There will be no shortage of Orlando shootings if Donald Trump is president


The full horror of Orlando and its portents was expressed in Barack Obama's speech delivery ("Senseless", June 14). There was nothing wrong with the speech, the words were fine and appropriate. It was just that a defeated President Obama spoke them almost without emotion, his sentences trailed off, he just wanted to get it done. He's delivered similar speeches so many times before and nothing has changed, and nothing can change. It will just get worse.

Predictably, the greater concentration has been on the alleged militant Muslim element rather than the US gun-culture madness. Orlando has increased the horrific prospect of a Donald Trump presidency. Trump has already addressed a supportive National Rifle Association. Should he become president, Trump will have no shortage of gun-massacre speeches to make.

Illustration: Alan Moir

Illustration: Alan Moir

John Macdonald Kings Langley

Under a Trump presidency we can be sure that an Islamic terrorist outrage like the one in Orlando will draw a greater response than simply "Je suis LGBTI".


George Fishman Vaucluse

To stop hate crimes like the awful murders in Orlando we must address the hate. Education about understanding differences and respecting others is obviously crucial. The Safe Schools program was going a long way to educate our kids to understand and respect other kids who are gay. When Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party caved in to a few intolerant and possibly homophobic members in their own party and amended the program, they were removing the very education our kids need. If you implicitly teach hate you end up with hate crimes. Let's teach respect instead.

David Whitcombe Maroubra

Do we really need to be constantly reminded of which shooting is the "biggest" with every passing tragic atrocity? Many articles have referenced Sandy Hook as now being the "second biggest" based on the number of those killed. Surely this league table mentality isn't helping. It's not a competition.

Craig Moore Bondi

Could the National Rifle Association of America be treated as a terrorist organisation? I, for one, feel both terrified and terrorised at the power of this organisation.

Barbara d'Arbon Chittaway Bay

I have a much simpler solution Vincent Zankin (Letters, June 14). Remove religion altogether. Then there's nothing to get extreme or savage about.

Andrew Travers Randwick

It is perhaps time that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade upped its travel advisory for the US. It might be just what those seeking gun control need to convince US citizens to give up their guns, or at least some of them.

Genevieve Milton Newtown

When Christians who are opposed to gay marriage offer prayers and sympathy for the victims of the Orlando shootings they're not being hypocrites ("Orlando shooting: thoughts and prayers from hypocrites do nothing to help",, June 14). We are simply following our master Jesus who taught us to love everyone, not just those we agree with. The reality is that if the Orlando shooter only understood this there would be 49 less dead today.

David Ould Macquarie Fields

Yes Martin Davies (Letters, June 14), Judeo Christian and Muslim faiths, with their banal religiopolitical orthodoxies, provide the seed bed of hate that legitimises the actions of the extreme and the infirm. It is pervasive and insidious in our society still. And for those wondering why our flim-flam man of a Prime Minister omitted to mention gay hate in his first comments regarding the Orlando massacre, you need look no further than the Christian Right in his party.

Peter Spencer Glebe

The US government had the chance to prevent the Orlando massacre when it debated a bill to prevent people on the terror watch list from buying guns. The bill was defeated by the Republicans for the ludicrous reason that some people on the list might be there by mistake, and it would affect their right to bear arms.Perhaps the families of the men and women slaughtered, and those wounded and maimed, at Orlando could sue the Republican Party.

Jennifer Briggs Kilaben Bay

Best NBN should be locked in for future generations

We are too hung up on the cost of the National Broadband Network (Letters, June 14). The Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932 and was paid for by borrowing. The debt was not discharged until 1988. The bridge has massively contributed to the development and prosperity of the city.The NBN is infrastructure for the nation as important as the Harbour Bridge is to Sydney. The bridge did not need six traffic lanes and two train lines when it opened: it had capacity that was initially redundant to ensure its long-term viability. Likewise for the NBN: we want at least the 100 megabits per second, fibre-to-the-home network.

The NBN is not all about entertainment: we can't yet imagine the kinds of businesses it will foster or the services its capacity will connect us to; but we can say those businesses and services will need to be connected to their customers and clients: that's why we need fibre to the home.The mining boom is over, but it has been replaced by an interest rate boom, at least for borrowers. Like the mining boom, this won't last forever. Your financial adviser may tell you about good debt and bad debt. Good debt is when you use it to buy something that will ultimately return income to you: like a Harbour Bridge. Our next government, whatever its persuasion, should be buying the NBN we want by using its triple A rating to lock in low interest rates on a long-term loan rather than indulging in the penny pinching we are seeing. Future generations will thank them.

David Jaffray Huntleys Cove

AGL price rise leaves pensioners in the cold

AGL should spare a thought for those receiving the full age pension when increasing the cost of electricity ("AGL to hike power prices by more than 5 per cent", June 14).

Not only is the tariff increasing but the method of receiving and paying the bill will add more to the cost.

Many aged pensioners do not own a computer and these will be hardest hit by not having the option of online bills.

Robyn Lewis Raglan

I thought Tony Abbott said electricity and gas prices would fall once he abolished the carbon tax.

