Monday, December 31, 2012
Dropkick Murphys - "The Season's Upon Us" (Video)
Glad ours are a little quieter - this is good fun. The Dropkick Murphys are excellent - may have to connect to You Tube to watch this.
Good times with my sister
Good times at Chrissie with my eldest sister! Miss her but plenty of good times to come no doubt
Thursday, December 27, 2012
A Mack Truck a comin for you boyos
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| My new licence plate |
so
"Watch out sticky beak wimpy old men brothers in law - I have just about mastered my automatic and working on my Mack truck licence - only 26 gears to master and then watch out - I hope you like my Chrissie pressie. Look how very tough I have become you pair of slack arsed slimy mongrels ...watch out then wimps - a Mack truck a might be a comin for you in about 2025 at this rate... but then that gives you plenty of time to get on the phone and gossip with each other about big bad old Middle Child...you pack of gutless bastards"
Christmas Day 2012
Christmas was wonderful but over so soon. My sister and eldest daughter and her husband have all left - it just seemed to fly by with nary a sour note. I remember one afternoon just sitting there and thinking that "the people that I love so much are here and at this moment in my life I am totally happy" - I have been left with the largest bottle of my favourite Drambuie - still unopened because I was just not recovered enough to enjoy any... but there will be plenty of time. I hope all had someone beside them who they loved and that everyone is happy and well... |
| Ali and Andrew on the night before Christmas when all through the house... |
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| My sister cooking her heart shaped Fruit cake |
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| My sister and I |
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| Chrissie day - Melissa and Chris |
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| Lissy and Ali all ready for the present unwrapping |
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| Ali, Lissy and Veronica - with me in the back |
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| The girls |
Friday, December 14, 2012
Been back to my old home at Craggy Island. Came back sick as a dog with the flu - always seem to after a plane trip...but so happy to re meet the family who have moved into our place. They have four horses, one hand raised calf, two dogs and occasionally a red kelpie visitor who isn't there when you look at him! They have made a gnome place for the little boy, hammocks, etc etc can't show them or the inside as thats not the right thing to do but I came away from them with a glow - they are even more right for the beautiful place than we are because they can feed this into their kids and will stand them in good stead when they are adults. We launched our little book called "StoryWeavers" (not keen on the name myself but couldn't think of a better one - its of my writing group's stories and poems - we'd been together for 10 years and this was just something we wanted to do...nearly all sold now but we only had a hundred printed.
Christmas soon so hard to believe I have been here over a year now.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
I thought this post from Kevin P Miller on my blog roll was well worth reading
A sobering read
FREE WILL IN THE AGE OF NEUROSCIENCE
by Kevin P Miller 12 Oct 2012
http://kevinpmiller.blogspot.com.au
IT WAS LARGELY A BOOK ABOUT EVIL, the Holocaust and one man's decades-long obsession with finding the most genocidal tyrant to ever walk planet Earth. In 1982, literary critic and essayist George Steiner took his fixation with Adolph Hitler and delivered The Portage to San Cristóbal of A.H., a daring and disturbing philosophical fantasy about one man's belief that Hitler had survived World War II and the destruction of Germany. In the novel's opening pages, the Führer is discovered in the jungles of South America. He is an an old man, reminiscent of the images of a wild-eyed Saddam after he emerged from his subterranean existence and was forced into the arms of his American captors.
While I have not read Portage for over 25 years, the most memorable passages of the book explore German sensibilities just prior to WWII. . .a time when Nazism began to eviscerate human rights and human lives. The Germany Steiner richly details is one of societal dualities; on the one hand, Germany had been considered among the most culturally rich societies on earth. Yet, from this beauty emanated a dark and inescapable brutality that is now infamous.
Germany blessed the world with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the late Middle Age art of Albrecht Dürer, and technological achievements such as automobiles with gas-powered combustible engines, long before America. They even developed one of the finest university systems in the world, so how, Steiner asks, did these people — rich with wealth, culture, education and technology, allow this horror to occur?
In one very powerful chapter, Steiner meticulously paints a portrait of the country's elite, perched at windows high above a popular theatre, as they witness the arrest and extermination of commoners and Jews on the streets below the playhouse. The same people who “shed tears during a tragic play,” Steiner wrote, displayed an odd ambivalence to the tragedies of real people crying for help as the Nazi atrocities unfolded.
I am reminded of Steiner’s work once again because as I approach the four year anniversary of my documentary GENERATION RX, I realize that the same indifference abounds, particularly as it pertains to the health and futures of our people. Every day — for four years — I have been bombarded with horrifying letters and tales of real people affected by the trauma these powerful drugs have caused. . .and they keep coming. . .from parents and teachers and students and loved ones. It has motivated me to release a book, LETTERS FROM GENERATION RX in 2013.
