Comments on: “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones” – Shannon Alder

By: Ross B Taylor AM

Ross B Taylor AM — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 12:59:11 +0000

A brilliant and important article. Thank you Suresh for the courage to say what many of us wanted to say but didn’t.

It almost made me feel ill to watch the ‘tributes’ flowing once again for Phillip Hughes today. PLEASE, let this fine young man rest-in-peace and stop turning his death into a gratuitious display of grieving.

By: Beryl

Beryl — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 08:39:08 +0000

Well, you are not going to get an abusive email from me, because I more than agree with you. Of course it is sad when someone playing cricket dies, but is it any worse than someone being killed by a hit and run car (five of those accidents happened in Darwin in the last month). OK, he was a good cricketer, but how do you compare this contribution to the contributions made by Stella Young? She was a woman who achieved much more than a few goals (do they have goals in cricket, I personally do not know the difference between cricket and football)? Stella’s contribution to the lives and the public perception of people with disabilites was incredibly significant. What are we really on about as Australians?

By: Juan Carlos

Juan Carlos — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:30:34 +0000

Hi suresh:
Sensationalism in the prestitute media is nothing new. People swallow it every single day trough the different ways of desinformation that the system control to their design which is entertainment (even in tragic events like this case) and not to inform and educate. Your article is not only valiant, but an open window to fresh air. Congratulations !!.. keep writing your points of view in the same way than this one.

By: Martin

Martin — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 04:07:31 +0000

A great article, I knew Stella, not well, but well enough to have an enormous appreciation of her value to us all and what her passing would mean. I am not sure that Phil Hughes’s death sad as it was will leave as big a chasm as Stella’s. Thanks to them both for what they gave this world.

By: Anon

Anon — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 03:06:47 +0000

Hi Suresh

I am relieved to know that I wasn’t alone in feeling the national response to Phil Hughes’s tragic accident was way over the top. A fine decent and talented young man but a sportsman playing the game he loved, not someone who made a real difference to people living in poverty or finding a cure for a terrible disease etc. etc. etc.

The people who make a real difference in this world go unnoticed and most of them would want it no other way, God bless them!

By: Hazel Overfield

Hazel Overfield — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:18:31 +0000

Bravo Suresh! Thank you for expressing these thoughts publicly. Many of my friends have shared the same feelings regarding the reactions of the public to the passing of certain ‘notable’ people. Anyone from the floral industry in agreement?

By: Catherine Rowe

Catherine Rowe — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 09:57:00 +0000

No abuse here, love all equally, but me thinks its only the famous and rich get the attention, even in death, also think the little people are the ones that make this world a better place,,

By: Avis Williamson

Avis Williamson — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 09:04:44 +0000

Very brave of you to write this and I pretty much agree with all you say. And yes, I have no doubt you will get some abusive comments in return. I have been astonished at peoples’ propensity to publicly display grief over people they don’t and couldn’t have known ever since Lady Diana died in that horrific car crash and I wonder just what it is that makes us do this. I can’t help but wonder if it’s in part a search for a space in which to be emotional and wonder why we seem to need that. It’s as if it’s not OK to have an emotional reaction in our daily lives and so we take any opportunity we can to be the emotional humans that we are in part. So why is it that we believe we have no space other than in reaction to a human disaster, that we have to do this? I really don’t know the answer to that except I do know that to be honest in the workplace about a passion you have is to be devalued. I am passionate about workplace safety however I also know that much management perspective of safety is similar to our political three word cliche and is expressed in ways that workers know is untrue – safety is our priority is one example of the many. In fact doing business is the priority and workers know that. It seems we have management people who are so out of touch with the workforce, they don’t recognise the stupidity of what they say. So perhaps the issue lies with those who have the majority of the resources being totally out of touch with those who have the least. Sounds like classic Neo-liberalism to me. Thanks for your blogs

By: Malcolm O'Brien-Rogers

Malcolm O'Brien-Rogers — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 08:58:41 +0000

To me, Stella was a real hero, a fighter for everything she saw that needed attention. She used many forms of communication which required a great deal of skill and will be missed. Disabled people simply are not recognised, regardless of their achievements. Often they are the real heroes, they are simply are not given the respect they deserve.

By: nick

nick — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 08:15:35 +0000

Here is one who will not throw bricks at you for your comments/article.

The death of Philip Hughes was a tragedy just as that of Stella Young and it is even more tragic the death of the two hostages in Sydney.

We can all grieve in our private manner once the impact hits us but let us be honest that the expressions of grieve for Philip Hughes and the death of the hostages was a greater “media event” then that of Stella Young. This means that all those who get “exposure” from these events will exploit it to the utmost limit irrespective of the individual merits and achievements of the individual involved.

It is sad to lose these four individuals but each of them are of equal human value and their passing should be treated in the same manner.