Herald Sun columnist, Susie O’Brien, never short of literary audacity,
weighed in with comments like: “It’s not just
women who want abortions that he’s attacking, but people who have IVF,
step-families and single mothers as well. What a disgrace.”
No Susie, Senator Bernardi
wasn’t attacking these people. He actually wasn’t attacking anyone. This kind
of vitriol is equivalent to attacking a Police Commissioner for reporting data
on road fatalities. Drawing attention to the data, and suggesting options for
dealing with social problems, is hardly a personal attack on anyone.
But attacks on him have grown
more and more personal.
Paul Sheehan, of the Sydney Morning Herald, was rightly appalled at what
he called “the avalanche of hate”. He quoted one question that was directed at
Cory’s staff. “Can you ask Cory how I should insert my tampon, as he wants to
tell all women what to do?” Other women accused his female staff members of having
“betrayed the sisters by working for him.”
Worse comments than these are easy to find but hardly worth repeating. The
audacity of such comments is rivalled only by their ignorance.
I was a little surprised, however, to read Melinda Tankard Reist’s
comments. While she would evidently agree with Senator Bernardi on most things,
she objects to the way he addresses issues.
“Regarding Bernardi's views on abortion, I, too, am pro-life. But
polemical divides do nothing to address the needs of women.”
She goes on to complain that he has not adequately considered the
reasons why, for example, children from single parent families do not do as
well. It’s true, of course, that more effort needs to be put into understanding
the different situations that different people face in life, and the factors
that got them there.
But, Melinda, I would have thought that shoving aside the politically
correct spin and highlighting the problems would be a step in the right
direction.
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