Comments on: Good news from Down Here - equality one step closer

By: Hank

Hank — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:39:55 +0000

Tim, I certainly flamin’ hope so

By: Tim Hogan

Tim Hogan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:25:42 +0000

Hank, when people are just reasonable, it’s not news. Seems like Aussie reasonableness should be catching!

By: Hank

Hank — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:16:14 +0000

Yeah, I read about that. And I went “meh”…

While it is rather disappointing that the company didn’t go for it, it doesn’t really concern me that much. We don’t have nearly the same problems with god-bothering whackjobs in this country that the US has. Freethinkers in Australia don’t have anything approaching the uphill struggle for acceptance that faces our American brethren.

To be honest, I wouldn’t have bothered trying this campaign in the first place. Most people here tend to look sideways at anyone preaching (or seen to be preaching) anything, with a bit of a “yeah righto, what\’s all THAT about? Get your hand off it mate.”

Religion’s nowhere near the hot-button political issue here that it is elsewhere. An Aussie atheist bus ad campaign almost seems redundant.

Nonetheless, I was inspired to blurg:
http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/11/26/on-the-buses-everywhere-but-down-under/

By: Dan Klarmann

Dan Klarmann — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:33:52 +0000

But what about your Atheist buses? The Australian Atheists were unable to get the ad space: Buses are sprouting messages of reason everywhere…except Australia, but here in the “Land of the pilgrims’ pride“, we got Atheist buses: Faith on a Bus

By: Hank

Hank — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:36:25 +0000

Absolutely. Sometimes I get so busy with my hobby (US politics :)) that stuff happening in my own backyard slips by unnoticed. Though to be fair, this didn’t seem to get any major press or TV coverage down here & I just lucked into reading the story at the Canberra Times website. Seems strange that something that affects so many people would be allowed to happen relatively unreported.

Still waiting for the blustering protestations from the ‘phobes! C’mon, Cardinal Pell, don’t leave me hangin’…

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:56:12 +0000

There is a general perception among the American public that bigotry and all it’s “-isms” is only in the US. Those of us that are citizens of the world know better. It is good to hear of progress in other places.

By: Hank

Hank — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:27:23 +0000

Thanks Erich! It’s a very, very welcome step toward full equality.

What I’m most pleased about, apart from the grassroots participation in getting this issue into the public eye, is that it ended up a non-partisan effort by all our major players. The fact that it was, in the end, up to our senate, also meant that it was immune to Prop 8-style public campaigns of lies and inflammatory, hyper-reactive rhetoric from well-funded special interests.

I’ll keep an eye out for repercussions, but this pretty much slipped under my radar - noone even knew this was going down last night! That tells me that it’s nowhere near the big issue the crank patrol have made it in the states. For a historic vote it really didn’t attract much attention until now. I’ll make sure to watch the news and report on any of those talking heads I mentioned. I’ll polish up my scope, ready for a pot-shot.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:47:08 +0000

Hank: This is terrific news. Congratulations to all of you truly decent folks down under. I would be interested in hearing whether there are repercussions. After all, sometimes after making a big bold difficult-seeming move, many people start scratching their heads and thinking that it was actually a no-brainer and wondering why it SEEMED so difficult.

Australia is clearly ahead of the U.S. on recognizing the importance of dignity for all and forbidding government-sponsored bigotry.

Again, congratulations!