Yet, there is silence — from doctors who should know better, from academics and educators, from elected officials , government agencies, and yes, most horridly of all, from the media.
In the wake of this realization, I will admit to be absolutely stunned at how little North Americans understand about the drugs they are forcing down the throats of so many young Galileo's. For reasons of public politeness, perhaps, we bow before profit-based science and ignore the journalistic cowardice which allows this to perpetuate. This “disconnect” between what medicine has told us about ADHD, bipolar and the “plague of mental illness” — and the reality of what the science really says about these medicines and the life-changing harm they often inflict, is, well, maddening.
All we ask is that people be informed of the risks in advance so that people can weigh the evidence and make an informed choice about whether to drug .. or not to drug. But good luck in trying to get any help from the FDA, the AMA, or just about anyone else in the medical industrial complex. They act as blocking backs for the powerful petrochemical forces...those who spend billions in marketing in an attempt to convince us with their facade of caring.
JUST THIS MORNING, I received a phone call from a health food storeowner and nutritionist. Every day, she is approached by parents who are desperate to find help for their beloved children as the side effects of ADHD drugs, antipsychotics and antidepressants take their toll. They have tried every drug the “experts” have recommended, only to see their loved ones slip further away: sicker, more distant .. drunk with dark images .. and in need of help.
She told me the tragic tale of yet another teenager whose health has been stolen from him by the deadly thief called methylphenidate, or Ritalin. One year ago, the young man apparently possessed the good looks of a soap opera star, and teenage girls swooned as he walked the halls of his high school. He was a superior athlete and student, but that was all prior to him being diagnosed with ADHD.
Twelve months later, his weight had dropped to 110 pounds. There is a real possibility he could die while under a doctor's “care.”
Since Methylphenidate was classified in the U.S. under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances as a Schedule II drug, we can’t say we didn’t realise the dangers. Many times since that seminal report, methylphenidate has been characterized as “Speed” — as highly addictive and risky. In 1971, despite the warnings, psychiatrists and MDs began using speed for the pre-ADHD diagnosis of a condition called “Minimal Brain Dysfunction.” By doing so, they ignored the potential for abuse, for addiction, and of atrophy of the vital organs, especially the heart and brain.
IN THE HEALTHFOOD STORE, the young man was extremely sick by the time his parents finally decided they needed another opinion. Worried to death about their son — and saying they were not sure if he would live to see his next birthday — they pleaded to speak with the owner and nutritionist. They had followed the advice of their doctor and psychiatrist, they told her, but their son continued to decline.
The owner explained to the parents that her store could be shut down by the FDA for simply speaking with them about ADHD, pulled them into her office and then continued in whispered tones. The methylphenidate, she said, had taught the boy’s body not to eat. “This child is starving,” she told the mom, noting that Ritalin, with its cocaine and speed-like properties, was the obvious culprit. “But the psychiatrist diagnosed his lack of appetite as depression,” the mother said. “So they added an antidepressant to his regimen.”
A few weeks after taking antidepressants, the mother said between sobs, the young man uttered aloud, “I just don’t want to live like this anymore.”
The parents stood before the health food store owner with tears streaming down their cheeks. It is a scene she has witnessed innumerable times since the 1990s, and each time she discusses disease conditions like this, she never knows for sure whether the people standing before her are undercover agents for FDA. . .or just what they appear to be: people in distress. . .people in need of answers.
When I produced GENERATION RX, I did so to arm parents with the facts they needed in order to make a fully informed choice about their healthcare. I produced the film to amplify the ‘cries from the street’ — to give a voice to those who are being ignored by society at large—dismissed as anecdotes—and to provide the tools to enable parents to fight back, if necessary. In the Spring of 2013, I'll be releasing a new documentary addressing these issues.
But I wonder — in this age of neuroscience — if we haven’t brought George Steiner’s commiserations to life? Whether we’d shed tears watching It’s a Wonderful Life, but not for real the traumas of a tortured child or his parents?
Some day, will futurists ask, “How did these people, rich with culture, education and technology allow this horror to occur?”
I wonder.
Like Steiner's book, though, one thing is very clear: citizens of this planet must choose — whether to exercise our freedoms in ways that do not conform to the wishes of those in power — or whether to avert our eyes. . .away from the horrors on the streets below.
A sobering read
FREE WILL IN THE AGE OF NEUROSCIENCE
by Kevin P Miller 12 Oct 2012
http://kevinpmiller.blogspot.com.au
IT WAS LARGELY A BOOK ABOUT EVIL, the Holocaust and one man's decades-long obsession with finding the most genocidal tyrant to ever walk planet Earth. In 1982, literary critic and essayist George Steiner took his fixation with Adolph Hitler and delivered The Portage to San Cristóbal of A.H., a daring and disturbing philosophical fantasy about one man's belief that Hitler had survived World War II and the destruction of Germany. In the novel's opening pages, the Führer is discovered in the jungles of South America. He is an an old man, reminiscent of the images of a wild-eyed Saddam after he emerged from his subterranean existence and was forced into the arms of his American captors.
