Foxy well said while in truth I have seen posts that desperately needed deleting I understand why they have not been, AFTER all this site is Online Opinion not just online opinion we agree with.
We should all be thankful.
That if the degree of dislike and open hate, yes hate, some post here about ANY ONE who holds different views was part of the wider community we would not be the great country we are.
I will never stop thinking it is those who need to insult anyone from any party just because they dislike that party who are wrong too that some, by their online persona warn us something is not quite right and we should not take too much notice of them

PAUL1405...

Interesting - Your work with Centrelink, the needy and those who're indigent, is really not too far removed from what the uniformed coppers do. Those you see slowly driving through many of the inner city parks at night, in the F150 Truck.

Contrary to what the public might believe, they're not there to hassle these old homeless 'chats' as they're called in Long Bay, but the hoodlum class who tend to prey upon these old fellas, particularly on Pension Day.

While it's true the police have a law enforcement role, they do (individually), have a much stronger and personal welfare role, often giving these poor ol' buggers their own 'sangers' and fruit, even cigarettes their wives have given them for their night shift meal.

They also have a less than pleasant task of dealing with the dead - these poor old blokes who die during the night due to exposure, alcoholism, or a combination of all of them, including just general poor health. After the Coroner, they're more often then not, interred in Rookwood's 'Potters Field'. And not a tear is shed, except perhaps by the lone policeman/women who was the 'case officer' of the death.

So you can see, your role and that of the coppers, are not all that dissimilar. The absolute top Definition of Police Service, above all things is:- 'The Protection of Life'. And human 'welfare' is very much part of that 'Protection'.

According to the media, the Banks woman was a "strong, brave, independent and amazing woman". This is the same woman who intends scuttling away from politics to escape 'bullying'. She is either not as described at all, or words mean different things to different people - as with the "popular" Julie Bishop who received only 11 votes. The same media report has several women deciding that politics isn't for them. Anyone could have told them that before they blundered in, wasting taxpayers' money.

Dear Belly,

You've raised some valid points.

We do need to renew dialogue with those who do not
agree with us. We mustn't think that Australia is
immune to the problems that other nations are having,
any more than any of us are immune to the flu if its
going around. Many of the things that most of us were
brought up to think "could never happen here" have
already begun to happen. Dangerous scapegoating,
violent hate crimes, small-minded intolerance for the
views of others.

Dear O Sung Wu,

I have the highest respect for our "protective forces."
Be they paramedics, ambulance officers, police
officers, our military, and so on. Where would we be
without them and the services that they provide for us and
our communities?

I stand by my claim that if the same degree of hate or dislike was on show in our community at large that is seen here we would live in a very sad country

Dear Belly,

We've had a harrowing couple of weeks in politics.
People have been very emotional. Myself included.
But as you know - Australians are a resilient lot
and we do come together in times of crisis.
Hopefully our politicians will be all the better
and stronger because of what's happened in Canberra.
That they will learn from the mistakes made and move
forward to a brighter and better future for all of us.

Everything is relative, everyone has obstacles to overcome.
They are our greatest teachers. Each of us goes through
transitions and transformations. The important thing is
that we acknowledge them and learn from them.

Now I'm sounding like a preacher. I don't mean to.
I just want to add that I have only my own life experiences
to go on. Every relationship is a gift. What great gifts
I've been given by so many people on this forum. How they
have helped me in my times of stress and also helped shape
me into the person I have become and still hope to be.
I've met some of the most extra-ordinary creatures. Yes
we argue - and often say things that we perhaps shouldn't -
but that's how we learn and I don't for one moment regret
being part of the family of this forum's posters.