Letter to my MP

I recently sent this letter to my local MP in regards to the motion being put forward by the Greens in support of gay marriage.

Why the marriage equality motion is important to me

Dear MP,

This motion is incredibly important to me. My beautiful uncle is a dual Australian/Canadian citizen. In Canada in 2005 he legally married his gorgeous partner and they have been happily married now for five years. They are both extremely important to me. I would love for them to live in Australia, but frankly I am ashamed that what is an important statement of their love and basic rights would not be recognised in my uncle’s home country.

I see Australia as a progressive country in many respects, but it is incredibly sad that we have not been able to stamp out this basic discrimination. A discrimination that, if lifted, would have no negative effect on those with the right to marry already, but benefit those others who would now be able to legally wed.

It is unfair that I could walk out the door tomorrow and go up to any man on the street and potentially be married within a week. Meanwhile my family member, and someone who I love, can be in a 10+ year relationship and have no chance at all to be married in Australia. I struggle to reconcile how unjust this is. I personally choose not to be married until every adult in a consenting relationship, whether homosexual or heterosexual, can choose to get married if they desire. Marriage’s worth for me is diminished and has little significance while it does not include everyone.

I believe equality in marriage is inevitable and I find it difficult to understand why the major parties continue to deny this.

Love comes in all different forms. I ask that you make the choice not to discriminate against a group of people who just want the same rights that you and I have.

--

You can do the same here

Cookie Cutter

I've been thinking a lot about how I have ended up living my life the way I do and the way I actually want to. It feels like it's taken me a long time but I am finally on the right path.

I look back at my life prior to the last 12 months or so and it really felt like I was living a cookie cutter existence.

White, middle-class, private school girl. Friends all white, middle-class, private school girls. Throw in a couple of boys and a couple of friends whose parents come from Asian backgrounds and that's about it in terms of difference.

The cookie cutter also forms not just our circumstances but our paths in life. School, good VCE marks, double-degree at one of the large Melbourne universities, couple of trips overseas here and there, decent job, boyfriend, suburban house, buy a lot of shit for house, dog, wedding, kids, career change, retirement, grand-kids, death. 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/antiquesgaloregal/3469370313/

Of course not all of those things have happened yet and they may not happen in that way, in that order or at all. The expectations are there though and from what I see that path is also a strongly desired goal.

I have been on that path. But it has been a struggle and mostly it hasn't worked out. It has caused a lot of anxiety and distress that I haven't been able to achieve or 'get' these things. Meanwhile the people around me seem to speed through it all not giving it another thought. That has been extremely hard.

I sometimes feel like I was chewed up and spat out of the private school/university machine. I loved my high school and I loved my time at school and I generally look back with great fondness. However, I don't think it gave me enough. It gave me the skills to get a great VCE mark. I was in the top 4% of the state. I got into a great course (double degree of course) but it just wasn't right and I slipped through the cracks.

Certainly my attitude at high school probably didn't help. I was more interested in hanging out with my friends than joining the Amnesty letter writing group. But there were flashed of my passions, I wanted to start a charity at the school for instance, I wrote my Yr 12 oral on equal rights for gay marriage and I went to a couple of protests during my time which a few teachers were aware of. I didn't get a lot of encouragement though. I wish there had been someone (a teacher perhaps) who would have pushed me.

So I have fairly recently come to the realisation that the cookie cutter existence that I know just won't do. It's not enough for me. It's not fulfilling and it's not who I am.

Coming into contact with different people and different existences outside of those that I know has helped. There are other things too. Things like twitter, finding like-minded people and finding a bit of a voice in expressing my own point of view.

So I'm moving forward. I'm going to defy the cookie cutter. I'm going to be whoever I want to be and I'm going to try my darnedest to be happy doing it. 

Image via antiquesgaloregal

Volunteering

I mentioned in a previous post how that I wanted to get involved in regular volunteering. Well back in July I started volunteering at a fantastic organisation that assists and empowers asylum seekers. I signed up for an information session and after a long day at uni and feeling a bit anxious I almost didn't show. I sucked it up though and went along and I am so very glad that I did.

I head in there for one day a week of pretty basic administration work. I was worried when I started that I would be bored or perhaps resent the work because I was not being paid for it. Being there a couple of months now I can honestly say that there is no way that is going to happen. Last week I had an exam on my scheduled day and couldn't go in. I was actually quite annoyed and was sad to have missed out on being able to go in for the week. I'm also taking every opportunity presented and popping in there whenever there is an extra bit of training or an information night.

It really is a workplace like no other. With so many volunteers (the organisation has over 600) you know everyone is there because they want to be. It's busy and there are people everywhere. The day begins with a volunteer briefing so we are all kept up-to-date with the organisation and wider issues affecting asylum seekers. This is a fantastic way to keep volunteers engaged. It would be easy to just have them doing their work but I'm sure this sort of engagement would keep their turnover down.

I really can't advocate enough for getting involved in a cause or an organisation that you have passion for. Even if you aren't particularly passionate, if you have an interest or just a desire to learn it really is fantastic.

I think this may just change my life.

Here is a website that may help you in getting started http://www.govolunteer.com.au/.

