Opinion: ‘Why I’m no longer proud to be an Australian’

“The way that we are treating the Tamil family is one case where we are hell bent on deporting the family as the parents arrived here without visas but their two daughters were born here.”

The Murugappan family in community detention. Photo: File.

For many years of my life I was very proud to be an Aussie.

The reason for my attitude was that as part of a special group of people one could hold their head up and throw their chest out.

That I am afraid, has disappeared and for the foreseeable future has become invisible to me.

Many different situations have destroyed our persona in my eyes.

The way that we are treating the Tamil family is one case where we are hell bent on deporting the family as the parents arrived here without visas but their two daughters were born here.

Our sad government has no feelings for them even though the entire town of Biloela where they lived until arrested more than 3 years ago wants them to stay,

Another is the persecution of Ben Roberts-Smith, a very special Aussie who was awarded the highest bravery award that exists, the Victoria Cross, for his actions in combat in Afghanistan.

This newly acquired media “tall poppy” syndrome is disgusting.

The current case that has Roberts-Smith in court seeking damages for defamation, has so far shown the reporting actions of the media to have more holes that a sieve.

They have even accused the defendant of murder. Perhaps they should look up the meaning of the word war.

What is up with us?

What has happened to our fair-go attitude that we are, or were, famous for?

I for one am ashamed of our new trendy persona and with that goes my pride as an Australian.

I just hope that the Tamil family win their right to become Aussies and that Ben Roberts-Smith empties the bank accounts of his accusers with his case.

Please Australia go back to what we were and forget all of this rubbish that trends are famous for, after all that is what the word trend means.

It is good to be individual it is Australian and is another word for FAIR GO.

Charles Brown, Burnett Downs