Copyright theage
Wrong on two countsParnell Palme McGuinness is wrong on two counts in her article. In To Kill a Mockingbird it was a foregone conclusion that the black man would be convicted, but it was deep-seated, all-pervading, unconscious racism, not a woman’s tears, that convicted him. As far as the Holocaust was concerned, while it was men who devised and perpetrated the Holocaust, it was a time when compared to today women did not hold power.In the concentration camps the cruelty perpetrated by women guards was every bit as bad as that of the men. And for the most part, they were ordinary women using their positions of power to be extraordinarily cruel, just like the men. The Nuremberg trials attest to this.Claude Miller, Castlemaine Since when has ‘being emotional’ been bad?I can barely contain my rage at Parnell Palme McGuinness’ article. I worked as a musician with both men and women for decades and found absolutely no difference in their abilities, work ethic, or attitudes. I don’t know what kind of women she speaks of, but she must live on a planet populated by simpering trad-wives.And wasn’t the jury in To kill a Mockingbird swayed by the fact the defendant was black? Since when has "being emotional" been a bad thing? It’s not just about crying to get your own way. I’m tempted to say shame on The Age for printing such drivel, but I know that the media have to appear balanced, even if the opinion expressed is clearly nonsense. Then again, I’m both female and woke, so what would I know?Claire Cooper, Maldon Windfarm angstRe "Bullying, harassment, intimidation: Shocking backlash for farming families who welcome renewables", 26/10.The Danes are happy to have wind turbines immediately on their doorsteps. The furore about wind farms reminds me of Jane Harper’s latest novel, Last One Out. In it, a small NSW country town is destroyed by the expansion of an open pit coal mine, which was conducting a sort of Dutch auction in which the first sellers of their land received generous offers, while later sellers received progressively and insultingly lower offers as the town became increasingly economically non-viable.Wind turbines aren’t permanent. They can be dismantled and removed, along with their power lines, at the end of their lifespan. Mines, including fracking sites for natural gas, are permanent, and cause an ongoing damage to infrastructure such as roads.However, I do believe that electricity should be generated and used where it’s generated. I have solar panels and home batteries at my home and my two rental properties. Yesterday, my solar panels produced 45 kWh of electricity, I used 9 and exported 36 kWh to the grid, importing none from the grid.Wayne Robinson, Kingsley, WA Back off journalistsWhen do journalists cross the line between reporting and analysis of events and the creation of events for their own purposes? Kevin Rudd made some remarks about President Trump years ago, but journalists constantly ask Trump about the remarks, trying to create friction which could well damage Australia’s standing in the US ("I don’t forget’: All might not be forgiven for Trump", 26/10).The question was asked and answered in the joint press conference, Rudd apologised, and journalists should move on to issues of substance.We know that whatever Trump says now he does forgive – see JD Vance and Marco Rubio – so why are journalists persisting with the same question and potentially causing harm to our national interests?Kevin Rudd was not a good prime minister, and white-anted Julia Gillard’s time to the detriment of Australian politics, but he has been appointed to represent Australia and should be given the best possible chance to be successful for the country. Journalists, back off and stop creating news.Louise Kloot, Doncaster
