It’s Christmas time again and while we’re amid the joys of presents, trukey, ham, family and flashing lights we need to take a moment and remember that Christmas can be a sad, fearful and worrying time for many in the world.

Poor, sick, grieving, homeless and lonely people struggle with the whole view of happy families, eating, shopping and celebrating that is continually promoted by the adverters as the ‘norm’, in order to entice us to buy more of their goods.

It is timely to remember that some poeple don’t have the whole “happy family” thing happening, due to a significant death, family breakdown or the total lack of a family. I can’t begin to imagine how awful it would be to spend Christmas alone, no matter the reason……………..maybe this is an opportunity for those of us who are fortunate to have loving families to invite someone along to our celebrations who would otherwise be alone…………….Just a thought!

So from me I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the next time we talk it will be 2007………….WOW!

Next weeks there are rallies all over the country to “beat the drum” and bring David Hicks home by Christmas.

Who is David Hicks?

He is an Austtralian citizen who has been held in Guantanamo Bay for five years. David has not been charged, he has had no tiral and he has been abandoned by the Australian Government. He lives in solitary confinment in a small cell with blank walls and a single frosted glass window and where the lights are often left on 24 hrs a day. He has no access to outside communication and if lucky is allowed one phonecall from his family every six months.

Since Davids incarceration 340 other detainees have been repatriated to their countries of origin including Britian, Europe, Asia, Albania, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Yemen, because their governments demanded their release.
Despite not being charged, David has been abandoned by the government…. OUR government. They have left him to be a ’sacrificial lamb’.
David’s American military laywer, Major Michael Mori stated in The Melbourne Age today (Sunday December 3rd 2006) that “The whole system is about Khalid Sheikh Mahommed. It’s not about David Hicks, nobody cares. Nobody in America cares about David Hicks. Hicks is there because of the Australian Government. All they have to do is ask to bring him home.”

David is an Australian citizen. He deserves just, fair and equitable treatment. If he has done something wrong, I’m sure five years in solitary confinement would go some way to proving he has already been punished. Let’s face it if he had been convicted of rape or manslaughter in Victoria he would now be ready for release. But David has been charged with NOTHING let alone been convicted.

David deserves to be home in his own country to spend Christmas with his family. Imagine if David was your father, son, brother or friend.

So if you feel strongly about human rights, understand that it doesn’t matter if David is innocent or guilty, he has a right to JUSTICE. If this can happen to one Australian citizen, it could happen to any of us.

Information on the rallies being conducted over the next week can be found on the Fair Go for David website and you can register your support to bring David home by emailing The Age on bringdavidhome@theage.com.au

Thanks goodness our major print media are finally supporting the cause of justice and human rights. Well done The Age!

So the rest is up to us……………think about it, read about it and if you feel strongly……….DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.