Once again we see senseless killing of innocent people. Killing of innocent people cannot be justified regardless of the cause. I offer my deepest sympathy. I hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice swiftly.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan

"The Holy Father [Pope John Paul II] reiterates his firm and absolute disapproval of such actions that offend God, violate the fundamental right to life and undermine peaceful co-existence." ~The Vatican
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3501178.stm

Hey Benita, Is your UN thing today?

Help Me! I'm surrounded by the little twirps in the library, all playing their flash games and looking at sites about their little tin soldier games. Getting links for a Religion assignment but I think I've gotta get out of here as soon as possible, I'll tell you all more about these people later.

Go Mullum High.

$60,000? yeah if they've been working there for 10 years

Point taken and the silliness of my argument realised, however i think i had a few good points even though, yes, "Punishment is never the best way to solve a problem. It only reinforces the idea that you need to be obediant to an authority, instead of the idea that we are all equal".
My school- motto "play the game" (how much more relevant can you get??!) has done this, with a program/process called "RBC" (responsible behaviour code) in which they have basically narrowed the rules down to 3 rules: Respect the right of teachers to teach, Respect the right of students to learn and Behave in a safe manner. These rules are posted in every classroom and the discipline process is as follows: Student does something "bad" teacher asks routine questions (which are also pasted in all the classrooms): "what are you doing?" student: talking etc
teacher: what are the rules?
student: respect the right of teachers to teach and students to learn
teacher: what happens when you break these rules?
student: I go to the RBC
teacher: is this what you want to happen?
student: no
teacher: where do you want to be?
student: here
teacher: what happens if you break these rules again?
student: I go to the RBC

The RBC is a classroom where you get sent if you do it again after your warning (above), do "gross misbehaviour" or say you dont want to be in the classroom etc, and the teacher in RBC basically discusses the problem, how it can be solved etc etc.
It seems to work quite well, and my BIO teacher asks the "questions" like every lesson.

Yum, food.
I'd have to say that most punishments at school, of any form are unneeded. So someone doesn't have their shirt tucked in / homework done / diary signed by parents / hair the right colour / correct length socks (the "list" goes on)(not that they actually use a list, not that us students have access to anyway, as far as we can tell they can basically just make up anything and get away with it), are you going to write a note for their parents in their school diary, make them pick up rubbish, or keep them back at school on detention one afternoon? Probably if you're a teacher at my school. But do these "solutions" actually solve anything? Do the students know why these rules are in place? Do the teachers even know why they are there?
No (Well the teachers may know but some of them "wouldn't have the time" to explain it, besides you might get a harsher punishment for talking back (with a few).).

Punishment is never the best way to solve a problem. It only reinforces the idea that you need to be obediant to an authority, instead of the idea that we are all equal.

Rather than punish people, schools should:

1. Makes sure that:
   
   • all students are aware of ALL school rules,
   
   
   • students have access to these rules in a written form
   
   
   • and that students are told of and have access to the justifications of these rules.


2. Give students the opportunity to work with the school in the continual development and review of a set of school rules, thus providing a perspective that represents the student bodies best interest.


3. Give students the opportunity to:
   
   
   • justify and explain their actions when a disagreement about behaviour occurs,
   
   
   • sit down with members from the school community to discuss their actions
   
   
   • not be dismissed or handed a quick fix solution to any problems,
   
   
   • and encouraged to take an active role in the course taken to resolve any issues

I was persecuted once for being in a water fight. Both parties had no complaints, but nontheless a prowling teacher seemed to think the behaviour extremely unacceptable, worthy of both a note in the diary and an afternoon detention 100 papers (picking up rubbish). This punishment did nothing other than to amuse my parents at the "seriousness of the offence" and to make me more determined to change the way in which the disciplinary system at my school works, namely:
the teachers have a few options, it's up to them to decide which course of action to take, influencing factors may include: age, height, gender, personality, appearance, personal experience (includes vendettas), mood at the time, weather, day of the week, etc. (the list is almost as long as the "list" which outlines the schools punishable acts ... I mean rules).

It is simply unfair. How can a school whos motto is "Act Justly" openly flaunt this ideal?

Who knows.

hmm you already did. *sighs* one step ahead of me. Okay now back to work.....

Oh, as always, check Benji's blog for day to day rambles (James can you create a link to it in the menu bar thingi? Ta.)

Okay okay, no more lyrics for a while, they have a point i promise. I'll reply to all that stuff i haven't yet replied to after saturday (the UN thing). Plus im banned from "personal use" of the internet (dont get me started)......

Flooding has like gone, we have marshes though and creek is VERY strong big and brown (i went in it yesterday). It like floods then goes back to 30 degrees plus all week :D

In any case, i'm alive.
Have a good rest of the week If i don't talk to you before weekend.
(prolly will ring you friday night going AHHHHH James, HELP)

Today in society and culture, the teacher went off on a tangent and started talking about (or giving an example rather) how they used to use the cane in schools in the "olden days" and now its called "physical abuse". Anyway, I was thinking, as you do that perhaps the cane wasn't such a bad idea in the first place. I know, I know, it gives teachers even more of a power trip etc etc, but seriously, you have to look at it from the other side. At least it taught people to respect rules and stuff. Like I'll mainly talk about guys here. Its like riduculous all of the stuff that's happening in South West Sydney, with young predominately lebanese males.
Perhaps if they had had some from of disipline and respect drilled (or whacked rather) into them they wouldn't act the way they do. That of course is a gross generalisation, but I do think one of the problems with the "problem races" in Australia is that they come from a background of strict rules and responsibilties, enforced by the entire society and then they come here where there's only the law to abide by, and there parents are off trying to earn a living and whalla you have youself someone who's entire societal structure, support systems, culture and responsibility to all of that has disappeared. No rules, morals have been unlearned without culture and their entire socialisation process has dramatically changed.
Okay i went off on a tangent there but back to the point, students these days are so aware of those pesky rights they have that they can practically get away with anything and the whole school system has completely degraded. no longer has teachers got the respect and prestige (place in society) they used to. Of course it doesn't help much when you have got a government who doesn't care about teachers or about having an educated society. Oh, i take that back. They care a bit more about having an educated rich society, for those who have up to $100,000 to get into their Uni course.

