Where is the old respect? | Word in the Streets with John Snelling

Some 15 incidents of wanton vandalism with these louts smashing windows in people’s homes, smashing letter boxes, kicking over fences, damaging vehicles and vandalizing the contents of the round shed kiosk in the Recreation Park.

Boorowa is relatively free of such idiocy until now.

I can only hope the police round up the culprits and the courts ensure they feel the full force of the law, including any minors involved. No little slap on the wrist for any.

Feel for the residents of the houses involved. This experience would have been terrorizing.

                    WITS

Haven’t libraries changed over the years?

Boorowa has a very attractive library, a room with a view with large windows affording great views of our parkland.

Now could you imagine libraries of yesteryear offering colour coffee and chat sessions, knitting lessons, drawing classes, cooking demonstrations and craft activities? Writing and reading groups meet there and littlies get amused with Puggle Story Time. WiFi, internet, photocopying, online resources, DVD and CD borrowing are all available.

Speakers make presentations there like Jeremy Godwin talking about depression last Saturday.

Yes, libraries have really changed.

Oh! I almost forgot. You can still borrow books there as well.

Check it out.

                    WITS

With Donald Trump espousing his views on immigration control in America to the likes of Pauline Hanson expressing her views, and in light of world unease about placement of refugees, the immigration issue is never far from the attention of the media.

I recently read this view on immigration:

“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an Australian and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated as an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an Australian, and nothing but an Australian. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an Australian, but something else also, isn’t an Australian at all. We have room for but one flag, the Australian flag…. We have but one language here and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is loyalty to the Australian people.”

Are you familiar with these words? Do you know who said them?

I somehow think not as it was none other than our first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, in 1907.

                    WITS

I’m not going to criticize Donald Trump or even Pauline Hanson. Before you criticize anyone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.

That way, when you criticize, you’re a mile away and have their shoes.

                    WITS

In his library talk last Saturday, Jeremy Godwin, author of the book “Depression? F*** Depression!” spoke about his personal battles with depression, exploring the nature of mental illness and sharing his path to build a new life.

Jeremy donated a copy of his book to the library and it is there if you think you need it. Take heart from his words:

“This is the book that I wish I had when I needed to know I wasn’t alone in this world.” (Jeremy Godwin)