Philip Cooney Wentworth Falls

So power companies are set to raise prices by 5 per cent, far above the inflation rate, just as energy consumption soars during the winter months. Why do we even bother to have an "energy regulator"? Seems to me most price regulators are toothless tigers.

Denis Suttling Newport Beach

Don't blame farmers

As a farmer, please allow me to correct Pam Brook's misleading comments (Letters, June 14). Most of the clearing under the proposed Biodiversity Conservation Act will be of scattered trees only. On Monday, the Herald reported the "lopping" of 22,000 trees over two years as if this was widespread vandalism. It amounts to about 25 hectares in total. I have planted more trees than that over the same period.

The farmers I know do not use poor practices – if they did they would not survive for long. Farmers have planted huge numbers of trees over the past 30 or so years both as a result of the successful Landcare project and using their own funds and determination.

I have no doubt that the worst offender with regards to the clearing of land is urban development, not farmers.

Ross Flanery Galong

Government of secrecy

So the state government has refused to release business cases for Sydney's rail projects ("Government refuses to release major transport costings", June 14). This sounds familiar. It won't release the business case or the cost benefit analysis for Newcastle's light rail project either. Not only is this government refusing to listen to the people, it is being secretive about its actions. Is it trying to hide something?

Peter Sansom Kahibah

Say no to nanny state

I fail to see how it can be that the organisers are held responsible when a festival goer decides to take illicit drugs and dies ("Police blast festival's 'disregard' for safety", June 14). It is like saying the state government is responsible for every drunk driver on the road.

It is time people are left to deal with the consequences of their own actions. It is not the job of government to try to protect, or force us to be protected, from everything we chose to do of our own free will.

George Lemann Glenquarry

Buses the solution

It's understandable that staff at hospitals should want the convenience of being able to drive to work, but closing down childcare centres is not the solution to the problem ("Clouds hang over hospital childcare centres", June14) . Our state government has shown itself to be sympathetic to private enterprise but insensitive to the problem of greenhouse gas pollution from internal combustion engines. Money needs to be spent on increasing the frequency and reliability of public transport, which in this case means a better bus service along Missenden Road.

Ian Edwards Glebe

Sport not the problem

Unfortunately Julian Cribb (Letters, June 14) would need to restrict a lot more than the Olympics or the World Cup to restrict the spread of disease. Last year Paris received 22 million tourists, Sydney received 9 million tourists. The Brazilian government is hoping for 500,000 visitors for the Olympics. The numbers attending sporting events is dwarfed by the numbers visiting a country for holidays and business.

Phil Morey Guildford

Dam logic holds water

Thanks for your perspective on the economic value of dams – or lack thereof ("Beware of politicians bearing dams", June 14).The local member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, devoted an entire mailout to his support for more dams in our region. He has three in his sights – two new ones and a possible enlargement.In a land where evaporation is always an issue, this seems senseless to me. If money must be spent on water resources, wouldn't it make more sense to spend money on pipes to ensure a greater proportion of dam water makes it to where it is needed?

If a politician feels the need to promote the building of further dams he is either living in the distant past or bereft of ideas which will enhance the lives of his constituents – or possibly both.

Deputy Prime Minister, we're inviting you into the 21st century – are you ready?

Margo Mangan Tamworth

The business of war

John Murray (Letters, June 14) suggests the Swedish and Swiss governments have had something going for them in being non-combatants. Let us not forget that the Swedes produced the Bofors guns and the Swiss produced the Oerlikon guns both of which they sold to both sides in World War II.

It has always been a good idea not to enter a war which interferes with good business.

Bob Macoun Lindfield

Heritage hypocrisy

Interesting both Labor and the Coalition are promising to protect the Great Barrier Reef and the thousands of jobs it supports, while at the same time giving their tick of approval to Badgerys Creek Airport, which could put in danger the World Heritage status of a national park that also supports thousands of jobs.

Murray Bolden Mount Riverview

Corgi power: believe all that you've herd

Our experience in suburban Wollongong supports Robyn Hansen's anecdote regarding the herding prowess of corgis (Letters, June 13).Our bush-bordering backyard is frequently invaded by large numbers of feral deer. On one such occasion the insurgents were divided into two groups. My wife released our corgi hoping he would chase the deer back into the bush, away from our long-suffering gardens.Said corgi swiftly herded the smaller of the groups back to join the main herd. This achieved, he straightaway trotted back to his mistress, looking very pleased with himself.The combined herd quietly returned its attention to my bromeliads.Everyone happy. Almost.

Max Edwards Figtree

A promise to keep

The Queen won't move on, Tim Schroder (Letters, June 14) simply because on her 21st birthday, she promised, "My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service". She renewed that vow on her Diamond Jubilee, when she could easily have announced her abdication. A promise is a promise.

Joan Brown Orange

Leaguies are softies

Let me get this straight. The Wallabies need just three weeks to play three brutal Tests against the Poms, whereas the State of Origin series runs over six weeks (even when we know what the result will be). Life must be tough for those poor, pampered league guys.

Jeff Apter Keiraville

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