Cinema

Gadfly 239 By Robert Macklin It is easy to think of the recent Census 2022 as some great and wonderful turning of the page with a new and idealistic majority of millennials taking over from the stultifying conservatism of those old Boomers. After all, figures don’t lie. The new majority sees with absolute clarity the foolish attachment of the oldies to the fossil fuels and the destruction of the forests that threaten the very livability of planet earth. Like Peter Finch’s fabulous character Howard Beale in the movie Network, they’re ‘mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore.’ As they rise to take charge of the political process, the new dawn will see a transformation of the way ahead. Reason and consensus will replace the ancient myths and murderous wars. The planet will be saved; freedom and equality for all with be the watchwords of the future Ah, would that it were so. There is progress afoot in many fields but it’s hardly a generational revolution. Howard Beale, for example, was protesting against the trivializing and corruption of the straight, factual news that the Boomer generation so esteemed; and look at it now. Not much has changed for the better in the US with Fox News leading the field and here the ABC is favoured not by the millennials – who get most of theirs from social media - but an older generation still fighting the good fight. It was the quintessential Boomer, John Lennon who wrote the anthem that’s favoured in most funereal farewells of his generation – ‘Imagine’ – and it’s the Boomers the world over who uncovered and finally prosecuted the priestly perverts and emptied their churches. It’s the Boomers who have rallied their nations against the vile Vladimir Putin who would replay the 20th century’s bloodbath. And it’s the Boomers who passed Roe v Wade in all its judicial and legislative forms around the world and who followed it with the legalizing of assisted dying in the civilised nations of the earth. Alas, it’s largely the Boomers’ complacent kids, (Generation X?) who cruised along behind the pioneers of feminism and racial equality. It was their offspring who have now seen how foolishly their parents had joined the apathy party and allowed the atavists back into the fight. However, much as we like to tie these social changes into tight generational bundles, reality doesn’t quite work that way. For every Ash Barty there’ll be a Nick Kyrgios - Ash a perfect paragon, the other a flawed but fascinating skyrocket set to explode or fade from sight; no one knows, or cares, which or when. For every Albo there’s a Scomo, every Volodymyr a Vladimir, every Pocock a Pauline whatever the generation. Even John Lennon must have known that it was only ever in his ‘imagining’ that one day there’d be ‘no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man.’ * We cannot let the occasion pass without acknowledging the wonderful contribution made by Leigh Sales to Australian journalism in her role at the helm of the 7.30 program. She brought a special quality of gracious but unbending determination to her political interviews; a generous heart to the victims of cruel circumstance; and a charming sense of humour and humanity that leapt from that little screen each evening. She’s a very hard act to follow. robert@robertmacklin.com

Reading—A beer with Baz Bazza adjusted himself on the bar stool, unfolded a single page document and rubbed his chin. He nodded at the full schooner as Mick joined him. “What have you got there, Bazza? Are you making a few adjustments to your Will?” Bazza sucked in a deep breath. “No……Mick. It’s the Uluru Statement from the Heart.” “That’s a set of demands, Bazza? Anyhow, where’s the rest of it?”

“No….it’s not a set of demands and it’s a single page, Mick. You see…. I reckon if I can’t convince a bloke like you to its merits then it’s doomed, as its implementa on will need changes to our Cons tu on. Now…..to alter our Cons tu on you not only need a majority of the people to support it, but a majority of the States to do the same. That means a majority of the people could support it but it will fall short if a majority of the States say ‘NO”. That pre y much means its success depends on people like you ge ng behind it.” “Well…… don’t be too op mis c, Bazza ……but I will give it a fair reading.” Mick took a generous sip of his schooner and adjusted his glasses. “Well… Bazza, I’ve got no problem with the opening, ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes were the first sovereign Na ons of the Australian con nent and its adjacent islands, and possessed it under our own laws and customs.’ I can’t argue with the science that dates that fact back 60,000 years.” “Well….that’s a good start, Mick.” “Just hang on there, Bazza…..this bit here; ‘This sovereignty is a spiritual no on: the ancestral e between the land, or 'mother nature', and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who were born therefrom, remain a ached thereto, and must one day return thither to be united with our ancestors. This link is the basis of the ownership of the soil, or be er, of sovereignty.’…. Now Bazza…. that’s a land claim.” Bazza sucked in another deep breath and ghtened his eyes. “No Mick, it’s sovereignty as a spiritual no on. I reckon it’s pre y hard for the likes of us to get our head around that concept. I mean……we mainly see land as something to farm, fence, build on or change to suit our purposes. I reckon to live here successfully for 60,000 years requires a far deeper connec on with ‘mother nature’…..it’s sovereignty as a spiritual no on. I reckon we can all gain from that.” They shared a silence. “Anyhow Mick, the statement goes on, ‘it co-exists with the sovereignty of the Crown’ so….. no……its not a land claim.”

