AND, YES, WE ARE AN ISLAND

I think most out there in the big wide world recognise our wide, brown land as a last bastion of freedom. We Australians know we are tough, and in past world conflicts when Australians have been held to task we are rarely defeated. If beaten fairly we acknowledge that also. The whole idea of conflict has changed though, and some type of Orwellian swamp has developed. Even our worst conflicts and losses pale into insignificance at the scale and type of brutality in most of the third world.
We are accepting refugees, as always, from areas of severe conflict. These people have seen and had horrors perpetrated on them of a type and scale that I don’t think Australians generally can get their heads around. We would be very unwise to be anything but welcoming, while trying to understand the points of view of these people.
People come here to escape horror and to have a chance of bringing their children up in peace. Any paranoia on our part could only reflect the same back to us about our intentions and perceptions. Give these people a go, instead of casting a wary eye, and we will receive back the trust and commitment we desire

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