethnic heritage would leave us with a culture that is young, thin and commercialised. If we wish to promote unity and equality, the best thing we can do is learn our own forgotten stories of ethnic heritage.
Myths and truths of Australian bigotry
Larry Schwartz 22-Jan-2012
Too often I've opened my front door and found myself tempted by some sales pitch. So today I'd answered warily, spoke through the screen door and tried to keep the encounter brief. 'I'm sorry, but we're not interested.' The salesman knew better: 'It's because of the colour of my skin,' he replied.
Squeamish over Scottish independence
Justin Glyn 16-Jan-2012
 The prospect of a referendum on Scottish independence from the UK evokes one of the more interesting tensions in modern international law, between the right to self-determination on the one hand and the territorial integrity of states on the other.
Weighing Wikipedia
Philip Harvey 15-Jan-2012
Somedays it looks like the most extravagant love letter to the humanist project, other days like the biggest ragbag of unsorted intellectual capital. The sheer scale of information is truly amazing. But as a reference, the time has come for Wikipedia to up its game.
Best of 2011: Trust at stake in Toowoomba
Andrew Hamilton 11-Jan-2012
 The treatment of Bishop Bill Morris risks further blurring the image of the Church. The story told of a good man who encouraged his church, who was resolute in dealing with sexual abuse, but was removed in an untransparent process, will confirm many in their distrust of the Church. Published 15 May 2011
Adelaide land crime shows why we need a treaty
John Bartlett 17-Jan-2012
 In the mid-19th century my great-grandfather made a fortune as a quarryman and selling timber in South Australia. Of course with possession comes dispossession. Recent consideration of the state's founding documents suggest land acquired in establishing South Australia was acquired illegally.
Buried Treasure
Best of 2011: To remember September 11 is to pray
Brian Doyle 10-Jan-2012
 To remember the roaring courage of the people who rushed to help, or the people who used their last minutes on earth to call their families and say I love you I love you I will you forever, is to pray for them and us and even the poor silly murderers, themselves just lanky frightened children. Published 8 September 2011
Before the fall
Kevin Gillam 16-Jan-2012
 The chant of the unseens — ripple in a magpie's throat — as the sigh of a city's prayer cushions — forgiveness has the weight of faith and cloud. And then rain, symphonic on tin, washing walls of doubt.
Receiving a past
Anne Elvey 23-Jan-2012
 From the glistening trees the chorus of what was said became me, before I registered the sacrifice. Now from the yes, a small face looks up mute. My eyes are still selfish and my ears hunt a magpie's repertoire. She spills it on the blue page.
Best of 2011: Rescuing JFK
P. S. Cottier 11-Jan-2012
 'Kennedy was a cold warrior, but Johnson took it to the next level. He had the same my-balls-are-bigger-than-yours complex as Dubya.' The narrator journeys into the past in order to produce a kinder America. One that may not throw itself into Vietnam with such lust. Published 16 November 2011
Best of 2011: Silence for Norway's dead
Bronwyn Lay 12-Jan-2012
 On a quiet Sunday night 25 years ago Julian Knight committed Australia's first urban massacre on the street outside my home. The next morning, strangers — made mute — stood and met the silence of the dead. It is powerful to watch the Norwegian people meet the silence of their dead. Published 27 July 2011
Best of 2011: Australian politics could use a dash of vitriol
Edwina Byrne 08-Jan-2012
 The speeches of the Tea Party movement, for all their faults, are notable for their vivid symbolism and appeal to values. When was the last time you heard an Australian politician invent their own intelligible metaphor? Published 20 January 2011
Best of 2011: Consumers rule in Murdoch's evil empire
Catherine Marshall 10-Jan-2012
 The public was quick to claim ignorance and condemn the theft of private information by News of the World. But ignorance is no longer an excuse, especially in these post-Princess Diana years where the role of the paparazzi, traitorous friends and dodgy journalists is well-known. Published 21 July 2011
Best of 2011: Greek crisis viewed from the corner store
Gillian Bouras 09-Jan-2012
 Panayiotis runs the mini-market he inherited from his father. I have known father and son for 30 years. 'How do you see things at this stage of the krisi?' I ask him, for I'm always asking people what they think of Greece's financial crisis. 'What crisis?' he grins. 'Greece has got a crisis; Greeks haven't.' Published 14 June 2011
Best of 2011: Songs of England at war
Philip Harvey 04-Jan-2012
 Gallipolli was a disaster and a relatively minor conflict, but it is upon such 'minor' conflicts that Empires are built. These songs go to the heart of a contradictory dilemma: the love of country on the one hand and the ugly extremes of patriotism on the other. Published 23 February 2011
Best of 2011: Bolt beyond the pale
Binoy Kampmark 12-Jan-2012
 The Federal Court found that fair-skinned Aboriginal people were likely to have been 'offended, insulted, humiliated or intimidated' by Bolt's articles. Bolt lamented the passing of free speech in Australia. But free speech cuts both ways, and no freedom is absolute. Published 29 September 2011
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Today's lead
POLITICS
Long road to the Indigenous referendum
John Warhurst
The proposed referendum follows the 2008 Apology to the Stolen Generations and provides an opportunity for this Labor era to be remembered whenever the Indigenous story is told. Passing a referendum is exceptionally difficult and there is no fool-proof recipe for success.
