Great initiative by Greg Barns and the 46 others. The Australian Government and the Australian Parliament should amend the draft legislation to eradicate cluster bombs. There are many diasporas in Australia who have suffered directly or indirectly the deadly effects of cluster bombs overseas and they too would have joined this campaign.

Hi there HASBEEN...

I couldn't have put it better myself. As a Veteran, the primary focus is to kill sorry, to decommission your enemy. Not annoy them, nor make 'em ill.

I realize in my old age and with my advancing dotage, I'm starting to become rather 'prickly' with some. Particularly when they've never worn a set of greens, covered in sweat and dirt, outside the wire for a couple of weeks at a time, etc etc, ad nauseam.

Having set a command initiated 'Claymore' the section I was with, was required to search our 'results'. My Cpl found amongst other things, a couple of small, tattered B&W photos, bearing images of an elderly couple, a female and some kids.

How do you reckon we felt, eh ?

NOBODY can abide war. It's abhorrent - absolutely, the notion of killing another, literally nauseates and disgusts me. You can NEVER EVER remove the image(s) from you mind ! I'm nearly seventy now, and it doesn't get any easier. If anything, the memories become clearer.

So when these insipid academics, and do- gooders, have the temerity and effrontery to lecture us all how war is to be prosecuted, well it gets right up my nose.

In conclusion, on scanning the forty odd signatures, I note it's the same dreary old crew - God help our country.

The current Cluster Munitions legislation is important, relevant and internationally endorsed by over 100 countries. This call for improvements to the proposed legislation by 46 eminent Australians carries a lot more weight with me that the rantings of the luminaries on this blog. I assume those commenting do not support the killing and maiming of thousands of innocent civilians by these remnants of war BUT I may be mistaken.

The aim of war may be to kill as some of you have pointed out but is it to kill people indiscriminately decades after the conflict has ended? Is it to deprive farmers of their land to grow food for their families? Is it to maim kids who pick up the shiny cluster bomblets on their way home from school? Many have missed the point here. These weapons have no target, 30-40% fail to detonate, they lay scattered waiting for refugees to return to their homes after war, when people are trying to rebuild, when they are fetching firewood or water, they lose arms and legs and eyes. Imagine never being involved in a war but living in poverty in wars wake and having your leg blown off. I commend the actions of civil society in striving for justice.

Strangely, the aim of just about every one I have known, who has defended this country is to survive. They are prepared to put their lives on the line for us, but they would like to come home.

Now I realise that the academics, & do gooders sitting safely at home, protected by these people don't give a damn, if our blokes, [& possibly soon to be ladies] survive, or not. They will probably be too busy pontificating to even notice.

I wonder how long it will be before they demand we take all these dangerous guns off our defence forces, so as not to hurt the enemy too much. They might as well, they want to take some of the weapons they need to defend themselves, & so achieve their goal of coming home.

Every year the percentage of people in Oz not worth defending continues to grow.

Thank you to the signatories of this letter for being courageous,compassionate and informed.God help our country indeed if they are classified as "the same dreary bunch" and their views discounted.They are not alone in their call. 108 countries have signed the Convention on Cluster Bombs,acknowledging them as weapons that need to be eradicated. Yes,there are many dreadful weapons used in war, but when the war stops,so should the killing. Cluster bombs continue to kill and maim for decades after a war is over.Millions of unexploded cluster bombs left from previous wars continue claiming lives and limbs, usually of civilians, many of children.
Many cluster bomb campaigners have spent time in Afghanistan, and Iraq and Lebanon,and Kosovo, putting their own lives at risk to document the horrendous legacy left behind by cluster bombs.
It's time for our government to enact legislation with no loopholes.