I DIDN’T disagree with John Neiman’s first letter (Mail, 5 July), apart from the closing comment.
I certainly don’t disagree with the real content of the following letter.
Mr Neiman claims his head is not in the sand, yet he has not expressed one single word or sentiment about the thousands of Victorians that have died or been permanently incapacitated on our roads.
Does he really think that these road accidents victims made a conscious choice to permanently end or alter their lives? I think not.
Let’s be realistic about this. In 2004 there was the horrific total of 16,142 injuries recorded in Victoria, made up of 311 fatal, 5107 serious injury and 10,724 other injuries. Motor cycles were involved in 1800 of these accidents 38 fatal, 793 serious injury and 969 other injuries, and yes, motor cyclists are over represented in these figures based on registrations.
Regardless of who’s too blame for the accidents, sadly these are the facts. And yes, you are right, the motorcyclist more often than not comes off second best, we are without doubt the most vulnerable of all road users.
If we, as a community, were to go down the track of banning motorcycles, then we would also have to take a long hard look at banning high performance cars, 4WDs, alcohol etc. Where do you stop?
Any vehicle can be a lethal weapon in the wrong hands. If you want to see the real cost of road trauma, take a trip to the TAC repatriation centre on Springvale Road.
My family has had first hand experience with the consequences of road trauma.
We (motorcyclists) do this with the knowledge that motorcycling can be extremely dangerous. If we all stopped doing what we enjoy because our chosen pastime or sport is perceived as being too dangerous by some, then the world would indeed be a much poorer place.
I certainly did not miss the point Mr Neiman was trying to make. It’s my choice to ride a motorcycle.
We all have the ability to make choices some climb mountains, some ride motorcycles etc. Life is full of challenges and perils, some good some bad.
My call was that all motorists undergo advanced driver/rider training. This was as unrealistic as Mr Neiman’s call to ban motorcycles. And yes, I have been overtaken by cars over double lines and I have been forced off the road by oncoming cars coming around blind bends. Stupidity is not the sole domain of motorcyclists as some people would like to think.
The vast majority of motor cycle owners/riders are law abiding, tax paying car driving members of our communities.
Mr Neiman’s idealistic comment about pricing motorcycles out of existence is about as draconian as you can get. No amount of fees or charges will stop people doing what they enjoy, regardless of what it is!
Motorcyclists already pay in excess of the average motorist to pursue their chosen passion. They generally own a registered car as well and you can’t ride and drive at the same time.
No amount of registration fees or charges can ever cover the cost of repatriation or replace loved ones. Mr Neiman’s sentiment about saving the lives of 40 more Victorians is to be commended. But what about the other 271 people that lost their lives on our roads last year? This year doesn’t look much better.
Like every other rational thinking person, I do not have the answer to this massive problem.
The government’s zero tolerance on speeding seems to have had little if no effect to date, the carnage continues, even while we banter back and forth via our local paper.
All we can hope for is that all motorists and riders drive or ride to survive.
Peter Stangherlin
Emerald
I WRITE in response to Ray Lister (Mail 12 July).
It’s interesting that he was so disturbed by the fact that I have had a number of letters published in the Trader encouraging the humane treatment of animals, especially since he says he no longer reads them.
For the record, I’ve had three letters published this year.
I was under the impression that anyone was entitled to submit letters to the editor… and as you’ve already pointed out, noone is obliged to read them.
The reason most of my letters focus on animal cruelty is because there is just so much of it in the world today… and so few of us (on the scale of things) trying to stop it. I will be delighted when I no longer feel the necessity to write letters on this subject.
Since you have asked for my opinion on the starving masses, I’ll give it to you.
Money is certainly needed to ease the immediate crisis of famine and for long term projects to make the land fertile again, but simply giving money is shortsighted. We continue to ignore the underlying cause of famine and desertification the using of land to grow fodder to raise animals to feed people.
The amount of grain needed to end extreme hunger is 40 million tonnes. The amount of grain fed to farm animals in the west is 540 million tonnes… and much of it comes from countries where people are starving.
Adopting a vegan (nonanimal) diet is a workable way to end both mass starving and animal exploitation.
Although the removal of animal products from our diet may seem unthinkable to some, the enlightened medical world is now stressing the importance of plant foods in our diet and the harmful effects of artery clogging animal fats.
Ethically, environmentally and nutritionally it makes sense and, coming from one who chose to stop contributing to animal cruelty 27 years ago, you definitely won’t regret it.
Jenny Moxham
Monbulk
THE report Members Defend Health Record (Mail, 12 July) prompts me to recount a personal experience. I have a heart condition and took a sharp turn for the worse one day last winter.
As I was in a state of collapse, my wife phoned the ambulance, which arrived very quickly, transporting me to the Angliss Hospital’s coronary care unit.
I could not have asked for better care than that given by the Angliss staff and I take this opportunity to belatedly thank all concerned. Their consideration and help for my family members who attended at the same time is also deeply appreciated.
I owe Monbulk MP James Merlino and Ferntree Gully MP Anne Eckstein a vote of thanks for using their influence to help the community retain the coronary care unit of Angliss when bureaucracy would have moved it to Box Hill hospital.
Had it been necessary for the ambulance to transport me that far, there is some doubt about whether I would have survived, despite the dedicated efforts of the ambulance crew.
While there is no doubt that much remains to be done to improve our public health services, the government represented locally by Ms Eckstein and Mr Merlino deserves to be given credit for reversing the trend of a previous regime to minimise public health services.
H G Karslakie
Upwey
THE article Money Matters Mar Meeting (Mail 12 July) reports on the first meeting of the Emerald Village Committee (EVC).
The article states that “Doug Evans said the committee members were asked to provide a financial interest return as a requirement under the Local Government Act”.
In fact it is a council option whether or not to impose this requirement on unpaid voluntary committees such as the EVC. That is one reason for the angry reaction by some committee members.
Prior to the election EVC candidates were sent several documents, including a code of conduct, on their responsibilities as EVC members. These documents made no mention of any requirement for a financial interest return.
Further, the EVC members were only advised some weeks after the EVC election of council’s requirement for them to make such a written declaration.
Garth Jenkinson
Emerald
GOOD on you Maurie Bull (Mail, 19 July) for highlighting the continuing discrimination exercised by the Knox Amateur Basketball Association over the hillbilly teams like Emerald Lakers.
I was Lakers secretary years ago and can confirm that the times and locations selected for the Lakers games were the pits. We were off to games while the KABA elite was asleep.
My wife had to protect a Lakers player from a local KABA female player after a tribunal hearing and my wife was verbally and physically threatened. A formal complaint to KABA went nowhere.
The refereeing left room for query also and I resolved that by videoing some Lakers games.
Maurie is right, KABA’s elitist attitude has driven many outer area kids into alternative sports. I guess we can thank them for that.
Brian Hannan
Emerald
