THE COMMENTARIAT The racing industry wants us to forget and move on. We cannot allow it – Mehreen Faruqi (The Age/Sydney Morning Herald): “The industrial-scale slaughter of ex-racehorses that no longer turn a profit has always been an open secret in the industry. But surely on the eve of the race that stops the nation, our top priority should be to stop the cruelty. So where to from here? The federal government must show leadership. A national traceability scheme is the least they can do to ensure transparency, but the horse racing industry needs to go much further. They must make a commitment to stop racehorses being slaughtered. A horse traceability system could include a requirement for knackeries and abattoirs to scan all horses. If they are found to be from the racing industry, the racing industry must rescue them and take full responsibility. In the interim, the industry must buy back any racehorses that end up at abattoirs and knackeries.” It’s through our stories that trauma can be transformed into spirit-soaring beauty – John Harvey (The Guardian): “Recently I moved from a city I love, with my beautiful wife and two kids, to the bush. My family gathered at our place for the 10-year anniversary of my ama’s passing. I asked my dad if he would say a few words. My dad is a carpenter but also a storyteller. He said: “I don’t want this to be a sad time, or speak of a sad story. I want to share a story of a fond memory I have of your mother for the grandkids and for the family.” And in this moment, as we gathered around the table, he shared a story that lifted our spirits and brought healing to our family. Our stories may come from places of hurt, but they have the ability to unite us as conscious beings, to allow us to grow as people and make our audiences lean in to learn our truth. Storytelling will always be, for me, a process of spiritual strengthening.” Press freedom still the same old story ($) – John Rolfe (The Daily Telegraph): “Daily Telegraph readers were left with: ‘The elderly … are being … abused … and … neglected … inside our … nursing … homes. … The Government … won’t … tell … you … which ones.’ That edition carried a story I had written on a survey of Australians’ opinions on what the ATO was doing on the sly and the lack of information on mistreatment in aged-care facilities. In both cases, around 80 per cent said they were concerned. As was I. Particularly about the secrecy over what has been going on in nursing homes. To be honest, I thought the claim may be incorrect. What possible reason could there be to hide information that would help people decide if a home was safe for a loved one?” |