Free Burma!

 

Walk On, Burma

I awake this morning to news of shots being fired out in Burma against the demonstrators against the military regime.

In the words of U2’s song “Walk On”:

Oh, oh
Walk on, walk on
What you got, they can’t steal it
No, they can’t even feel it
Walk on, walk on
Stay safe tonight

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Burma, including the monks and Aung San Suu Kyi.

 

Gambling in NSW: Good news (Russell Crowe) and Bad news (Keno) today

Gambling is a huge problem in Australia. Today I was pleased to hear some Good News and Bad News about gambling.  First the Bad News:

Bad News

The NSW State Government has approved the introduction of Keno, a lottery game, into hotels (pubs).  This, despite the previous Premier saying just two years ago "no more  gambling".  Of course the Government gets more money in taxes, as well as money donated to the Labor Party.  (SMH, ABC, ABC)

It is additionally disappointing that Kevin Rudd (Federal Labor Leader) has said that it is necessary for the States to do this in the short-term for the taxes gathered. (SMH)

Good News

Three cheers for Russell Crowe and co-owner of the South Sydney Leagues Club, Peter Holmes a Court, for proposing to do away with pokies in the Club!  They intend to pursue the revenu epreviously raised from gambling (about $7 million per year) from other sources.  That proposal has yet to be approved by the Club Board and Members, but Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court are to be congratulated for attempting to revise the perceptions of how to raise revenue, to do away with gambling. (SMH)

 

Amish donate to wife of killer

The Amish community where 5 of its girls were killed in a massacre last year have given money from donations received to the widow of the gunman (the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday reported). The Nickel Mines Accountability Committee, charged with managing the donations received said:

Many from Nickel Mines have pointed out that forgiveness is a journey, that you need help from your community of faith and from God … to make and hold on to a decision not to become a hostage to hostility.

Despite their own journey in dealing with their loss, they have made a conscious choice to forgive.

Update: In a comment to this post Tom Hanson mentioned that the Nickel Mines (Pennsylvania) Amish had also traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia. ABC News reports that there they met with the families of the Virginia Tech shooting victims, and gave them the Comfort Quilt that had been given to Nickel Mines. Wow!