Funny how a topic such as depression is channelled towards the pet themes of our socialist wacko's: asylum seekers and subsequent xenophobia.

The "cultural dimensions" of depression in our society I think, is the excess of choice. Or excess in general. In our culture, we are taught to live for the moment, and live life to the max. When people don't, they feel 'depressed'. I think this culture of live life to the 'max' adds unnecessary stress to peoples lives, and creates unrealistic expectations that can't be fulfilled. We can thank media and marketing for this.

The refugee industry transplanting people from one corner of the world into a completely alien culture does'nt help, if we are to drift back to Gershevitch's pet topic..

Part 1

Many people write about problems refugees/asylum seekers/overstayers/detainees have but I have yet to find anyone who really is willing to be open minded and actually does something that could have prevented so much undue harm.

Below are quotations of correspondences where I requested the Commonwealth Ombudsman to investigate what was being done by the Australian Electoral Commission as to ascertain which person held in detention was entitled to vote. Likewise, about people being held unconstitutional.
QUOTE 7-9-2002 CORRESPONDENCE
And, when the AEC actually check with any if they had the right to be an elector?

After all, if they are kept away from the media and lawyers, how can the AEC do otherwise but check if they are entitled to be an elector?

As citizenship of a State might vary, and some people might be kept for many years in Detention (unconstitutionally) then effectively they are perhaps in some States to be held citizens and so entitled to citizenship of the Commonwealth, by this have a right to vote.

Clearly, the AEC seems to neglect this and seems to be bias to rely upon whatever political propaganda a government of the day might profess, rather then to actually check the status of each inmate to their qualifications to vote.

If those kept in detention and forced to return to their native country turnout caused to do so by the long term unconstitutional detention then clearly we have another ball game on out of hand, so to say. We would have to have them all returned and given a decent assessment based upon what is truly a “citizen” as known in each State!
END QUOTE 7-9-2002 CORRESPONDENCE

In response in reference to 2002-1864507 the letter received dated 23 September 2002 of David Young, Senior Investigator Officer, stated;

“After examining the material, which you provided, I can find nothing that I can recognise as a complaint that might be investigated by this Office.”

Part 2

What is the use of having a Commonwealth Ombudsman if his office assumes the guilt of people and refuse to investigate where his very duty is to do so.
It was not like that he already had investigated previously if someone held in detention was wrongfully denied by the Australian Electoral Commission the ability to vote!
Like wise the Joint Select Committee on Electoral matters (JSCEM) refused to investigate.

If they had a right to vote, they had a right to be a candidate.
Would be something if a candidate had stood while detained in a Commonwealth Detention Centre to be deported even so lawfully in the Commonwealth of Australia!

I am concerned about the mental health of anyone. Not just those held in detention but those purporting to help them (including the lawyers) and who are so closed minded that common sense doesn't get through to them! They are a part of the problems!
My book INSPECTOR-RIKATI® on CITIZENSHIP
A book on CD about Australians unduly harmed.
ISBN 0-9580569-6-X

Published on 30 September 2003 did extensively set out what is wrong with the detention system, yet I have to see one lawyer using the material

I wonder, would it be too easy to stop the rot and then they will have fewer earnings?

My website www.schorel-hlavka.com also deals with matters.

If you are having problems to sleep, then perhaps you might use the time to read my material and work to stop this rot and you might get yourself better sleep in the future.

As my books make clear, without “JUDICIAL DETERMINATION” by a State Court any detention/deportation is unconstitutional/illegal!

It is as simple as that!

Those Australians who support detention may just discover one day that they too can be detained using the same tactic, and then it makes no difference if they are Australian nationals or not, as they approved the concept of it and cannot complaint afterwards that is it unconstitutional/illegal.

I have found that the most effective way to feel depressed is to repeatedly ask myself the question "why do I feel so depressed?".

Once I realised how effective this question was at inducing and maintaining a state of depression I vanquished the question. I now don't allow myself to ask or dwell on that question. Instead I ask better questions such as "what must I do next?".

The problem with the brain is it seeks to answer the questions we ask ourselves. So when I used to ask myself "why do I feel so depressed?" my brain was very effective at generating a multitude of reasons. None of which would help to improve my mood.

"I've been feeling a bit depressed lately." - writes Conrad Gershevitch.

My goodness gracious me, I'm not surprised.

What I can't understand is why anyone would ever actually ask this man to write an article. Yet, it seems that the good people who run this site did exactly that!

Were they depressed at the time too?

Let me tell you folks, that by the time I got to about word 378 (of this less than 1500 word) article, I too was depressed.

Never before in my life have I ever read a more depressing article. By the time I got to word 413 I was about to lose it - so I stopped reading. I just couldn't go an any more. That was it. I had to stop. And I still don't know what the article was all about.

Why would anyone ever ask this person to write? Especially about depression? What can I say? Are they masochists? Unbelievable!

The entire thing is just all too depressing.

Does anyone know a good joke?

Thank you Conrad for a pleasing article. "Mualagh" - "floating in a sea of darkness". Love it. Sometimes I put on Radiohead so I can feel sad. It can be good to get in touch with those inner feelings. Sometimes when I am feeling depressed because of the ways of the world I think of how it must feel to be clinically depressed - more like "drowning" in a sea of darkness.

Here is a Charles Simic poem that some posters may appreciate.

MY WEARINESS OF EPIC PROPORTIONS
Charles Simic

I like it when
Achilles
Gets killed
And even his buddy Patroculus-
And that hothead Hector-
Jeunesse doree
Is more or less
Expertly slaughtered
So there’s finally
Peace and quiet
(The gods having momentarily
Shut up)
One can hear
A bird sing
And a daughter ask her mother
Whether she can go to the well
And of course she can
By that lovely little path
That winds through
The olive orchard
_

Arrrrh. That is beter. Cheers.