Angry!!!

I found myself seething with anger this morning. A couple of hours of gardening restored my equanimity but I have so much anger in me.

I am angry at the emptiness of the last 5 weeks of public discourse that has passed itself off as an election campaign. The lies and personal attacks, the spin phenomenon, the changing of policy to fit the audience of the day.

I am angry at the media for its complicity in the lies.

I am angry that the real issues in our society- domestic violence, family breakdown, drug and alcohol abuse and a wealth of others- are not being addressed by our leaders.

I am angry at the way science has been hijacked, seduced and destroyed by advocacy and Government grant-seeking- to the point where we don't really know how warm the earth is or how that compares with previous years or what has got us to this point. Yet billions of dollars are being spent on a problem that may or may not exist.

I am angry at the way that refugees and asylum seekers have been turned into political scapegoats by politicians. The 3,000 a year who arrive by boat are copping the blame for lack of investment in infrastructure over the last 20 years as if traffic jams and slow trains have been caused by the arrival of a handful of Afghans and Tamils.

I am angry at the way that so many people are apathetic about their right (obligation) to vote. For the first time in my life I actually think that optional voting SHOULD be brought in to eliminate the cynical and apathetic from corrupting the process.

I am hopeful that this anger is being stirred up in me by the Holy Spirit.

I am hopeful that some of these thoughts will be translated into righteous actions, standing up for the weak and the poor, the truth and justice.

I fear though that after the new Government is formed and public life returns to what passes for normal in our increasingly dysfunctional society, I too will just get on with life as normal.