While I have not read Portage for over 25 years, the most memorable passages of the book explore German sensibilities just prior to WWII. . .a time when Nazism began to eviscerate human rights and human lives. The Germany Steiner richly details is one of societal dualities; on the one hand, Germany had been considered among the most culturally rich societies on earth. Yet, from this beauty emanated a dark and inescapable brutality that is now infamous.
Germany blessed the world with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the late Middle Age art of Albrecht Dürer, and technological achievements such as automobiles with gas-powered combustible engines, long before America. They even developed one of the finest university systems in the world, so how, Steiner asks, did these people — rich with wealth, culture, education and technology, allow this horror to occur?
In one very powerful chapter, Steiner meticulously paints a portrait of the country's elite, perched at windows high above a popular theatre, as they witness the arrest and extermination of commoners and Jews on the streets below the playhouse. The same people who “shed tears during a tragic play,” Steiner wrote, displayed an odd ambivalence to the tragedies of real people crying for help as the Nazi atrocities unfolded.
I am reminded of Steiner’s work once again because as I approach the four year anniversary of my documentary GENERATION RX, I realize that the same indifference abounds, particularly as it pertains to the health and futures of our people. Every day — for four years — I have been bombarded with horrifying letters and tales of real people affected by the trauma these powerful drugs have caused. . .and they keep coming. . .from parents and teachers and students and loved ones. It has motivated me to release a book, LETTERS FROM GENERATION RX in 2013.
Yet, there is silence — from doctors who should know better, from academics and educators, from elected officials , government agencies, and yes, most horridly of all, from the media.
In the wake of this realization, I will admit to be absolutely stunned at how little North Americans understand about the drugs they are forcing down the throats of so many young Galileo's. For reasons of public politeness, perhaps, we bow before profit-based science and ignore the journalistic cowardice which allows this to perpetuate. This “disconnect” between what medicine has told us about ADHD, bipolar and the “plague of mental illness” — and the reality of what the science really says about these medicines and the life-changing harm they often inflict, is, well, maddening.
All we ask is that people be informed of the risks in advance so that people can weigh the evidence and make an informed choice about whether to drug .. or not to drug. But good luck in trying to get any help from the FDA, the AMA, or just about anyone else in the medical industrial complex. They act as blocking backs for the powerful petrochemical forces...those who spend billions in marketing in an attempt to convince us with their facade of caring.
JUST THIS MORNING, I received a phone call from a health food storeowner and nutritionist. Every day, she is approached by parents who are desperate to find help for their beloved children as the side effects of ADHD drugs, antipsychotics and antidepressants take their toll. They have tried every drug the “experts” have recommended, only to see their loved ones slip further away: sicker, more distant .. drunk with dark images .. and in need of help.
She told me the tragic tale of yet another teenager whose health has been stolen from him by the deadly thief called methylphenidate, or Ritalin. One year ago, the young man apparently possessed the good looks of a soap opera star, and teenage girls swooned as he walked the halls of his high school. He was a superior athlete and student, but that was all prior to him being diagnosed with ADHD.
Twelve months later, his weight had dropped to 110 pounds. There is a real possibility he could die while under a doctor's “care.”
Since Methylphenidate was classified in the U.S. under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances as a Schedule II drug, we can’t say we didn’t realise the dangers. Many times since that seminal report, methylphenidate has been characterized as “Speed” — as highly addictive and risky. In 1971, despite the warnings, psychiatrists and MDs began using speed for the pre-ADHD diagnosis of a condition called “Minimal Brain Dysfunction.” By doing so, they ignored the potential for abuse, for addiction, and of atrophy of the vital organs, especially the heart and brain.
IN THE HEALTHFOOD STORE, the young man was extremely sick by the time his parents finally decided they needed another opinion. Worried to death about their son — and saying they were not sure if he would live to see his next birthday — they pleaded to speak with the owner and nutritionist. They had followed the advice of their doctor and psychiatrist, they told her, but their son continued to decline.
The owner explained to the parents that her store could be shut down by the FDA for simply speaking with them about ADHD, pulled them into her office and then continued in whispered tones. The methylphenidate, she said, had taught the boy’s body not to eat. “This child is starving,” she told the mom, noting that Ritalin, with its cocaine and speed-like properties, was the obvious culprit. “But the psychiatrist diagnosed his lack of appetite as depression,” the mother said. “So they added an antidepressant to his regimen.”
A few weeks after taking antidepressants, the mother said between sobs, the young man uttered aloud, “I just don’t want to live like this anymore.”