Incomprehensible - The ability of people to survive the worst

I have recently become very interested in development specifically in Africa and have been trying to take in as much information as I can.

At the moment I have very little knowledge and with such complex situations in each country it will take time to have any real grasp.

In my research I have come across the New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and writes about human rights and worldwide conflicts.

His writing is moving and provides a great resource for beginning to understand some of the complexities of the situation in many African nations.

Today I read this article by Nicholas D. Kristof: Orphaned, Raped and Ignored - NYTimes.com and watched the accompanying video here. 

As you will see the article and video details some of the atrocities occurring in Eastern Congo. Specifically, the story of Chance a young girl who had to flee her home when militia came to murder her family. She fled to her aunts house where once again the militia attacked.

What truly astounded and is so very far from my comprehension is how Chance's aunt survives the truly horrific things that have happened to her. 


She had to watch the slaughter of her husband, the rape of her niece, was herself raped by six men who gave her a sexually transmitted disease, her teenage daughters were kidnapped by the militia and are suspected to be dead. 


I cannot imagine the strength you would need to survive one of those events let alone all those things happening at once. I honestly can not comprehend how you could have rape, death, disease and violence forced upon you and still be able to get up in the morning and continue living.


I hope to turn my interest in development into a career in the future. I don't expect that I will ever have the skill or ability to change the world but I do want to make a choice to have some involvement in attempting to improve people's lives. It's stories like these that make that a very easy choice.

Check out the International Rescue Committee's website for information on how you can help http://www.theirc.org/where/congo

Four Years. Go. - Now this is advertising I can get behind

I just came across this fantastic video on the interwebs.



Now I am a bit sketchy about who exactly is running this campaign but it started with a core group of four (including the advertising agency that put together the video). They also call for other organisations to sign up and as an ally. Now I have a feeling there is a slight religious link with some of these organisations but I am choosing to ignore that entirely.

Lynn Twist of the Pachamama Alliance describes the idea behind the concept:

"We decided to design a global communications campaign around the times we are living in"

The video definitely has all the hallmarks of a manipulative ad. It has catchy music, some great graphics and powerful imagery. But it's definitely the type of advertising I can get behind. I try not to let advertising have its desired purpose on me but with this one I couldn't help it.

The overall aim of the campaign is to have corporations sign up and develop goals that will "blow all the problems in the world away in 4 years, by 2014". That is a lofty aim and unfortunately highly unachievable. But I don't think that stops the message from being powerful and also quite inspirational.

So what do I want to do to try and change the world in 4 years?

• Get involved in regular volunteering 
• Commit to choosing a career with a not-for-profit organisation
• Actively try and consume less 'stuff' and make more ethical decisions when I do
• Educate myself on the big issue's out there 
• Think. Spend more time thinking for myself rather than consuming other people's views and opinions

What do you think of the video? Does it inspire you to think about how you want to change the world in the next four years?

This is the story that should be used in TAC campaigns

Going by the amount of #masterchef hashtags I saw on Twitter last night I don't think too many people caught Australian Story. The episode, titled 'In My Little Town' centred around the small Central Highlands town of Harcourt, a car accident that killed Leigh Charter Jr. and a subsequent murder and suicide.

You can catch-up on the episode on iView here.

The story was told mostly from the perspective of the family whose son, Brenton Chaplin was the driver of the car in which Leigh Charter Jr. was killed. They were best mates.

Brenton's blood alcohol limit was recorded as 0.8. As a P-plater it should have been zero. He was also driving way over the speed limit.

Subsequently, the father of Leigh Charter Jr, Leigh Charter attacked the Chaplin family. Four family members were stabbed. Wendy Chaplin, Brenton's mother was fatally wounded. Leigh Charter hung himself a few hours after the frenzied attack. Brenton was unhurt.

Leigh Charter's wife, Vicki declined to have her interview filmed but provided a letter from her perspective. It can also be found on the ABC website.

It is clear from the letter that Vicki blames Brenton as well as Trevor and Wendy Chaplin for the death of her son. Her grief and despair are evident. I'm not sure that she believes her husband's actions were entirely wrong.

It was a gut-wrenching and incredibly emotional half an hour of television. I would encourage anyone who has a chance to watch it.

This episode should be compulsory viewing for anyone who drives a car and even those who choose to be a passenger. The grief and horror that came from one bad decision is difficult to comprehend.

I hope that the surviving members of each family can one day find some peace.

By golly gosh you started a blog

I have been meaning to start a blog for a very, very long time. In fact this particular blog name/address has been registered to me since July 2009. To be honest, I find it incredibly scary putting out your thoughts, feelings, musings, rantings, whatever out there. To a real audience. To be judged. To be commented upon. OK so I know I am not Barack Obama and I don't have cute pictures of cats with hilarious captions - can you imagine the pressure and judgement they face every time they post something?  But it's still out there for anyone and everyone to read. 

Time to be brave. 

I call this blog End of Recorded Programme as I often find myself staring at those words on my TV screen. Usually when something I have just watched has got me thinking or provoked an emotion. It's those times that I feel inspired to write, comment, debate and discuss. Feel free to join me. 

I hope you enjoy. 

Catie Mac