Quoted from x452

Is it fair that there are different levels of sentences for rape? Is there different levels for murder 1? For example should someone who murdered someone else and taunted them racially get a harsher sentence than someone who didn't?

No they should all have a body part cut off! I'll let you decide which one.....

Ahh its good to see the comments flowing as free and as pure as the river ganges after everybody has flushed.

Dont know much about Alan Jones apart from the fact he whoops everybody else in the ratings. Maybe everybody is a redneck? Why is wrong to denounce violence and ask people to stand up for themselves. If I am ever involved in a group that that had the same carry on as the Lebanese in Cronulla I give you permission to drive down to the beach and belt the ever loving crap out of me.

Maybe if we reintroduced the death penalty for ALL rapists and murderers people might think twice. I know sociologists will warn you that its dangerous to go down to the criminals level but it would sure make me feel better these dirtbags arent wasting our good oxygen anymore.

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

... If I am ever involved in a group that that had the same carry on as the Lebanese in Cronulla I give you permission to drive down to the beach and belt the ever loving crap out of me...

Before I "edit", care to explain what you mean?  As it stands it looks like a racial slur -  a big one -  on Lebanese-Australians.

From what I saw of the Cronulla events . .the Lebanese people could not possibly have had such a 'war' without those vicious looking 'white guys' draped in flags and disgusting slogans to go in against . . it takes two (or more sides) to have a showdown like that.  ALL involved needed a pants kick . . and no race was better than the other on that horrid weekend.  

This one stanks!

Quoted Text

Censure as PM's pal turns censor

A CLOSE friend of Prime Minister John Howard will get the job as Australia's chief censor at the expense of a recommended candidate.

The appointment will go to Donald McDonald, the former ABC chairman, who has never hidden his friendship with Mr Howard.

He will become director of Australia's reformed classification board despite a selection panel's recommendation of another candidate, who has not been named.
...
Mr Ruddock refused to identify candidates for the position but in a letter to state attorneys-general he said: "The selection committee made a recommendation to me for the director of the classification board. However, having considered the recommendation, I believe that Mr Donald McDonald, AC, would be a better candidate."
...
"Everyone knows that Donald McDonald is a very close friend of the Prime Minister, and Philip Ruddock was not prepared to say how it was that Donald McDonald's name even came forward."

Full Story: http://www.theage.com.au/news/.....ullpage#contentSwap1

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

Ahh its good to see the comments flowing as free and as pure as the river ganges after everybody has flushed.

Dont know much about Alan Jones apart from the fact he whoops everybody else in the ratings. Maybe everybody is a redneck? Why is wrong to denounce violence and ask people to stand up for themselves. If I am ever involved in a group that that had the same carry on as the Lebanese in Cronulla I give you permission to drive down to the beach and belt the ever loving crap out of me.

Maybe if we reintroduced the death penalty for ALL rapists and murderers people might think twice. I know sociologists will warn you that its dangerous to go down to the criminals level but it would sure make me feel better these dirtbags arent wasting our good oxygen anymore.

You never disappoint, such narrow-mindedness in one who professes to be pragmatic. It seems your pragmatism only pertains to a very very very narrow spectrum of life that only falls into your view of things.

Where to start.

Alan Jones only gets high ratings in Sydney, he is hardly heard anywhere else. His so called ratings breaking audience are a very small minority of the whole Sydney population and almost exclusively fall into one category, which I think you would fit perfectly into. When Alan Jones appears on the Today show for his 5 minute rant there is actually a 30% drop off in viewers.

For a person who attempts to make out they are worldly and knowledgeable, you certainly have the death penalty completely wrong. Not in a single jurisdiction throughout all of history has the death penalty as a deterrent reduced a single crime. Rapists and murderers will commit their crimes whether there is a death penalty or not. If you want I could post many links on this, not long ago I had a great online debate on this matter and have now read a couple of books on the subject.

Quoted from Paula

Before I "edit", care to explain what you mean?  As it stands it looks like a racial slur -  a big one -  on Lebanese-Australians.

Everybody knows what happened at cronulla. I say it doesnt matter who it was that kind of thing cannot be tollerated in any society. My implication was that if I was involved in in a group that caused trouble be it white, purple or whatever I would expect some form of reaction from the local populace. If it was some out of control bike gang and the community stood up, everybody would be applauding. Does that clear it up? Regardless of who you are you dont act like a thug and not expect that one day its not going to come back and bite you.

Oh and if you think that I put all Lebanese Australians into the same basket you are wrong. It was wrong that all people of middle eastern apperance were targeted just as it was wrong that anybody of anglo saxon apperance was targeted on the beach. I call it as I see it. If everybody wants to get hung up on the fact that this is a race thing, well that is your mistake. Everyday we all work with people that come from somewhere different. Is it wrong to say that a few people of particular race of people need to have a look at the way they conduct themselves and the way they act in the community.

Its easy dont act like a thug and and we wouldnt be talking about this. All the sudanese people that have immigrated here in Adelaide dont have these problems. They seem to be going well and I noticed that one just got a job as a gardner for one of the companys we contract for. He is an absolute champ and a good worker.  It is okay to pat someone on the back and give them the "well done mate", but if you criticise that becomes a racial slur. Race doesnt matter only the actions that are carried out by everybody.