The parents stood before the health food store owner with tears streaming down their cheeks. It is a scene she has witnessed innumerable times since the 1990s, and each time she discusses disease conditions like this, she never knows for sure whether the people standing before her are undercover agents for FDA. . .or just what they appear to be: people in distress. . .people in need of answers.
When I produced GENERATION RX, I did so to arm parents with the facts they needed in order to make a fully informed choice about their healthcare. I produced the film to amplify the ‘cries from the street’ — to give a voice to those who are being ignored by society at large—dismissed as anecdotes—and to provide the tools to enable parents to fight back, if necessary. In the Spring of 2013, I'll be releasing a new documentary addressing these issues.
But I wonder — in this age of neuroscience — if we haven’t brought George Steiner’s commiserations to life? Whether we’d shed tears watching It’s a Wonderful Life, but not for real the traumas of a tortured child or his parents?
Some day, will futurists ask, “How did these people, rich with culture, education and technology allow this horror to occur?”
I wonder.
Like Steiner's book, though, one thing is very clear: citizens of this planet must choose — whether to exercise our freedoms in ways that do not conform to the wishes of those in power — or whether to avert our eyes. . .away from the horrors on the streets below.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
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| Into my book room - library I guess |
Ahem! I don't have wallpaper I have photos and many hang at angles even though I blutack the backs of them...its a mystery to me and I remember it used to annoy Don no end - He always had a good eye for "straight" and "level" which missed me.
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| Down the Hall |
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| Part of the main room |
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| Add caption |
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| Kitchen |
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| Dining room - its lovely |
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| My place |
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| a huge rose twice the size of those in Port Macquarie |
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| More roses |
I haven't posted here that much of late because its just not there. But in saying that if someone said to me I had to go back to Craggy Island to live tomorrow I would be really upset. I love it here. I have made it a home. I have completed another term at Tafe - another certificate and have applied for a position. I am employable although not young and I believe i will make a go of anything I do because I like being amongst people outside - I have joined two writing groups and go to them monthly. Our local port Macquarie Group is about to have our anthology published and I will go back there for that and am in two minds about how I will handle this. I made the book marks for the books and did a great job as well.I joined a social club which features retro music (60's and 70's) and am looking forward to this. I go to Pilates weekly with Ali, and see her often. I speak with Melissa many times a week and two of my four sister. So I am not wasting the life I have been given which Don did not have...that would be wrong. I am involved in some areas to do with things that I believe in and most importantly i plan on leaving this Earth a better place for my passing through - which is what I am doing - just passing through. So no a touch of melancholia never hurt anyone actually as long as it doesn't hang about it can cause you to reconsider things you would not normally think about. It like Rosacea is considered the curse of the Celts! But then the Celts have written some incredible books and music so who knows...maybe its better that being satisfied with Bread and Circuses.
There are some amazingly beautiful roses here which I am happy about and am nurturing. I planted the flowers down low a few months ago and they are doing well. Right now I am sitting here typing, listening to Humble Pie"s "Thirty Days In the Hole" which we used to blast out on an amp which would lift the roof of any flat...the afternoon sun is streaming in the windows and it really is a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Monday, November 05, 2012
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| Melissa and Don mid '90's |
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| Alison and Don mid 90's |
Its funny since I moved here late last year I realise I don't spend much time here in the daytime and when I do I always have a radio on somewhere in the house - but today the rain smelt so wonderful and birds were just going crazy out in the backyard - seemed wrong just to drown them out...so for the first time ion ages I am here with my thoughts. I realised with a shock that I have not been thinking too much at all - on purpose no doubt - just doing what needs to be done and frustrated because the things I am doing are robotic things which I can do without much thought. There is the danger when I have this sort of time to myself I will go and look at photos - or whatever - even found a funny nonsense poem Don typed out way back in the 80's - its so faded am glad I found it when I did as getting hard to read.