7 comment(s) about this article.
Recent leads
Beyond Australia's adolescent identity crisis
Fatima Measham
 While Australia's early history is marked by violence, the Fraser Government's decision to accept nearly 60,000 Vietnamese refugees, the Mabo decision, and Paul Keating's Redfern speech provide positive narrative touchstones that can help lead Australia to maturity.
4 comment(s) about this article.
THE MEDDLING PRIEST
Morris affair contains lessons for Church hierarchy
Frank Brennan
Just because there is no legal remedy to the denial of natural justice to former bishop Bill Morris, that is no reason for the senior hierarchy not to reflect acutely on their treatment of him. Respectful dialogue with Toowoomba's church leaders would be a good start.
47 comment(s) about this article.
POLITICS
Praise for Wilkie's rage against the machines
Tony Kevin
Catholics in Australia have tended to be more tolerant of alcohol and gambling than 'wowser' Protestants. But too many Catholics turn a blind eye to how today's poker machine technology and operating environment is designed to nurture dangerous (but profitable) addiction.
19 comment(s) about this article.
MULTICULTURALISM
Once upon a time in multicultural Australia
Zac Alstin
Embracing an individualistic Australia that transcends ethnic heritage would leave us with a culture that is young, thin and commercialised. If we wish to promote unity and equality, the best thing we can do is learn our own forgotten stories of ethnic heritage.
16 comment(s) about this article.
RELIGION
Beyond Catholic corporate spin
Andrew Hamilton
The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Great Britain last year prompted an interesting experiment. The Church asked for lay volunteers to deal with media enquiries. At first glance this could be construed as an exercise in corporate spin with a focus on persuasion and not on truth.
8 comment(s) about this article.
INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
Adelaide land crime shows why we need a treaty
John Bartlett
In the mid-19th century my great-grandfather made a fortune as a quarryman and selling timber in South Australia. Of course with possession comes dispossession. Recent consideration of the state's founding documents suggest land acquired in establishing South Australia was acquired illegally.
9 comment(s) about this article.
POLITICS
Squeamish over Scottish independence
Justin Glyn
The prospect of a referendum on Scottish independence from the UK evokes one of the more interesting tensions in modern international law, between the right to self-determination on the one hand and the territorial integrity of states on the other.
10 comment(s) about this article.
REFLECTION
Best of 2011: Silence for Norway's dead
Bronwyn Lay
On a quiet Sunday night 25 years ago Julian Knight committed Australia's first urban massacre on the street outside my home. The next morning, strangers — made mute — stood and met the silence of the dead. It is powerful to watch the Norwegian people meet the silence of their dead. Published 27 July 2011
1 comment(s) about this article.
RELIGION
Best of 2011: Trust at stake in Toowoomba
Andrew Hamilton
The treatment of Bishop Bill Morris risks further blurring the image of the Church. The story told of a good man who encouraged his church, who was resolute in dealing with sexual abuse, but was removed in an untransparent process, will confirm many in their distrust of the Church. Published 15 May 2011
10 comment(s) about this article.
