Letters: Police integrity, Stephen Bennett and meerkats

SO PATRICK Denham (NM December 29) found my letter of December 28 to be below the belt?

WELCOME: One reader is welcoming meerkats to Bundaberg. Picture: Michael Probst

Criticism defended

SO PATRICK Denham (NM December 29) found my letter of December 28 to be below the belt in my criticism of the member for Burnett Stephen Bennett's use of the Your Say page.

This eventually led to Patrick accusing me of writing un-truths in the form of disinformation whatever that means.

Well Patrick I would suggest that you take the time and read my correspondence again but this time comprehend its contents properly.

My criticism relates specifically to the member's use of choosing this page as his venue when the right and proper place is in Parliament at question time.

I am also critical of his total lack of ability to problem solve, particularly the one he has created.

All he does is whinge about things but never offers any form of solution.

So to save face he rants here. Either that, or he does this to keep his name in the papers.

I ask if he is so passionate about the subject in point then use the TV news as well, but please tell us what his solution is.

It is easy for anyone to throw mud but the end result just might be humiliation.

This man is also my member and one would have thought that being part of the third-time club he would have learnt something over the years.

We are now entering 2018 and some of our politicians are playing a game sourced back in 1918.

It is time that the voters were given value for money, and that in our case, is to work together to make our State prosper.

But Patrick, please acknowledge the real facts; a lemon is really a lemon.

R. HENDERSON

Sharon

Police integrity

A CERTIFICATE, a diploma, a degree, even a PhD is not a cloak of invincibility. But then neither is a uniform.

I fully support, and respect the integrity of police and the judicial system.

However, I retain a democratic right to disagree with the process of and the conclusion reached by police officers and the courts.

I also ardently adhere to the belief that law and justice are different domains.

The police deal with indisputable law and courts deal with justice.

For example: a driver travelling at 51km/h in a 50km zone is clearly in breach of the law; for police to proceed with a caution not a charge is consideration that the offence is trivial.

It is just but not law.

Where the issue of the law is defined and clear there is no defence for misfeasance or malfeasance.

But if the issue is not clear or based on perception, then the matter should proceed to court for adjudication, without charge.

I believe that police in Queensland every effectively and I must say fairly administer the law.

But every citizen has the right to express dissatisfaction with an outcome and while it may be frustrating to a police officer in most cases the expression of frustration is not an attack on the officer concerned by the perceived failure of the process.

Police officers, like any other public servant, teachers, nurses and council officers are not infallible and may, by the nature of their profession, need to listen and not be offended by the frustrations express by a perceived miscarriage of justice.

It is part of the job and the more patient the officer is, letting a tirade flow like water off a duck's back, the better they are at their job.

In the final analysis they are not only responsible to the institution to which they are assigned but to themselves.

What is the humane consideration of this issue?

What would I have done in the same situation?

Not sympathy but empathy.

Greater people than I have approached this issue.

DIETER MOECKEL

Wonbah Road

Meerkats welcome

IT WAS good to hear that one of our local zoos may be getting some meercats.

All wildlife is welcome including crocodiles though it is not really those lizards I miss.

Rather it is the innocent giggling and laughter of the kindergarten tots as they throw their teacher over the fence to the crocs .

By all means visit and admire the wild animals but watch out for the ankle biters.

They are the real danger in any zoo.

FREDERICK F ARCHER

Bundaberg