An email response from Aussie Sen. Nettle

[Pastiche423]

After hearing about Senators Nettle and Brown standing up to whistle ass on his recent visit to Australia, I wrote and expressed my appreciation. The following is Senator Nettle's response:

Subject: RE: Standing up to bush
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 15:19:37 +1100
From: "Nettle, Kerry (Senator)" <[e-mail]>
To: "Victoria" <xxxxxxxxx>




Dear Victoria ,

Thank you for your message of support for our actions last Thursday and Friday.

Our offices, and Greens offices all over the country, have been
inundated with messages from people in Australia and abroad who were,
like us, dismayed by other MPs' willingness to remain silent about
fundamental human rights issues in the interests of "good manners".

The overwhelming majority of responses have been positive, although we have received responses from critics too. It's fantastic that our actions provoked such community debate - like President Bush said, we love free speech.

We did not take this course of action lightly. We were dismayed that
neither the public nor the Australian Parliament was given an
opportunity to engage in any type of dialogue with the Presidents during their visits. Even the Australian media was denied access to them. We knew that many Australians have been appalled by the behaviour of the United States Government, and by raising the issues of Guantanemo Bay and the Australia/US Free Trade Agreement during President Bush's speech we attempted to give this sector of the Australian community a voice. President Hu Jintao's repression of Chinese democrats and Tibet is legendary. Our protest gave voice to these issues.

Thanks again for your message. We will continue to speak up on behalf
of the millions of Australians who do not agree with our current
government's willingness to put the interests of the President of the
United States ahead of Australia. We've included some of the responses
we received below.

"I congratulate you on your courage and principle. You have secured for yourself an honoured place in the dissenting history of Australia, and a treasured place in the memories and hearts of the many Australians who
are sickened by the Bush visit and the timid genuflections of the ALP".

"I hope that your passionate opposition will be reported widely and that the President comes away with no delusions about the fact that many good Australians are against his appalling foreign policies. Keep up the great work! You are both conviction politicians who put your money where your mouths are and I think we need more like you!"

"Thank you for speaking out for us, for reminding Australians that the
platitudes of the current US administration do not go unquestioned in a free and open society".

"Thank you for having the courage to stand up in parliament today for
those of us who vehemently disagree with President Bush and John
Howard's propaganda machine. Thank you for making visible the fact that not all Australians are complicit with their actions and speaking. Thank you for standing for a deeper truth and having the courage to voice your convictions. Bush says he "loves freedom of speech" yet he gags those who speak. Thank you both for finding a way to speak through the web of deceit and showing the hypocrisy for what it is".

"You've both done the right thing and are the only decent politicians in Canberra. I am proud of the pair you and disgusted at the appalling lack of cajones, ethics and spine from the rest of our supposed representatives".

"Yours is a conscience of cooperation, of adherence to law, and of
minimizing the use of violence. Gandhi and Dr. King would be proud of
you had they been alive to hear your words".


Kerry Nettle
Australian Greens Senator for NSW

GPO Box 36
SYDNEY NSW 2001

Ph 02 9241 6663
F 02 9241 6680
www.kerrynettle.org.au

Way cool, eh?

[KG]

1. too cool!

smooches! :*

[Pastiche423]

4. Backatcha!

[JohnKleeb]

2. You emailed him like a week ago and she responded back that quick

Thanks for the letter Pastiche to her. We need ripples of hope like her to fight the bastards. I hope the Australians get liberated soon from a right wing government. A great letter and :thumbsup:, I am glad that others are standing up to the bastard. A toast to the Australian senators :toast:

[Cha]

3. That is so Neat, Pastiche!

Good on Ya! :D

And Thank you!

[Djinn]

8. the subversive content of the letter

Senator Nettle was prevented from handing a letter from Maha Habib (the wife of Australian citizen Mamdou Habib, imprisoned in Gitmo) this is part of it's contents (as you can see it's highly subversive and clearly the President of the most powerful democracy should not have had his eyes soiled)...

"... has not been charged with any crime - not under American
law, Australian law or any law. In his two years of imprisonment I have
not been able to speak with him. How are his rights being protected by
the United States? It is beyond understanding how he could have been
caught up in all of this...
If the United States Government considers that he is a threat to
its security, then please inform us of his crime and press charges
against him. If not, then please return him to his family and his
country."

This poor woman is trying to survive and bring up her kids with absolutely no idea when or if her husband will return to her and she has no idea the kind of treatment he is getting or what sort of physical or mental state he is in - the least the shrub could have done was read her letter

[dudeness]

5. thats great..

although i am not a green..brown and nettles actions spoke volumes..labor leader simon crean also confronted bush by stating in his speech that many australians (majority) did not support this invasion..the left is building and i feel positive is about to occur..

[Cha]

6. I love those Australians who are speaking out

against the bushmurderinc.

[grannylib]

7. This is wonderful

Australia rocks!
Just as a suggestion, I encourage all DUers to check out international newscasts whenever possible -
It's amazing, the lack of spin they put on things!