ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Homeless, Stateless - Refugee
(c) 2014 Manfred Vijars

That's a deep one Mannie-I like it

Sue

Me too - unless someone has walked in these peoples shoes how the hell can they possibly know what they have been through. IMO the attitude Australia is showing to them is appalling. Our compassion seems to have walked out the door and been replaced with paranoi

Thought-provoking, Manfred. It's all a matter of perspective. I wonder what we'd do to protect our families if our cities became battlegrounds. Drone and missile strikes. Bombs. Armed gangs/militia roaming the streets, invading houses and executing people. Get out, one way or another? Take to the water, maybe, and try to find somewhere safer?

Reportedly, more than 2 million refugees have fled Syria for neighbouring countries. Two million. Roughly the population of Brisbane.

David

Thank you Sue, Mausie and David.

I have no time for the profiteers in Human misery. Ripping their nuts our with a salad-fork would be too kind. In the bigger picture, we get merely the breadcrumbs off the worldwide refugee crisis. But it's become popular to tread on the down-trodden and demonise them as justification for our lack of humanity. Instead of demonising the profiteers, we find it easier to pick on their victims.
That they scraped together what they could and paid money to these profiteers? So what?

After World War II, Australia was at the forefront of settling refugees traumatised and displaced by war. In the ’70s, as the Vietnam War ended, we took the refugees who arrived here by boat with little protest. Look at them now. In 1989, it was Chinese students after the massacre in Tiananmen Square. I worry that as Australia has grown richer in the decades since – thanks in large part to those who were once newcomers – we have also grown less generous, more mean spirited and selfish.

Our family were 'Reffos', we came out on a boat (a converted American troop-ship called The General Black) docking at Station Pier in Melbourne. I am first and foremost an Australian. My heritage is Latvian and I'm proud of both (my family has been traced back to the 1160's).

I'll always remember and be grateful, for Dad's choice to come here and our wonderful Country for accepting us.

It's not 'illegal' to be a refugee, and it's not a crime to flee oppression ...

OK ... rant over ...

Well said Manfred and I totally concur

Interesting approach Manfred. Can I take your points...?

We as Anglo-Saxons took Australia away from the Aborigines, who now have no say in anything (especially immigration! )

Isn't it THEIR country still??? or is that just political expediency. Trotted out when it suits? Said before secondary-school functions for "a warm and fuzzy feeling".

It is an Aboriginal country?... tribal and land rights... or just when it suits the politicians to say it is....!

I go to Melbourne City, wander around, and it is ALL Chinese!! Geez.. ! I hear Sydney is much the same.

My mate says his old Melb. public school can no longer field a footy-team because the majority of students (Asian) simply DO NOT play football.

They were overheard to say ".. when we take over this country..." QUOTE.!!! True.

Very Scary stuff. Or at least it is to me. Others could not care less... "Here, have our country.....".

Bill Hayden, the ex Governor General talked about "the Asian-isation of Australia". Ah. paradise.!

What more noble (and foolish) thing could one do than surrender one's country!!

So I don't care.

Aussies are regarded as total FOOLS.

Arguing about whether men should marry men! homosexual "rights", while the Chinese buy up Australian food and energy resources. And build up the population numbers quietly. That is the definition of FOOLS.

Well... FOOLS like that actually DESERVE to LOSE their country..to be a slave minority. Lose it. BAD Luck!

YOU deserve to lose your country... and your country is everything, or it should be.

FOOLS. Australia is a great country to be retained by those who are prepared to be vigilant and defend it. Otherwise.... you become a minority.

That is the dreaded.. TRUTH.

Bring in twenty million, thirty million ... call them "asylum-seekers", warm and fuzzy term, and NOT "illegal immigrants" .. so NOBODY has to answer to anybody and no politician has a problem. Paradise.

Somebody else foots the bill for them.. never me! Some other taxpayer!!!

FOOLS deserve to lose their country. To be a multicultural hotch-potch of... nothing.

When Australia is Asian in 20 to 40 years as it absolutely will be, I am happy to say I will NOT be here.

So.... 20 million unhappy Sudanese. 10 Million Nigerians .... 100 million Indonesians.. who have a tough life.

Bring 'em all in I say. Warm and fuzzy feeling.... they are seeking "asylum".. yeah right! Let us show how wonderful and generous we are!!! We can all self-congratulate .. for a while. Our kids foot the social problems.

..50 million Chinese.. no problem. "Family re-unions." "Asylum seekers" .. call them nice-sounding words.

Here guys.. have our Country.. just do not call me a Rayshist!!!

In exchange for me giving you my country, just do not call me a RAYSHIST?

Deal... or No Deal ?

I could not care less.
I actually like Chinese food.. which is .. just as well!!!

Except my kids will be the waiters. haha.

They say Aussies make great waiters.

WHO CARES!!! NOT ME! I am just a poet. Low on the social scale. A dreaded RAYSHIST though .. who actually LOVES his country. Heaven forbid.

I saw a man among a crowd,
upon a soapbox, shouting loud.
He’d got his knickers in a knot
about some issue…not sure what…
for I’m a fool who understands
so little of this life’s demands.
And so I bowed, in silent awe
of wisdom that admits no flaw,
for sheer perfection surely comes
with those who beat the biggest drums.

David 15/02/14

Well said David.

Gosh wasn't it so much simpler when it was only the Irish fighting everyone else....

This 'reffo' doesn't quite understand your question/s Gary ...