Monday, September 9, 2013

Freedom

My inbox and social media news feeds have been awash with disappointed bloggers complaining about the new government that was elected by the overwhelming majority of Australians. I wonder if they had their posts drafted up last week, or maybe even last month? The writing has been on the wall for a very long time that change was about to happen so Saturday's result surely wasn't a surprise.

A well known blogger recently said on national television that, as bloggers, we have to have thick skins in order to deal with trolls and other nasty travellers on the information superhighway. Right now, my skin is paper thin. Look at me sideways and I'm likely to burst into tears. This is one of the reasons I've been avoiding my blog.

I want to write about the election like any of the other bloggers who shared their opinion with their readers but I'm scared. You see I sit on the other side of the fence to what feels like 100% of the Aussie mummy blogosphere. And going by some of the posts I've briefly scanned I'm a fucking uneducated idiot for being there.

Maybe my current depression is blindly throwing me on a blog suicide mission but what the hell. I voted for Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party team and I'm overwhelmed with joy that they won. Yep, I cried as Tony made his victory speech and they were tears of joy. Six long years of living through one of the most wasteful, shambolic and vindictive (and that was just to each other) governments finally came to an end on Saturday and I applaud the Australian people for making it happen.

I don't agree with all of Abbott's values particularly marriage equality. I believe love is love whether you're gay, straight, bi, transgender. I would march side by side with Labor voters, Green voters, anyone for the law to change and make marriage equal.

Anyway, I'm not going to nitpick over every single policy that I agree with or don't agree with. I'm not going to try and sway you (if any of you read this far down the page) to agree with what I believe. But I did just have to write and publish this. Because I'm entitled to my opinion too.

I'll leave you with this little note I typed up on my iPhone while catching the ferry to Manly a couple of weeks ago. Noo and I were sitting up the top of the ferry inside right at the front. I overheard two men unknown to one another talk about the upcoming election. This is a little of what they said:

"Australia is a great country", said the Chinese man to the bloke sitting next to him who later explained he was from Sri Lanka. 
They don't know each other, they are just having a friendly chat while taking the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly on a stunning Spring day. 
 "We can call Kevin an idiot and it's ok. Not get in trouble like in China. We have freedom here." 
 "Yes, everyone wants freedom", replied the Sri Lankan. 

Says it all really: You have the freedom to be pissed off at the change in government. I have the freedom to be stoked about it.

Let's agree to disagree and be happy neither one of us will be shot for saying what we believe.

V.


6 comments:

Jeanie said...

That is the thing about democracy - there are winners and there are losers, and now (as in the lead up to the election) my Twitter Feed and Facebook are showing the multiple personalities that make up my family, friends, acquaintances and bloggers.

It was a very difficult election that, quite frankly, I think Labor lost for a whole host of reasons, and only a very small amount of them were Tony Abbott.

I have stayed very quiet about my political opinions - I have extremes voice all around me at all times and quite frankly I hate the constant debate.

I just want everyone to understand that NO-ONE wants what is going on with Asylum Seekers (and the voice of reason has to say that somehow stopping unfortunate people from stepping onto unseaworthy vessels is the desired outcome - hell, stopping unfortunate people from being affected so much by war and hate and genocide would be the ideal solution). Neither side has found any solution that I would find approaching palatable and I wish there was a statesperson amongst the viper's pit who just said "we haven't got a clue how to solve it, but we are going to try"


There are many more things I could say - but I shan't as I am not a political ranter (:D) but I get where you are coming from.

Jeanie said...

Oh, and for your pleasure :), my view of politics - a historical perspective - http://jeanieinparadise.blogspot.com.au/2007/11/democratic-process.html

Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo said...

I have never EVER been so invested in an election before. And you already know that I vehemently desperately disagree with you but we are all entitled to our opinion and I am hoping that my fear is completely unjustified.


And every word out of Tonys mouth is carefully scripted (for the record I didn't like the second coming of Kevin - so smug! - and wasn't a big fan of Julia either. But that is just personalities. Not policies)

babblingbandit.me said...

Hey Kelley. Thanks for your comment. I've been invested in elections since the day I was born. Coming from a very political family it has been hard not too. I marched with my grandmother as a Labor supporter worried about the Libs taking Medicare away from us (back in the early 90s). I handed out how to vote cards for Paul Keating when I was a member of Young Labor.


I've met prime ministers (Hawke) and I've seen them speak (Howard). I've volunteered for Liberal candidates and been to meetings and fundraising functions for them. I try to read news and opinion from both Fairfax and News Ltd press (and elsewhere). By educating myself I really hope I've made the right decision too.


Time will tell.


V.

babblingbandit.me said...

I don't know if it is because of social media but this election seemed the most vicious I've ever experienced. I'm so grateful that I live in such a wonderful country with a thriving democracy but Twitter kind of scared me over the weekend.


I agree with you, no one wants what is going on with asylum seekers, and neither side knows what to do about it. What we do know however is that the floodgates opened when KRudd came to power in 2007. He has hundreds of people's blood on his hands and thousands are living in detention centres, while people smugglers get rich off the misery of others, thanks to his and Gillard's mismanagement of the situation since.


Anyway, I don't want to rant either. I better go write another post so this one can get off my home page!


V.

Debbish said...

Vanessa, I was actually hoping Kevin would get up as well, but I struggle with the nastiness that comes out when people talk politics. The stuff I saw on Twitter (from supporters of all parties) was often horrendous and got really personal.


I have not got thick skin and I'm really fragile when it comes to my blogs. I've been pretty lucky to date but have had the occasional comment that's upset me. Of course if it's a complete dickhead then it's fine, but sometimes even their words can hurt! xxx

Post a Comment

Thank you for leaving me a comment. I love comments!