So today just resigned to the reality that there might be a bit of melancholia - a few tears . But somehow that's better than feeling nothing which is how I have felt for some time. I am in the process of trying to at least begin scanning in the old albums and started in the mid 90's which is when all these were taken... In the many albums we have - am ashamed to say exactly how many (its over 80) I have hundreds of Don being hugged by the girls and I and everybody female - its a good thing to have because it helps to realise that just because his life ended in weeks of abuse, and although he suffered a lot after his initial accident, although in the early days it was really rocky and so lucky we made it through - Don was absolutely showered with love and gave back more even. An acquaintance once said to me after she visited our house for the first time " I always imagined that the homes of those people who are disabled would be somehow sort of miserable and unhappy - but I see so much love in your place - much more than in my own" - while this is not always true and it depends on the nature of the people involved. There are bad bastards of disabled people who want everyone to suffer because they are and there are bad bastards of relatives who abuse and rip off their disabled relatives - but sometimes and I know another place where I have seen it work - sometimes you get it right for once in a blue moon. Now I don't know if reincarnation exists but it could...am not sure what waits - but from personal experience I know there is something beyond - and I feel that just sometimes in the life of humankind a few people just work hard at it and get it right - and when this happens there is magic in the home. I look about me and see so many men my husband's age who have let the child inside go - who can't be silly just for the sake of it - who are so predictable...ggarrgh! I don't think we would have survived had he been like this or had I been like this - all over the house there are letters and cards and poems from the kids - to us and the general theme was how happy they were - although not always happy in their chosen life - home was the draw-card - this year we are having Christmas "Mackay" style something we are all looking so forward to - its a tradition really which came down from how my Mum and Dad did Christmas so really the wrong name but Don loved how we did it and it became the only way to go. We usually have a huge bowl of Prawns (Australian ones) Chicken maybe ,lots of salads and nice breads - nibbles Champers - and slowly one at a time opening presents so that everyone gets to see what each has and who from - not just the rip tear bust - and the beauty is that its not too hard on the one person so that the cook isn't worn out at the end - everyone gets to have a good day - sometimes as this is happening my mind will flicker back to a small back verandah in a tiny inland town - its always burning heat on Christmas day and there is my Dad with his lovely smile and grey blue eyes giving each of us our small pressies - mainly for the kids as adults didn't get nor expect much at Christmas - it actually was for the kids the gift giving - and bliss - Cherry Cheer soft drink - a rarity - the chicken had been walking about the yard the day before and was always called Olimathea I or II plus - Rellos came about 10 and we waited for the pressies under the tree till then as they didn't have kids and we were it...but we got to open Santa Clauses' as soon as we woke. Desert was always custard, plum pudding and if the Greek Milk Bar was still open almost next door one of us would run up and buy a brick of ice cream as our own kerosene fridge didn't freeze properly - no doubt as time passes the girls will be my age and have similar thoughts on Christmases in the future - thats if we are still allowed to call it that.
Just a thought train - its raining a little bit now -
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Breaking the silence over genital mutilation horror - ABC news report
MULTICULTURALISM IN ACTION – FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION RAMPANT IN AUSTRALIA - Why are people not jumping up and down about this dreadful child abuse? This is disgusting.
Across the nation, young girls are being mutilated in a brutal and barbaric religious practice that most Australians struggle to comprehend.
More than 120,000 migrant women in Australia have suffered genital mutilation - a brutal religious practice common in Islamic populations in Africa, South America, parts of Asia and the Middle East.
There is no data held on how widespread female genital mutilation is in Australia, but 7.30 has spoken to women who are voicing their concerns despite the fear of rejection from their Communities.
The genital mutilation is carried out by women on girls between the age of four and 10.
It is a crime in Australia and is not sanctioned by the Koran; nonetheless, it is happening behind closed doors.
7:30 understands the women chosen to do the cutting often do not have any medical qualifications, with the procedures being carried out in people's homes using crude surgical implements.
The procedure can range from a small cut to a girl's clitoris to the entire removal of the genitals.
In extreme cases the wound is sewn up to leave only one opening - the size of a matchstick - for urination and menstruation.
'Clandestine practice'
The reality is that they are not qualified at all. These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be elder or wise person in their community.
Imam Afroz Ali, one religious leader prepared to break the silence, says female genital mutilation is a "clandestine practice".
"I have had people mention it has happened to themselves, it's happened to members of their family or they are aware this is happening in Australia," he said.
It is also common for the women doing the cutting to charge a fee for their services.
"The figure could be around $2,000 to $3,000... the reality is that they are not qualified at all," Mr Ali said.
"These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be an elder or wise person in their community."
Zarine, who moved to Australia six years ago, comes from a Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohras, who originate in India.
In India, female genital mutilation is called traditional cutting.
Zarine was five when her grandmother told her they were going to the market. Instead, she was taken to a house where she was pinned down and mutilated.
"There were about three other women there - they were sitting and chatting. They were from the same community because they were speaking the same language," she said.
"They asked me to take my underwear off ... I just wanted to run out of there. I knew there was something going to happen to me.
I don't remember seeing anything but after that I felt a very sharp pain. I still remember that. I still remember that pain.
Mutilation charges
Five weeks ago, New South Wales police arrested and charged eight people with the alleged genital mutilation of two girls in Sydney and Wollongong in the past 18 months.
The arrests followed an anonymous tip to the office of the NSW Child Protection Minister, Pru Goward.
"The secrecy which with this is carried out makes it very difficult for police to collect evidence," Ms Goward said.
"It is unlikely that this is an isolated incident."
The eight people arrested all belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community in New South Wales.
The identities of all those arrested have been suppressed except for one - Kubra Magennis, a 68-year-old retired nurse.
There are fears the practice of female genital mutilation spreads much wider than this one case suggests.
In September, West Australian police arrested and charged a couple with female genital mutilation after they allegedly took their daughter to Bali for a traditional cutting ceremony.
