Friday, March 21, 2008

Good Friday

I'm not sure it was such a good Friday. Bunnings was shut along with supermarkets and liquor shops. It certainly sounds quiet out there.

I was out with brother earlier this afternoon and coming over a small hill ran into a random breath test station. It was a big operation with about 12 Officers in attendance. Are they really Officers and don't the real Officers get a bit miffed at other ranks being called Officers?

Anyway, back to the story. The first vehicle parked on the verge had a camera at curbside pointed down at number plates as cars approached the ambush. This camera was probably one of the new ones which matches plate numbers to owners and naughty stuff like outstanding fines and warrants. No red flashing lights or sirens as Kev passed through. And as usual seeing I had nothing to drink they didn't stop me for a RBT: bugger! Just as well as there was a queue of about ten cars waiting to be bagged.

Something I cannot fathom is the government ban on alcohol at aboriginal settlements in the Northern Territory. I can see that it is working and that kids are getting fed and attending school more. There is far less violence and death. The part that I cannot understand is the fact that the Prime Minister has recently apologised for the treatment of aboriginal people of the 'Stolen Generation' and yet again we are deciding what is best for a group of citizens by banning alcohol and placing rigid conditions on welfare payments to these people. Amazingly no one has seen the similarity in both cases. Seems to me both reek of paternalism.

1 comment:

diane b said...

Interesting post kev.
The whole drinking thing is a problem all through our society whether it be aboriginal or any other group. How to best help these people is a a problem too.