slanted reporting and self flagellation

It seems popular in the wake of the recent problems with the Indians living in Australia to be pointing the finger at ourselves and flogging ourselves for being racist bastards. But sometimes things go too far.

For instance, I was reading in the Australian this morning a headline which screamed out to be read in this time of political cries of racism and xenophobia in Australia:

Rescuers kicked asylum-seekers in head

well, then you read the text and find that the Navy service person was doing his best to rescue an Australian Service person (one of our citizens, who puts their life on the line to do their duty for us) who was thrown into the water by an explosion on the foreign vessel.

Not only was the Australian Service Person in question drowning (and being drowned by panic stricken civilians trying to clamber on the rescue boat) but the rescue boat was itself being threatened with being swamped by panic stricken people trying to fight for their lives.

The article contains some better expressions of the facts:

Cprl Jager, who had no experience in boarding illegal vessels, testified she was “shoulder-to-shoulder” in the water with asylum-seekers...

NB: she was saved by an Australian Navy service person:

saying, `f..k off, get the f..k off her' as he dragged me into the boat,” Crpl Jager told Coroner Greg Cavanagh.

So in fact while others are trying to drag Ms Jager into the water and kill her (caring of course only about themselves in such a moment), Able Seaman Adrian Medbury pulls panicked people off and away from her and pulls her out of certain death. No mean feat I'm sure, as these people were fighting for their lives. They would not be waiting on cue to be taken from the water (especially if the didn't know how to swim).

I think Adrian Medbury deserves a medal of honour. Mate if you ever read this, you can take it from this Australian, that I think you're a hero and deserve a citation for your fast thinking and strength of character to save Corporal Jagers life.


What a vile and disgusting mis-use of journalistic privileged this article is.

I'm willing to wager that none of the jurno's involved in putting this piece to print has even got a first aid certificate let alone be involved in a rescue attempt.

To the Editor I say: How dare you imply anything about the actions of those in the thick of such situations. I'm sure you know nothing about how it feels or the situation. I wager you've never even seen anything more than a skinned knee in person.

I hope one day you're in that situation and they fukken let you die while they rescue someone who's been breaking into your house first.

Beneath contempt.

If Corporal Sharon Jager is not happy that the Australian Navy saved her skin before others (who bloody got her into harms way in the first place) I bet at least her family are.

So, I know you at the Australian want to sell papers ... but shit folks, where's your ethics and wheres your sense of morality?

So during the Howard years we had the babys overboard scandal where the Government tries to pretend something was horrible when it wasn't and now that Labour is in power we've got the same Media grunts making the real heros into demons by telling slanted stories.

Disgusting and Shameful

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PS the above article was penned in the first place by Lex Hall. Subsequent prints of this article have shown a disturbing tendency to make a case that Defence Force personnel just went about kicking Afghans refugees in the head. Lex I hope you reap what you've sewn here mate.

as said above ... the use of people who do this difficult job to be abused by your journalistic privilege is just disgusting and shameful.

enough said