7:30 has also been told that girls are being mutilated in the town of Katanning, 200 kilometres south of Perth, home to a large Malaysian Muslim population.
When they tell their story it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine.
Transforming lives
At the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, a discreet clinic is transforming lives by reversing extreme forms of female genital mutilation.
The clinic sees around 25 women every month.
Through family planning officers like Zeinab Muhamed, the broader aim in Victoria is to break the cycle of mothers subjecting their daughters to the procedure.
People tell Ms Muhamed that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that is hard to move away from.
They say it is women who are pushing it.
"When they tell their story, it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine," Ms Muhamed said.
"They spend days after the procedure when they can hardly urinate.
Their legs may have been tied together so the labia actually fuses together."
'Torture'
One woman who spoke to 7.30, Samira, has been surgically reopened.
She says women in Victoria are being stitched closed again after they have given birth even though it is a criminal offence.
Samira says female genital mutilation is "torture".
I think that a lot of people would still like to do it ... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'.
"I was told whether I wanted to be stitched back up or not and I refused, and [my midwife] said some women insist on being stitched back, so I was quite surprised," she said.
Samira is strongly against the cutting of young girls but says not everyone in her community agrees.
"I think that a lot of people would still like to do it... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'," she said.
"It all depends on the culture, the family, the religion background.
"It's very sensitive and it's hard, but you can't convince everybody to [think like you do]."MULTICULTURALISM IN ACTION – FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION RAMPANT IN AUSTRALIA
Across the nation, young girls are being mutilated in a brutal and barbaric religious practice that most Australians struggle to comprehend.
More than 120,000 migrant women in Australia have suffered genital mutilation - a brutal religious practice common in Islamic populations in Africa, South America, parts of Asia and the Middle East.
There is no data held on how widespread female genital mutilation is in Australia, but 7.30 has spoken to women who are voicing their concerns despite the fear of rejection from their Communities.
The genital mutilation is carried out by women on girls between the age of four and 10.
It is a crime in Australia and is not sanctioned by the Koran; nonetheless, it is happening behind closed doors.
7:30 understands the women chosen to do the cutting often do not have any medical qualifications, with the procedures being carried out in people's homes using crude surgical implements.
The procedure can range from a small cut to a girl's clitoris to the entire removal of the genitals.
In extreme cases the wound is sewn up to leave only one opening - the size of a matchstick - for urination and menstruation.
'Clandestine practice'
The reality is that they are not qualified at all. These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be elder or wise person in their community.
Imam Afroz Ali, one religious leader prepared to break the silence, says female genital mutilation is a "clandestine practice".
"I have had people mention it has happened to themselves, it's happened to members of their family or they are aware this is happening in Australia," he said.
It is also common for the women doing the cutting to charge a fee for their services.
"The figure could be around $2,000 to $3,000... the reality is that they are not qualified at all," Mr Ali said.
"These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be an elder or wise person in their community."
Zarine, who moved to Australia six years ago, comes from a Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohras, who originate in India.
In India, female genital mutilation is called traditional cutting.
Zarine was five when her grandmother told her they were going to the market. Instead, she was taken to a house where she was pinned down and mutilated.
"There were about three other women there - they were sitting and chatting. They were from the same community because they were speaking the same language," she said.
"They asked me to take my underwear off ... I just wanted to run out of there. I knew there was something going to happen to me.
I don't remember seeing anything but after that I felt a very sharp pain. I still remember that. I still remember that pain.
Mutilation charges
Five weeks ago, New South Wales police arrested and charged eight people with the alleged genital mutilation of two girls in Sydney and Wollongong in the past 18 months.
The arrests followed an anonymous tip to the office of the NSW Child Protection Minister, Pru Goward.
"The secrecy which with this is carried out makes it very difficult for police to collect evidence," Ms Goward said.
"It is unlikely that this is an isolated incident."
The eight people arrested all belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community in New South Wales.
The identities of all those arrested have been suppressed except for one - Kubra Magennis, a 68-year-old retired nurse.
There are fears the practice of female genital mutilation spreads much wider than this one case suggests.
In September, West Australian police arrested and charged a couple with female genital mutilation after they allegedly took their daughter to Bali for a traditional cutting ceremony.
7:30 has also been told that girls are being mutilated in the town of Katanning, 200 kilometres south of Perth, home to a large Malaysian Muslim population.
When they tell their story it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine.
Transforming lives
At the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, a discreet clinic is transforming lives by reversing extreme forms of female genital mutilation.
The clinic sees around 25 women every month.
Through family planning officers like Zeinab Muhamed, the broader aim in Victoria is to break the cycle of mothers subjecting their daughters to the procedure.
People tell Ms Muhamed that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that is hard to move away from.
They say it is women who are pushing it.
