How on Earth did Chris Bowen survive the reshuffle?

It is beyond comprehension how Chris Bowen has survived in the portfolio of Climate Change and Energy in Anthony Albanese’s cabinet reshuffle (“New Albanese ministry sworn in”, 29/7). The underperformance of demoted ministers Andrew Giles and Clare O’Neil pales into insignificance with the pain and suffering Bowen has wrought upon Australians. Through his ideological renewables superpower dream, he has put a sledgehammer through the nation’s previously reliable and affordable electricity grid, which has sent power prices through the roof, exacerbated a cost-of-living crisis, forced record business closures, sent industry offshore, caused widespread environmental destruction and negative incursions into farming operations, and placed the country in a chronic state of energy supply anxiety.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

Christians: easy targets

Paris Olympics creative director Thomas Jolly defended the raunchy, LGBTQIA+, sexualised paganising of Christ and his disciples at the Last Supper as “not (intended) to be subversive” and as sending “a message of love, of inclusion”.

Many are unconvinced. “Offensive”, “outrageous”, “provocative”, “derisory” and “mocking”, and a “gratuitous insult to the Eucharist” are just some reactions from those for whom the Last Supper is sacred, or those who although atheist or agnostic respect others’ right to religious faith.

France may claim secularism, but like much of the West it has been proselytised by a new religion, “diversity and inclusion”, regarded as so sacred and holy that at its name every knee must bow, every cause give way. Well, not quite. Certain groups have carte blanche to offend, and certain groups are fair game.

If Jolly and co honestly wanted to be diverse and inclusive, they would also have made use of other religions’ well-recognised sacred icons. But then again, Christianity teaches to turn the other cheek, love those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you. It’s a safe target.

Deborah Morrison, Malvern East, Vic

Although as a Christian I was offended by the abusive scene of the Last Supper depicted in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, it was also a compliment to Christianity. If a similar slur were made about Islam, or the LGBTI community, there would have been a different reaction, but to make a mockery of Christianity would not have evoked the same response because the Founder of our faith has told us to love our enemies and pray for those who pull you down.

Barry Dudding, Manly, NSW

Elderly neglect

The most forgotten people in our community are the elderly as accented by your social affairs editor, Stephen Lunn (“Nursing homes teeter on the brink”, 29/7). The situation in so many nursing homes has reached dire proportions and must be addressed urgently if further closures are to be avoided.

Most alarming is that we, as individuals and collectively, look upon old age as an inconvenience, and the elderly in our country as an expense. Care of the elderly is given no priority and is undervalued and underfunded.

Billions of dollars will continue to be spent on building sporting venues, art galleries and entertainment centres, to name a few, while the standard of residential care for the elderly – where many spend every day of their final years in outdated buildings, looked after by the dedicated few and staffed by the most recent arrivals to our country – demonstrates to the elderly that they have no future and so are not worthy of consideration when budgets are allocated.

Members of older generations are frequently heard to say “We are all living too long”. What a sad indictment on all of us – that they see themselves as an unwanted burden on the community, and on their families and friends, as no longer valued or held in esteem by those who were nurtured and provided for by them in their growing and earlier years.

Stephanie Summers, North Turramurra, NSW

Trigger happy

I, too, despaired after reading Janet Albrechtsen’s piece on the Malthouse Theatre (“Triggered by trigger warnings”, 27-28/7), as did correspondents Chris Curtis, who taught Macbeth, and Riley Brown, who studied Macbeth at school (Letters, 29/7).

In fact, according to a paper in Clinical Psychological Science, in 2020: “Trigger warnings alert trauma survivors about disturbing forthcoming content. However, empirical studies on trigger warnings suggest they are functionally inert or cause small adverse side-effects.”

The authors of this paper found that trigger warnings were not helpful to trauma survivors.

So rather than based on scientific evidence, is the Malthouse Theatre just virtue-signalling and perhaps causing more harm than good?

Can we accept the fact that life itself does not include trigger warnings?

Charles Such, Southport, Qld