But yeah, there are plenty of bad points for the cane etc and I definately don't think they should give it in primary school, but there's absolutely no disipline "these days" what are they gonna do?
"Pick up 50 papers!"
"But its a health risk and if i catch something I can sue your $60,000 a year ass"

Food for thought anyway.

Dear World,
    Just thought you'd like to know that I'm doing a Chemistry and a Religion assignment at the moment.

You keeping your head above the flood waters Benita?, Haven't heard from you in .... oh ..... almost 2 days.

Here's a poem I wrote the other day, and posted on Timeo . Maxime Timeo

Battle of the Sexes,
	Battle against whites,
		Battle of religions,
			Bombings over night.
Battle of the Races,
	Battle against you,
		Battling your dominance,
			Battling your view.
Living with unwanted waste,
	Taking all your cr*p,
		Putting up with ten times more,
			and trying not to crack.
We never asked for new TVs,
	or western social views,
		the violence and the fighting,
			or propaganda news.
We simply want the freedom
	and peace of times gone by,
		the lives of those around us,
			we do not want to die.
Our lives will never be the same,
	our cheeks are scarred with tears,
		from living scared and worried,
			no sleep for twenty years.

Here's the correct excerpt from the transcript of the BBC report on Zimbabwes youth "training" camps.

One day during the filming, I phoned a girl who we had interviewed the day before and I got her voicemail.

In her message she had a sweet voice, high pitched and gentle like that of an innocent teenager.

In fact she had helped beat to death an old lady with a walking stick.

- Hilary Andersson, BBC correspondent, Zimbabwe.
[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3537511.stm]

I'm writing on paper and in bed. The red ink of the texta I'm using seems to reflect my thoughts of what I've just heard.
Whilst listening to "From our own correspondant", the BBC program, just now I heard the story of Zimbabwaen youths who've been in Mr. Mugabes "training" camps, and of one specific case.

The day after an interview with one of these youths, a young girl, I tried to contact her on her mobile phone." the reporters voice chimed "I was greeted by her voicemail and high pitched sweet sounding voice. I almost forgot that the previous day sh had told me how she had helped beat an elderly women with her own walking stick - and killed her."

The breath was knocked out of me. I felt the despair of countless people around the world, loning for peace.
People the same age as me, are being taught to rape, murder and torture their fellow Zimbabweans.
.: Post time edited :.

Argh!! Too many lyrics.

Pray For Grace:
Why must I feel like this today
I'm a soldier but afraid sometimes
To face the things that may
Block the sun from shinin' rays
And fill my life with shades of grey
But still I long to find a way
So today I pray for grace

I take a moment to myself
So I can myself
To feel myself
And be real myself
Life's addictions and afflictions
Cause abrasions from their friction
Sometimes, it's easier to live in fiction
I can run, but I can't hide
From the pains that
Reside deep down inside
There is no pill
That can be swallowed
There is no guru
That can be followed
There's no escapin'
From my own history
Those that I hurt,
And those that hurt me
I was dead for a million years
'Fore I was born and
I'll be dead for a million more
After I'm gone
So I live, to give somethin'
That can live on
Like the way you hum a song when the music's gone
Like the warmth on the sand
When the sun goes down
And I'm sittin' with myself
Nobody else is around but,

(chorus)

Been a long, long time
Since I been away
Been a long, long time
Since I felt this way
Been a long, long time
I found the words to say
How much I'm grateful
For my life today
'Cause under every cup
You might find a nut
Behind every corner
You might get jacked up
At the end of every rainbow,
You might find gold
The last bite of your sandwich,
Hope you don't find mould
'Cause none of us
Can live the perfect life
The kind that we see on nick at night
And sometimes, we all
Just lose sight
Of the pain that will guide us
From dark into the light
We fall down yes, but we get up,
And sometimes we just need
A little bit of love
To help make it
Through another day
Into the night, into the light,
Into a Saturday
So in the morning when I'm waitin'
For the sun to raise
And my head's a little foggy
Like I'm in a haze
I remind myself that
Everything is gonna be okay
I take a breath, slow down and say....
(chorus)
-Pray for Grace, Spearhead


Hold that thought.

Interesting, one mans "utopian" society, but somehow definetly not. Same with your comparison with communism, the whole point of which was equality for the people, but the concept of anyone in control, or acting as "leader" kind of contradicts that.

You were talking about the Judicial system and Repaying what you have done. I Agree that prisons are no good, I've heard stories from people "on the inside" of how their lives slowly "rot" away. It used to be the prisoners against the guards, a strangely united social system, but these days it's split along racial grounds, whites with whites, asians with asians, abbos with abbos. You're safe if you're in favour with your group, if you can get them drugs or a "stick" (syringe), but otherwise you're stuffed, no-one gives a sh*t if you live or die you're "the scum of society".

The real problem which needs to be address, like almost all other problems, is the cause. What was the reason behind this persons first stay in jail, which led to them being further inclined to end back there? Why can these reasons still exist.

In one case, of a young Australian of Aboriginal descent, it was almost natural to be in jail by the age of 13. All his male relatives, his role models, were there.

We must find solutions for the causes, only then will we have Peace ( / justice / equality)