Elephant in the room on same-sex marriage

Jackboots and jodhpurs: The Waffen SSM bone up on their Popper. Illustration: Bill Leak.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is perspective, not the truth.” Thus spake Marcus Aurelius. What was your perspective in the time of identity politics, postal votes and post-truths? Did you shine a light on dark places or go full dotard? Welcome to the Readers’ Comments column, where we collate, curate and celebrate the best of your say on the issues of the day. Let’s engage ...

Riverina or Tablelands? Only his milliner knows for sure. Barnaby Joyce rocks the Akubra in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

Comment of the Week goes to John for his eagle eye and an arsenal of Akubra arcana, after the Nationals left their hats on for melanoma awareness:

“What I want to know is, if Barnaby is member for New England which incorporates the Tablelands, why is he wearing an Akubra ‘Riverina’ model when he could be wearing an Akubra ‘Tablelands’?”

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As the same-sex marriage debate got real, editor-at-large Paul Kelly produced an important piece of analysis on how the Yes campaigners were refusing to acknowledge the need for a bill to protect freedom of religion. “One of your best” said Maree. “Excellent analysis,” said PeterW. And Frances got 83 likes for her view:

“You have identified the elephant in the room. As a sociologist I am most concerned that fair-minded researchers in the UK have seen an erosion of heterosexual rights since SSM.

“What this means is the terms man and woman are no longer acceptable terms. ... Schools are educating children on all types of sexuality as being the norm.”

Unholy row: A ‘No’ to same-sex marriage sign hangs outside Greek Orthodox Parish of St. Stylianos in Gymea, Sydney. Picture: AAP

“A truly refreshing article. The issues he considers are those that our elected representatives and, for that matter, our so called and usually self-appointed ‘public intellectuals’, should have considered.

“Instead, both have adopted a ‘peace in our time’ approach and have caved in to the vocal and bullying voice of Yes advocates with a devil take the hindmost attitude to the concerns of so many fellow Australians. If the Yes vote prevails, the future of individual rights in this country looks very bleak indeed ... Thank you for your cry in the wilderness.”

Leon said:

“What you are saying is with rights come responsibilities and the Yes campaigners must accept those responsibilities to the wider society’s freedoms as well.”

From Kath W:

“Good to see that we have at least one journalist who has enough nous to see the bigger picture. It surely is a sad joke that SSM advocates claim there will be no further consequences if SSM is legislated. There are plenty of lessons to be learnt from other countries.”

Said Charles:

“A true and brilliant article, Mr Kelly. Many (not all) Yes activists clearly have an ulterior motive to dismantle any religious institutions that assert a belief in traditional marriage.

“We have entered an age of radical intolerance. Soon belief in traditional marriage will be a thought crime in Australia.”

Helen took PK to task on terminology:

“None of it is about legalising same-sex marriage, it is all about legalising ‘marriage equality’.

SSM is not recognised as a human right but ‘marriage equality’ is and therefore can be acted on (prosecuted for non-compliance) by the UNHRC.”

From Christine:

“Another brilliant article Paul, revealing the intellectual deception of the Yes campaign!”

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When news broke that US singer Macklemore would perform his gay anthem, Same Love, at the NRL Grand Final in Sydney, a firestorm erupted as Tony Abbott said the footy should not be politicised. Les was unimpressed:

“The NRL hasn’t had a decent performer at a grand final since Tina Turner.”

Step right up and get your shirtfronts: Tony Abbott wants to give Macklemore the unkindest cut of all — from the NRL Grand Final. Illustration: Eric Lobbecke

Kate pointed to the cloak of darkness wrapping an ex-leader shirtfronted by life:

“Abbott hasn’t been happy since he lost the leadership. About anything. Are we supposed to believe that if this performance at the NRL grand final was cancelled then Abbott would be happy again? NO! He would still be unhappy about another million and one issues.

Abbott’s happiness should never be used as a test of whether something should proceed. He is a permanently unhappy man. And we should take no responsibility for that.”

Go hard with a vengeance: Macklemore will dial up the gay anthem ‘Same Love’ at the NRL Grand Final just to annoy some ‘angry old white dudes’. Picture: AAP

“Tony, if only you hadn’t prevented a parliamentary vote on SSM, this would all be over and we wouldn’t be where we are now ... so suck it up buddy. This is of your own making.”

Swee saw it simply:

“It’s called propaganda and indoctrination.”

Anthony had Macklemore’s back:

“This artist is to grace the grand final with a demonstration of his singing, not play politics as accused by sacked former PM Tony Abbott. I see it as a great opportunity for Australians to listen to a world class performer.”

Daminda did too:

“So an international artist shouldn’t be allowed to play one of his most famous songs because it happens to be about tolerance and respect for love between people of the same sex? Those who are disgusted by this are showing their true colours and Tony Abbott is leader of the pack.”

Ian exaggerated:

“So you would be okay if a Christian, Muslim and Jewish folk groups also got to perform a song celebrating the long and successful history of tradition marriage? Didn’t think so.”