"When they tell their story, it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine," Ms Muhamed said.
"They spend days after the procedure when they can hardly urinate.
Their legs may have been tied together so the labia actually fuses together."
'Torture'
One woman who spoke to 7.30, Samira, has been surgically reopened.
She says women in Victoria are being stitched closed again after they have given birth even though it is a criminal offence.
Samira says female genital mutilation is "torture".
I think that a lot of people would still like to do it ... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'.
"I was told whether I wanted to be stitched back up or not and I refused, and [my midwife] said some women insist on being stitched back, so I was quite surprised," she said.
Samira is strongly against the cutting of young girls but says not everyone in her community agrees.
"I think that a lot of people would still like to do it... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'," she said.
"It all depends on the culture, the family, the religion background.
"It's very sensitive and it's hard, but you can't convince everybody to [think like you do]."
More than 120,000 migrant women in Australia have suffered genital mutilation - a brutal religious practice common in Islamic populations in Africa, South America, parts of Asia and the Middle East.
There is no data held on how widespread female genital mutilation is in Australia, but 7.30 has spoken to women who are voicing their concerns despite the fear of rejection from their Communities.
The genital mutilation is carried out by women on girls between the age of four and 10.
It is a crime in Australia and is not sanctioned by the Koran; nonetheless, it is happening behind closed doors.
7:30 understands the women chosen to do the cutting often do not have any medical qualifications, with the procedures being carried out in people's homes using crude surgical implements.
The procedure can range from a small cut to a girl's clitoris to the entire removal of the genitals.
In extreme cases the wound is sewn up to leave only one opening - the size of a matchstick - for urination and menstruation.
'Clandestine practice'
The reality is that they are not qualified at all. These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be elder or wise person in their community.
Imam Afroz Ali, one religious leader prepared to break the silence, says female genital mutilation is a "clandestine practice".
"I have had people mention it has happened to themselves, it's happened to members of their family or they are aware this is happening in Australia," he said.
It is also common for the women doing the cutting to charge a fee for their services.
"The figure could be around $2,000 to $3,000... the reality is that they are not qualified at all," Mr Ali said.
"These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be an elder or wise person in their community."
Zarine, who moved to Australia six years ago, comes from a Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohras, who originate in India.
In India, female genital mutilation is called traditional cutting.
Zarine was five when her grandmother told her they were going to the market. Instead, she was taken to a house where she was pinned down and mutilated.
"There were about three other women there - they were sitting and chatting. They were from the same community because they were speaking the same language," she said.
"They asked me to take my underwear off ... I just wanted to run out of there. I knew there was something going to happen to me.
I don't remember seeing anything but after that I felt a very sharp pain. I still remember that. I still remember that pain.
Mutilation charges
Five weeks ago, New South Wales police arrested and charged eight people with the alleged genital mutilation of two girls in Sydney and Wollongong in the past 18 months.
The arrests followed an anonymous tip to the office of the NSW Child Protection Minister, Pru Goward.
"The secrecy which with this is carried out makes it very difficult for police to collect evidence," Ms Goward said.
"It is unlikely that this is an isolated incident."
The eight people arrested all belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community in New South Wales.
The identities of all those arrested have been suppressed except for one - Kubra Magennis, a 68-year-old retired nurse.
There are fears the practice of female genital mutilation spreads much wider than this one case suggests.
In September, West Australian police arrested and charged a couple with female genital mutilation after they allegedly took their daughter to Bali for a traditional cutting ceremony.
7:30 has also been told that girls are being mutilated in the town of Katanning, 200 kilometres south of Perth, home to a large Malaysian Muslim population.
When they tell their story it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine.
Transforming lives
At the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, a discreet clinic is transforming lives by reversing extreme forms of female genital mutilation.
The clinic sees around 25 women every month.
Through family planning officers like Zeinab Muhamed, the broader aim in Victoria is to break the cycle of mothers subjecting their daughters to the procedure.
People tell Ms Muhamed that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that is hard to move away from.
They say it is women who are pushing it.
"When they tell their story, it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine," Ms Muhamed said.
"They spend days after the procedure when they can hardly urinate.
Their legs may have been tied together so the labia actually fuses together."
'Torture'
One woman who spoke to 7.30, Samira, has been surgically reopened.
She says women in Victoria are being stitched closed again after they have given birth even though it is a criminal offence.
Samira says female genital mutilation is "torture".
I think that a lot of people would still like to do it ... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'.
"I was told whether I wanted to be stitched back up or not and I refused, and [my midwife] said some women insist on being stitched back, so I was quite surprised," she said.
Samira is strongly against the cutting of young girls but says not everyone in her community agrees.
"I think that a lot of people would still like to do it... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'," she said.
"It all depends on the culture, the family, the religion background.
