More on refugees and asylum seekers

I read a great thought provoking short letter to the editor the other day. It basically said: "I thank God for the people smugglers who got my grandmother out of Europe during World War II. I would not be here if that brave person had not helped." When a Jew is helped to get away from the Nazis, we see that as good and appropriate. Heroic action even, by the people smugglers of that day.

People smugglers of today are seen in a worse light. Maybe it is true to say that some are just in it for the money. (Some who smuggled Jews out of Europe did it for money too, of course). Others might be in it in a big way for maximum money, not caring about the lives of the people who trust them. But some might actually be doing it because they care. The people they are smuggling are desperate people fleeing horrible lands torn apart by war, discrimination and hatred.

But for whatever reason the person-smuggler has for doing it, the actual people being smuggled should receive our help and care. Not our suspicion and hatred. They should be seen from a heart of compassion, not a hard heart. They are the victims in a cruel world. They are the displaced people. They have seen crap we can only just imagine, and even then, we would probably not want to.

So I am calling on us to show compassion and the real "Aussie spirit" that we saw poured out on the bushfire victims. The caring and sacrificial spirit that is there... but it just gets buried sometimes under propaganda by cruel journalists or commentators or politicians.

My number 1 personal hero once said “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Worth thinking about I reckon…

Jim