COMMUNITY
LETTERS TO THE
Editor
Please keep your letters to no more than 300 words or they will not be printed, this enables us to submit a number of letters for everyone to read.The comments and opinions on these pages do not reflect those of The Bribie Islander. Thank You.
Dear Editor Your words of wisdom in response to Letters to the Editor from “Nigel” identified the poor judgement of using opinion based on misinformation and demonstrated that “Nigel” has misunderstood the value of legal language and journalistic assessment of the written word. During the time with Journalists in South Australia and my training with the Katherine Dean College of Performing Arts, Media and Journalism and working alongside Graham Guy (Award-winning Journalist in Australia and Globally, Walkley Award winner) as a political speechwriter the fine line between opinion and fact had to be delineated. Letters to an editor must be assessed by a journalist/editor and are to be unbiased, it must follow the principles of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and the Human Rights Charter. a bridge difficult to cross. I am reminded of the statement of Bill Bullard, 1943 – 2020, “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world”. Thank you, Editor, 68
for your professionalism. What a great issue Letters to the Editor were a mixture of opinions? And then from M Matthews sound knowledge and empathy for the opinion of others grounded by knowledge and value across so many topics. Anne Mathews article was thought-provoking. The articles, Ablutions (Elaine Lutton) made for some laughter and Sue Wightson’s, Hammocks and others had me laughing as I experience a hammock on the beach in Cairns in my early 20’s, with calipers on legs, and a tangled mess of iron, leather and body parts moving in a million directions. To all contributors well done. Barry Clark's article did not attract me so much (Prickly Pear?) and wonder the value of a 2-page spread of History. There are other issues of greater value to the community. W. Peacock OAM. Dear Editor, In response the letter penned by Margaret-Guthrie-White (issue 157 Jan 14th) about the use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID19 may I draw her attention to an article published in the American Journal of Medicine in January of 2021 which stated "The American Journal of Medicine now (Jan. 2021) recommends
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Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, and Zinc for the treatment of Covid 19 outpatients." https://principia-scientific. com/the-american-journal-ofmedicine-now-recommendshcq-for-covid19/ That was 12 months ago. Margaret, don't you read your trade journals? It seems that this vital lifesaving information has slipped past you, the AMA, the FDA and all the vaccinecentric State and Federal Health ministers. In light of this (year old) information being in the public domain, I may ask "Why is HCQ still banned in Australia, and particularly in Queensland where doctors can cop a fine or jail time if they dare prescribe it for early treatment of COVID19?" The current treatment seems to be stay home if you’re sick, you will get better or be taken to hospital. By the time you get to hospital your viral load, in some instances, will have completely overwhelmed your immune system and you will die. If you got early treatment at home at first diagnosis, your life may have been saved. Early treatment with this multi-drug approach has saved countless lives. To verify my statements please consider the source documents from Qld Health website: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/ conditions/health-alerts/
coronavirus-covid-19/currentstatus/public-health-directions/ prescribing,-dispensing-orsupply-of-hydroxychloroquinedirection Prescribing, Dispensing or Supply of Hydroxychloroquine Direction (7/4/2020) On the web page mentioned above is a Q and A section, part of which reads Q.”Can I take hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure for COVID-19? A. You are not allowed to take hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure for COVID-19." Q. What is the penalty if the direction is not followed? A. If you don’t comply you may receive an on the spot fine of $1,378, a court-imposed penalty of up to $13,785 or 6 months imprisonment. Q. Does Hydroxychloroquine cure COVID-19? A. To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Some specific treatments are under investigation and will be tested through clinical trials. That is the sad truth, and this "Health Direction" is still in force in Queensland as at 15th January, 2022! Sorry Margaret, but your assertions do not fit the facts.
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