"It's very sensitive and it's hard, but you can't convince everybody to [think like you do]."MULTICULTURALISM IN ACTION – FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION RAMPANT IN AUSTRALIA
Across the nation, young girls are being mutilated in a brutal and barbaric religious practice that most Australians struggle to comprehend.
More than 120,000 migrant women in Australia have suffered genital mutilation - a brutal religious practice common in Islamic populations in Africa, South America, parts of Asia and the Middle East.
There is no data held on how widespread female genital mutilation is in Australia, but 7.30 has spoken to women who are voicing their concerns despite the fear of rejection from their Communities.
The genital mutilation is carried out by women on girls between the age of four and 10.
It is a crime in Australia and is not sanctioned by the Koran; nonetheless, it is happening behind closed doors.
7:30 understands the women chosen to do the cutting often do not have any medical qualifications, with the procedures being carried out in people's homes using crude surgical implements.
The procedure can range from a small cut to a girl's clitoris to the entire removal of the genitals.
In extreme cases the wound is sewn up to leave only one opening - the size of a matchstick - for urination and menstruation.
'Clandestine practice'
The reality is that they are not qualified at all. These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be elder or wise person in their community.
Imam Afroz Ali, one religious leader prepared to break the silence, says female genital mutilation is a "clandestine practice".
"I have had people mention it has happened to themselves, it's happened to members of their family or they are aware this is happening in Australia," he said.
It is also common for the women doing the cutting to charge a fee for their services.
"The figure could be around $2,000 to $3,000... the reality is that they are not qualified at all," Mr Ali said.
"These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be an elder or wise person in their community."
Zarine, who moved to Australia six years ago, comes from a Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohras, who originate in India.
In India, female genital mutilation is called traditional cutting.
Zarine was five when her grandmother told her they were going to the market. Instead, she was taken to a house where she was pinned down and mutilated.
"There were about three other women there - they were sitting and chatting. They were from the same community because they were speaking the same language," she said.
"They asked me to take my underwear off ... I just wanted to run out of there. I knew there was something going to happen to me.
I don't remember seeing anything but after that I felt a very sharp pain. I still remember that. I still remember that pain.
Mutilation charges
Five weeks ago, New South Wales police arrested and charged eight people with the alleged genital mutilation of two girls in Sydney and Wollongong in the past 18 months.
The arrests followed an anonymous tip to the office of the NSW Child Protection Minister, Pru Goward.
"The secrecy which with this is carried out makes it very difficult for police to collect evidence," Ms Goward said.
"It is unlikely that this is an isolated incident."
The eight people arrested all belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community in New South Wales.
The identities of all those arrested have been suppressed except for one - Kubra Magennis, a 68-year-old retired nurse.
There are fears the practice of female genital mutilation spreads much wider than this one case suggests.
In September, West Australian police arrested and charged a couple with female genital mutilation after they allegedly took their daughter to Bali for a traditional cutting ceremony.
7:30 has also been told that girls are being mutilated in the town of Katanning, 200 kilometres south of Perth, home to a large Malaysian Muslim population.
When they tell their story it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine.
Transforming lives
At the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, a discreet clinic is transforming lives by reversing extreme forms of female genital mutilation.
The clinic sees around 25 women every month.
Through family planning officers like Zeinab Muhamed, the broader aim in Victoria is to break the cycle of mothers subjecting their daughters to the procedure.
People tell Ms Muhamed that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that is hard to move away from.
They say it is women who are pushing it.
"When they tell their story, it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine," Ms Muhamed said.
"They spend days after the procedure when they can hardly urinate.
Their legs may have been tied together so the labia actually fuses together."
'Torture'
One woman who spoke to 7.30, Samira, has been surgically reopened.
She says women in Victoria are being stitched closed again after they have given birth even though it is a criminal offence.
Samira says female genital mutilation is "torture".
I think that a lot of people would still like to do it ... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'.
"I was told whether I wanted to be stitched back up or not and I refused, and [my midwife] said some women insist on being stitched back, so I was quite surprised," she said.
Samira is strongly against the cutting of young girls but says not everyone in her community agrees.
"I think that a lot of people would still like to do it... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'," she said.
"It all depends on the culture, the family, the religion background.
"It's very sensitive and it's hard, but you can't convince everybody to [think like you do]."
Friday, October 19, 2012
Mowing
I like people mainly except for the idjits!!! And hopefully they know who they are and keep well away from me... of else! And I admit to many laughs when Julia fell flat on her face - done the same but the world wasn't my witness - and I had to crawl up all by myself - so she's done well many hands to help -
Just a thought train or three -time to go for that banana (Aussie grown of course) and the Almonds (Aussie as well) - time to get back to doing my Taxes which I began only this arvo - and I have to admit I am loving the weather down here near Melbourne - the evenings are so long and light...its like having so much extra time in the day to be outside and watch the sky, feel the breeze and notice the changes around me.
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