Heat and Fire

Many of you have emailed or called with concerns about the fire that's raging near Melbourne. Fortunately for us, we are thousands of miles away but our hearts go out to these poor people. The fact they suspect arson makes it even sadder. King's Park, one of the most gorgeous places in Perth, was on fire a few weeks ago due to arson and it ruined a good bit of the park.

Yes, like everywhere else in the world, there is an underbelly to life in Australia. I already told you about the hoons, short for hooligans, who drive irresponsibly. In addition, there are too many bar fights to count. They don't have guns here but are known to injure or kill one another with their fists or broken bottles. The government is considering passing legislation that will require bars to use plastic glasses instead. I would say at least one death a week is attributed to bar fights.

Sometimes, it seems a bit like Lord of the Flies. One of the most shocking things to us is the way they treat the bus drivers. It has become such a problem that there is an armed guard at night who travels on the bus, followed by another car with another policeman. The grossest act committed by the idiots is spitting on the bus drivers. The problem is so pervasive that the drivers are now equipped with DNA kits. We are also disheartened to hear that the ambulance drivers refuse to go to certain areas because they are beaten while answering emergency calls.

After enjoying such a wonderful Australia Day, I discovered that the local Fremantle celebration did not go as smoothly. Some of the Aboriginal people object to Australia Day and consider it Invasion Day, the day their land was stolen. The government sponsored an indigenous-pride event at Fremantle Park that ended with a few drunken or drugged participants intimidating patrons of nearby Cappicino Strip, a few blocks from our house. Fights ensued and many of the cafes closed to prevent further trouble.

Like the US, racism has always been an undercurrent in Australian society. According to the Epoch Times, Aborigines were only counted in the census beginning in 1967. Before that, they were classified as flora and fauna. From 1901 to 1973, Australians restricted non-white immigration.

Most Australians seem to be celebrating Obama's election and hope for the future is high. However, those who are not excited about our new president all seem to object to him based on race alone. Even Rose, who is a wonderful woman in every other way, told me it was a disgrace that we have a black president. I reminded her that he's also half white. I don't care if he's purple if he can do the job well and hope things change with time. Unless we all choose to work together, the world will never solve its problems. Enough soapbox! I promise my next blog will be cheery!