Newsletter for 16 January 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Next Roadside Demo - Coffs Base Hospital Thursday January 25th 2:30pm}

_{Next Market Bellingen Sat 20th}

_{Duttons cruelty}

_{Duttons racism}

_{An antidote to Dutton}

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{We had a small but enthusiastic band of supporters for our roadside demo in Bellingen last Thursday. The response from passing motorists was overwhelmingly positive –enthusiastic even! – with lots of honking of horns for an hour and a half. You will find a picture of the group on our Facebook page. Just click on the link at the end of this newsletter. Our next demonstration will be in Coffs Harbour, on the Pacific Highway opposite the Base hospital on Thursday 25th January from 2.30 until 4.00 pm. Please join us if you can.}

_{Next market: Bellingen, Saturday 20th January : 9.00 am until 1.30 pm.}

_{Our next market stall will be at the Bellingen market this Saturday from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. We have a new open letter for people to sign, new leaflets to hand out and lots of merchandise for sale. If you can lend a hand on our stall for an hour or two, then please email Mike at : mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com to let him know. You will find us in Section C of the market. The  Bellingen market is always a busy and enjoyable event, so please come and join us if you can.}

_{Dutton’s cruelty continues}

_{In recent days it has been reported that a refugee suffering an acute mental health crisis and a broken ankle that requires surgery has been waiting for more than a year to be transferred from Nauru to Australia. Doctors have repeatedly called for his urgent transfer, stating: “risks are of brain damage occurring as a result of ongoing seizures, and also harm and death.” Why has this man not been transferred to Australia for treatment? Apparently it is because he is now so terribly unwell that, if he is brought to Australia, he may never be well enough to be sent back to Nauru. It seems that Minister Dutton is prepared to let this man die on Nauru than allow him to set foot on Australian soil, where his wife and baby are already living.}

_{Outraged? Please email Minister Dutton at : minister@border.gov.au  or phone his office : 07 3205 9977}

_{Another community scapegoated by Minister Dutton}

_{First it was the Muslim community, and now it’s the turn of the Victorian South Sudanese refugee community to be picked on by Minister Dutton. In relation to crime, we know that race is neither correlative nor causative. We know that the key factors that correlate with crime amongst youth are poverty and alienation from society and its institutions. Dutton, however, likes to play the race card in order to stoke fear, panic and mistrust, rather than tackle the real issues. Just as Australian Muslims are constantly forced to defend their Australianness and assert their abhorrence of violence, now it’s the turn of the South Sudanese community to prove that they, like the rest of the Australian community, are mostly peace loving, hardworking and honest citizens.}

_{Meanwhile, in Torquay, not far from Melbourne more than 100 “lawless youths” set upon police on the night of 4th January, forcing the local police to call for back up from Geelong and Melbourne. It took hours for the police to get the situation under control. Five youths were arrested and charged with a number of offences, including assault, riotous behaviour and drunk and disorderly.Minister Dutton did not take to the airwaves to condemn this wanton violence. The youths were white Australians, so did not fit into his racist agenda.}

_{Caroline’s Twitter antidote}

_{“Hey Peter Dutton. I’m heading to western suburbs of Melbourne for dinner – alone. Not scared, because I’m pretty sure you won’t be there”.}

_{Check out the index of subjects on our blog  http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au} 

_{It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.}

_{This newsletter is sent to >500 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

_{(482 likes)}

_{Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam}

_{Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com}

_{The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au} 

_{The National RAR facebook site is at  RAR Facebook}