The rollercoaster ride continued this week – kicked off with controversial new staff policies from Qantas and finishing with some encouraging news for life and freedom.
Banning perfectly good English words in the name of “diversity”
An information pack sent to Qantas staff recently told its employees to be mindful of “manterruptions” — apparently when men interrupt women — and to refrain from using the “gender-inappropriate” words “guys”, “mankind” or “chairman”.
As part of its Spirit of Inclusion month, staff were also told to stop using “honey”, “darling” or “love”, even as a term of endearment, because they “often offend”.
OK, let’s face it. Maybe in our modern, politically correct world this kind of speech might be too casual, right?
But it doesn’t stop there – far from it:
The information pack also encourages staff to use “partner” and “spouse” instead of “husband and wife”, and “parents” instead of “mum and dad” because it excludes some LGBTI families.
Friends, can you see where this is going? Far from trying to bring about a more professional language culture, Australia’s biggest airline is trying to de-gender our language.
To remove the words “mum”, “mother”, “dad”, “father”, “husband” and “wife” is to cut out a fundamental truth from our language. And it seems this fundamental truth – of biological family, borne of man and woman – is the real sticking point for the activists in our society.
Qantas is not alone in this push
It would be remiss of us to ignore the reality that this new push for “diversity” is not exclusive to Qantas. In fact, the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) is pressuring a huge number of corporations and government departments to comply.
As The Australian newspaper reported last week, a large number of DCA’s 450 fee-paying members are state and federal departments, and government-owned agencies and corporations.
Federal agencies include ASIO, Airservices Australia, the ABC, SBS, the Department of Home Affairs, the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Department of Human Services.
State agencies include NSW Police, Queensland Health, the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office, and the West Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Heading up DCA as “chair” is none other than former Army chief and “Australian of the Year” David Morrison.
Doesn’t this all remind you of Orwell’s novel, 1984?
Some good news for life and for freedom
We heard some fantastic news on Friday afternoon, when charges were dismissed against three men arrested for "protesting" near a Canberra abortion clinic.
In 2016, the ACT passed legislation that banned protesting within 50 metres of an abortion clinic.
The men were each issued a $750 fine, but when they refused to pay the matter moved to the ACT Magistrates Court.
Kerry Mellor and John Popplewell (image from ABC News)
The three men, Kerry Mellor, John Popplewell and Ken Clancy, all who are in their 70s, said they were simply there to silently pray.
Magistrate Glenn Theakston agreed, stating: "They simply do not stand out as participating in any extraordinary activity. They do not even gather."
"I accept they were each engaged in silent prayer, and that such prayer involved no component of expression, communication or message to those around them," he said.
Outside of court, Kerry Mellor stood by his actions.
"The charges have been dismissed, so the situation now is as long as we don't break the law in the future, and we always contended we didn't break it in the past, we're free to do the things we believe in and continue offering our prayers," he told ABC News.
Well said, Kerry. We thank you, John and Ken for your passion and courage!
Meanwhile, an anti-discrimination case against Tasmanian pastor Campbell Markham and street preacher David Gee was dropped last week.
The case was brought by an atheist who took offence to comments about same-sex issues made on a blog by Markham and during street preaching by Gee.
As with the case dropped against Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous, however, the result sees a bad law remain in place – a law that could continue to stifle freedom of speech and belief.
On this basis, Markham and Gee apparently plan to continue campaigning. “The fight to repeal a bad law goes on,” wrote Markham on Facebook.
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