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

Everybody knows what happened at cronulla. I say it doesnt matter who it was that kind of thing cannot be tollerated in any society. My implication was that if I was involved in in a group that caused trouble be it white, purple or whatever I would expect some form of reaction from the local populace. If it was some out of control bike gang and the community stood up, everybody would be applauding. Does that clear it up? Regardless of who you are you dont act like a thug and not expect that one day its not going to come back and bite you.

Oh and if you think that I put all Lebanese Australians into the same basket you are wrong. It was wrong that all people of middle eastern apperance were targeted just as it was wrong that anybody of anglo saxon apperance was targeted on the beach. I call it as I see it. If everybody wants to get hung up on the fact that this is a race thing, well that is your mistake. Everyday we all work with people that come from somewhere different. Is it wrong to say that a few people of particular race of people need to have a look at the way they conduct themselves and the way they act in the community.

Its easy dont act like a thug and and we wouldnt be talking about this. All the sudanese people that have immigrated here in Adelaide dont have these problems. They seem to be going well and I noticed that one just got a job as a gardner for one of the companys we contract for. He is an absolute champ and a good worker.  It is okay to pat someone on the back and give them the "well done mate", but if you criticise that becomes a racial slur. Race doesnt matter only the actions that are carried out by everybody.

Thanks for the clarification, I think.  

So why single out a particular group; why not simply say "those troublemakers in the Cronulla riots"?

Quoted from Paula

Thanks for the clarification, I think.  

So why single out a particular group; why not simply say "those troublemakers in the Cronulla riots"?

O.K fair enough. I will take that on board and adjust my political correctness meter to the eblah world. Everybody is so sensative about race. Why? I heard that the word pom maybe banned and it puzzles me. My last name is very irish and if i had a dollar for every time I heard a backwards irish joke I wouldnt need to work anymore. But i dont feel the need to take it personally. Maybe all that censorship on comments about race does is reafirm that we are different. Maybe the reverse effect is being achieved. I dont know.

I have a couple of kiwi mates. Imagine they got offended about sheep jokes.

Quoted from Paula

So why single out a particular group; why not simply say "those troublemakers in the Cronulla riots"?

Because the "troublemakers" in Cronulla are 'one particular group'. I really dislike how being clear on a point makes you racist.

Quoted from aquamonkey

Because the "troublemakers" in Cronulla are 'one particular group'. I really dislike how being clear on a point makes you racist.

He identified the troublemakers as being solely Lebanese (no other 'group' was mentioned), therefore casting a racial slur on that particular group.  The troublemakers I saw on TV and those my friend in Cronulla was abused by/told me about/sent pictures of were no more Lebanese than I am.

Do we really need a recap of why things got to breaking point in Cronulla?

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

My last name is very irish and if i had a dollar for every time I heard a backwards irish joke I wouldnt need to work anymore. But i dont feel the need to take it personally. Maybe all that censorship on comments about race does is reafirm that we are different. Maybe the reverse effect is being achieved. I dont know.

I have a couple of kiwi mates. Imagine they got offended about sheep jokes.

The fact of the matter is neither Irish nor Kiwi's stir up negative stereotypes in Australian society. The west is not engaged in a war against terror against those that are Irish or Kiwi, and we're not questioning their allegiance and not afraid they might blow themselves up in a public place.

So being called an Irish so-and-so or a Kiwi so-and-so means something very different to you than it does to say something similar about a a Muslim or a black person. The cut is not as deep. And if you claim it's the same thing then that is very ignorant.

As we become closer to racial equality the tolerance of 'in-gest' race related jibes also increases. It's the world we're fighting for. Where everyone is treated equally and you CAN pick on someone in a joking manner about their racial or cultural eccentricities and it's funny to all.

In my group of friends, we have Indians and Greeks and Lebanese and the slurs fly left right and centre. The key is we know each other (which means we know we are not racist) and we don't mean any harm by what we're saying.

Quoted from boomslanger

For a person who attempts to make out they are worldly and knowledgeable, you certainly have the death penalty completely wrong. Not in a single jurisdiction throughout all of history has the death penalty as a deterrent reduced a single crime. Rapists and murderers will commit their crimes whether there is a death penalty or not. If you want I could post many links on this, not long ago I had a great online debate on this matter and have now read a couple of books on the subject.

Actually I think thats a bit far off the mark myself. I knew a 17yrd old girl who was raped tortured and murdered. She was from canada visiting some friends of mine. The two guys that did it were let go after a few years because they both said they were there and that she wanted to have sex with them and that it was the "other" guy who actually killed her. If they had been hung like they deserved, another girl who was recently stabbed in a taxi by one of the guys when he tried to sexually assault her wouldnt have happened!
One thing could be assured with the death penalty! repeat offences wouldnt happen! Why dont you figure out a way to argue agaist that with your infinite wisdom...

Quoted from amsterdam

Actually I think thats a bit far off the mark myself. I knew a 17yrd old girl who was raped tortured and murdered. She was from canada visiting some friends of mine. The two guys that did it were let go after a few years because they both said they were there and that she wanted to have sex with them and that it was the "other" guy who actually killed her. If they had been hung like they deserved, another girl who was recently stabbed in a taxi by one of the guys when he tried to sexually assault her wouldnt have happened!
One thing could be assured with the death penalty! repeat offences wouldnt happen! Why dont you figure out a way to argue agaist that with your infinite wisdom...

I don't understand how they were "let go" after a few years by pointing the finger at eachother saying the other person killed the girl. What were they convicted of and why were they freed (paroled?)?