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Earlier in the week, the redoubtable Richo stirred the hornets nest in a column voicing his disgust with the Yes bullies. Ivan saw it in black and white, not rainbows:

“As predicted, this has become a fight for the right to express an opinion. This is a binary choice. Yes to the bullies winning the day and marching onto their next target or No to set them back a few steps.

“It is a price that loving lesbian and homosexual couples will need to pay for allowing their cause to be hijacked by the cultural Marxists.”

Very cultured Marxists: Groucho Marx mugs for the camera. Picture: Frederic Brenner

TrustMe saw red in the rainbow:

“SSM was devised by Marxists and has been hijacked by activists with the intent of breaking down traditional structures. They are using SSM as a Trojan Horse. They will use it to enforce Safe Schools gender theory as mandatory in our schools. As has occurred in Canada parents will have no rights to prevent their children being groomed and indoctrinated. The activists will use the courts to ensure that outcome.

“It’s not just marriage, these activists are well financed, widespread and are slowly but surely trying to remove our traditions and re-engineer our values. They are playing a long game but under attack is Christmas, Easter, Australia Day, Father’s Day, our flag, our national anthem, anti gender speech by removing terms such as Mister, Missus, him, her.

“They mount campaigns to bully enterprises and we see it not just with Coopers Brewery but the banks will not finance a coal fired generator in fear of activist reprisals, supermarkets will not use the words Christmas or Easter in their product marketing, Qld schools ban children from giving Christmas cards or discussing Jesus with other children and the list goes on and on.”

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Jennifer Oriel also got the comments humming with her lament for how political correctness and identity politics had closed Australian minds and ushered in the new intolerance. Alex said he had no friends left.

“My teacher friend likes to state her opinion and political views but found my counter views offensive or challenging. My winemaker friend who posted on Facebook, tell me if you’re going to vote no I don’t need people like that in my life. She won’t return my calls.

“My Marxist friend of 29 years ... wind blowing. Vegetarian friends won’t invite me round to dinner. My wife told me for a long time I would lose my friends if I constantly challenged their political views, yet they challenged mine and I still want to be their friend and engage them.”

Tolerate this: Karl Popper, British philosopher.

Peter went deep and gets runner-up Comment of the Week:

“The philosopher Karl Popper described the paradox of tolerance. He wrote that if a society is tolerant without limit, their ability to be tolerant will eventually be seized or destroyed by the intolerant.

“So it is in the West, our tolerance for radical ideas, cultural practices and religions as well as sexual behaviours, will ultimately end in the collapse of liberal democracy as we know it ... Political correctness and its bedfellow identity politics has been weaponised by the radical left and is a bacillus corroding the foundation of the Western tradition. It must be resisted.”

Conrad is a Loser came back with Aristotle.

“Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.”

It’s a bust: French philosopher Voltaire without his cabaret. The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.

Otalp doubled down with some Voltaire and a few other old white blokes:

“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise.

“I am sure that most of Australian media would agree with Thomas Jefferson’s declaration: Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. Our politicians have the right to say whatever they choose, compliments of parliamentary privilege. But Jennifer’s comment regarding the Brookings Institute research that ‘half of undergraduate students think it is acceptable to silence speech they feel is upsetting, one fifth think it is acceptable to use violence to silence speakers whose views they oppose’ [above] is a worrying statistic.”

Otalp’s wife added:

“Remember George Washington’s wise words: The freedom of speech may be taken away, and dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the slaughter.”

Philip played the Nazi card:

“In 1921 Hitler set up a group call the Stormtroopers (Sturm Abeilung) who were also known as ‘Brown Shirts’. This group’s role was to disrupt the meetings of rival political groups. The many malevolent dictators of the past across all cultures used this sort of mechanism to amplify their power.”

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When John Lethlean comes to dinner, you had better hope your restaurant is up to snuff. If you are faking it or dialling it in, you will get both barrels, like Botanical Bar + Kitchen in Brisbane. Dannielle was grateful:

“Thank you, John, for calling BS on this type of nonsense in general. In my suburb we have an, admittedly, very nice pub serving food at crazy prices in a line up to order, come and collect when you buzzer rings arrangement that is decidedly average.

“A few blocks away is a bistro with a real chef punching out superb meals cooked from scratch (i.e. nothing from a packet — not even the fries) at lower prices.

“You cannot get near the pub at lunch time on Sunday, yet the bistro is only half full. People are voting with their palates and it is a tragedy.”

Botanical Bar + Kitchen unleashes the spatchcocked quail. Picture: Jeff Camden

Graham, not a gastronome, had it all figured out:

“When in Queensland, just order steak and a XXXX. Fine dining in Brisbane is an oxymoron.”

Each Friday the cream of your views on the news rises and we honour the voices that made the debate great. To boost your chances of being featured, please be pertinent, pithy and preferably make a point. Solid arguments, original ideas, sparkling prose, rapier wit and rhetorical flourishes may count in your favour. Civility is essential. Comments may be edited for length.