“All right…..all right….I can ck off on that, Bazza……but I can’t cop this line; ‘We call for the establishment of a First Na ons Voice enshrined in the Cons tu on.’

Now mate……that’s all about another level of government……a right to veto legisla on… I’m deadset against that bit, Bazza.” Bazza leaned back.

“I totally agree with you on that one, Mick. It would run against our democracy….. so let’s just s ck to the word ‘voice’. Mick loosened his shoulders. ` “Ahhhh…..now you are talking a bit of sense for a change, Bazza.” Bazza leaned in, chin cupped between forefinger and thumb and rested his elbow on the table.

“Now Mick, if we were able to take one footstep back in me to get to 1788, we would have to take 256 equivalent footsteps back to get to 60,000 years. The way I see it, there are 255 missing steps that we should draw on to run this country be er. Name any other part of your life where you do not draw down from previous knowledge and experience to go about living. You live a be er life because of it and I reckon we will have a be er country if we do the same. If that voice ar culates those 255 missing steps in the make up of our Cons tu on…… then….well…I see it as a great opportunity.” Mick rubbed his bald head for some me.

“I hate to say it, Bazza……but you have spruiked a bit of common sense today. How come this Statement is dated 2017?” Above: Now, that wasn’t so hard was it? Did it require 25 million dollars and two years to do? No. They just pulled down the NSW flag and hoisted the Aboriginal flag. Now let’s see if it stays up there or will the NSW government demand their flagpole back to fly their state flag?

“Well…… I am not going to spoil a bit of progress today, with a comment on that one. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is, after all, an invitation;”

“We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.”

Have a beer with Baz at john.longhurst59@gmail.com

THE death of an eight-months old child of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Berriman of Turlinjah, from an infan le ailment, occurred on Sunday last. MR. P. H. Mills, C.P.S. has kindly supplied us with the following vital sta s cs for the quarter ending 30/6/’22: - Births, 22; deaths, 5; marriages, 8; total, 35. ON Wednesday Mr. R. Toms, of the London College of Music, examined the pupils of Mrs. A. H. Preddey with the following excellent results: - Thelma Cheeseman (Senior) First-class pass, Florence Bartle (Intermediate) First-class pass, Marie Preddy (Intermediate) Honors, Leila Jenner (Intermediate) Honors. Mrs. Preddey’s ability as a teacher of music is proven by the fact that under her tui on not one of her pupils has yet failed in an examina on. R. H. Harvison and H. T. Thomson, conjointly, report having sold by auc on on Saturday last and privately during the week the following proper es on account of Mr. J. McKeon: - Allotment 6 in Vulcan St., to Mr. A. H. Preddey, at £120; allotments 1 and 3, in same street, to Mr. A. H. Weatherby, at £475; allotments 1, 2, 3 and 4, of sec on 42, containing 8 acres, to Mr. A. F. Emmo , at £80; a 60 acre paddock on the Moruya-Bergalia road, to Mr. J. Hansen, at £360. … THE football match between Bodalla and Mogo played last Saturday at Mogo resulted in a win for Bodalla by 6 to 5. J. Donnelly and T. Grumley scored for Bodalla. During the game one of the Bodalla boys W. Smith hurt his collar bone. Mr. Molloy refereed the game. Miss Clara Coman, of Candelo, who, with her aunt, Miss Coman, of Eurobodalla, is on a visit to Mr. and Mrs. R. Heffernan of Yarragee, had the misfortune on Tuesday, through tripping and falling over the buggy sha , to break her wrist. Dr. Cutler set the injured member and the pa ent is progressing sa sfactorily. MR. “Dick” Sebbens has opened a boot-repairing shop in the premises recently occupied by K. Matsen. Mr. Sebbens is also prepared to sharpen saws and repair bicycles. THE marriage was celebrated at St. Peters’ Church on Saturday a ernoon of Miss Nellie Corrigan, third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Corrigan, of Redfern, late of Moruya, (grand-daughter of Mrs. C. Constable, Moruya) and Mr. James Pearce, youngest son of Mrs. Pearce, and the late Mr. Pearce, of the Public Works Department, Albury. … APOLOGY. – I, David Coppin, of Gundary, hereby withdraw any expression that may have been u ered by me in Mr. Mar n Kea ng’s Butcher’s Shop as to the meat provided not being fit for human consump on. D. COPPIN. Witness: D. A. POLLOCK, Solicitor, Moruya.