MEDIA
Best of 2011: Consumers rule in Murdoch's evil empire
Catherine Marshall
The public was quick to claim ignorance and condemn the theft of private information by News of the World. But ignorance is no longer an excuse, especially in these post-Princess Diana years where the role of the paparazzi, traitorous friends and dodgy journalists is well-known. Published 21 July 2011
2 comment(s) about this article.
POLITICS
Best of 2011: Revelations of a detention centre spy
Lyn Bender
 Employed at the centre as a psychologist, I witnessed riots, hunger strikes, attempted suicides and severe depression. I realised I had a profound ethical dilemma: in being compliant to the administration, I was unable to ensure my duty of care towards these people. So I became a mole. Published 27 September 2011
9 comment(s) about this article.
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Today's extra
VIDEO
Detention centre project spruiks art and humanity
Peter Kirkwood
 In his Australia Day address, neurosurgeon Charlie Teo denounced racism and called for more compassionate treatment of refugees. In that spirit, Sydney artist Safdar Ahmed runs free classes in detention centres. He is inspired by the emphasis on social justice in Islam.
RECENT EXTRA
COMMUNITY
Social networking drives inclusion revolution
David Cappo
 Due to the prevalence of online opinion and information sharing, access and participation — the pillars of social inclusion — are becoming central to citizens' values. Governments need to be alert, as citizens will increasingly desire a more active role in their system of government.
5 comment(s) about this article.
POETRY
Receiving a past
Anne Elvey
From the glistening trees the chorus of what was said became me, before I registered the sacrifice. Now from the yes, a small face looks up mute. My eyes are still selfish and my ears hunt a magpie's repertoire. She spills it on the blue page.
1 comment(s) about this article.
EDITORIAL
Time to change our racist constitution
Michael Mullins
 Those who have been aware of racism in the Constitution and prepared to tolerate it, have effectively blessed the attitude that it's acceptable to regard Indigenous Australians as second class citizens in theory as long as we treat them as equals in practice.
8 comment(s) about this article.
RELIGION
Bill Morris and natural justice
Andrew Hamilon
The reports by a retired judge and a canon lawyer into the dismissal of Bishop Morris make disturbing reading. Given that the obligation of natural justice carries moral as well as legal weight, Morris was entitled to expect his right to it would be respected by the Vatican.
37 comment(s) about this article.
NON-FICTION
The hell of hoarding
Ellena Savage
Inside an old case of art supplies I'd lugged in and out of three houses but rarely opened, I found a plastic bag with something like a dead rat in it. It was not an animal however but a full head of my own hair from the time I shaved my head. There is internal logic to hoarding, but it has its perils.
2 comment(s) about this article.
ARTS
Religious icons tweaked by Renaissance masters
Alex McPhee-Browne
 The Renaissance embodied a revolution not only in form, but in content. Bellini's Madonna and Child is enlivened by a zesty piece of human theatre: the baby Jesus, anxious to be on his way, raises one leg in a gesture of defiance, a perfect half-scowl etched onto his tiny features.
1 comment(s) about this article.
NON-FICTION
Parenting habits of Mormons and Catholics
Brian Doyle
In Mormon families, the first kid has to be a bishop or scout leader, and the second through fifth are trained fpr football. In the Catholic system, a family produces a priest or nun, a cop, a teacher, and a solider, after which the rest of the kids can be whatever they want, even Lutherans in some cases.
8 comment(s) about this article.
POETRY
Before the fall
Kevin Gillam
The chant of the unseens — ripple in a magpie's throat — as the sigh of a city's prayer cushions — forgiveness has the weight of faith and cloud. And then rain, symphonic on tin, washing walls of doubt.
2 comment(s) about this article.
EDITORIAL
Thatcher's blame game
Michael Mullins
It is arguable that, because she was one of the architects of the free market financial system that lacked protection for ordinary citizens, Margaret Thatcher shares responsibility for the widespread public harm caused by the GFC and the eurozone crisis.
9 comment(s) about this article.
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