Sunday, May 12, 2013

Andrew Bolt on Mike Carlton -- forgot this inconvenient truth

Bolt correctly calls Carlton for what he has done. Carlton smeared journalist Miranda Devine,

Devine had posted on Twitter that she was “Embedded w NSW Police Public Order & Riot Squad” and included an accompanying photo. Shortly afterwards, Carlton tweeted to his 7935 followers: “@mirandadevine is ‘embedded’ with the Police Riot Squad, as she puts it. What, all of them at once? Must be exhausting.” 

Devine, a former journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald, which publishes Carlton’s weekly column, has demanded he take the tweet down from the site.
In response, Carlton emailed her: 
“What a fragile little plant you are. UItterly (sic) devoid of any style, wit, grace or humour. And a fool to boot.”
Carlton has since apologised on Twitter for the remark and has removed it from the site.
“It was silly, it was meant to be a lighthearted gag and if she is offended I apologise,” Carlton told The Weekend Australian. “I didn’t mean to be offensive and I unreservedly withdraw it and apologise for any stress it caused.”
Carlton's apology was weak, and Bolt correctly pointed out how, and how Carlton had had form for his failure to correct. 

I will not defend Carlton. I was raised by a mother who adores him and who delighted in his rudeness. Each time Carlton gets away with a smear against a decent person my mother exults that someone has done something she couldn't, but wanted to. It is very hard for a left wing person to hear adults talk and not feel left out.

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I think Andrew will feel a little shame and remorse when he learns what he has done. It doesn't excuse it if he doesn't fix it. It was a judgement call, and is valid as judgement calls go, but extraordinarily unfair.
Bolt judged my poetry as not being worthy. He is allowed to. He snipped it. He said it wasn't the type of poetry for him and the suggestion was it was bigoted/racist.
I wrote the poems for causes. One cause was that of Clare Oliver, who when she was dying of melanoma I promised her (unknown to her) that I would provide her with a voice. Another poem was to free some hostages. A third was for a film I'd not seen, but wrote a poem based on a precis. I had had musicians who were talented (much better than me) and they made the poems sound good. Not bigoted or racist. 


I have a purpose in writing. One is to get the word spread about my writing and story telling. Another is to report current affairs so as to build a reputation for responsibility. My primary goal is to have the story of Hamidur Rahman's death brought before the public, as well as the related bungled pedophile inquiry which apparently caused it. The case has been bungled a number of times by the NSW Police, but I have clean hands on the issue and am free to speak on the matter. 

Bolt wrote that I was pursuing a court case for money. He wouldn't endorse that. 

I'm not in court now, and have never been to court for money. I was not then. 

I have done no wrong. I have stood up for what seems to me to be a clear case of abuse of power. A child has died and a possible pedophile has gone un-investigated. Because of this, I have resigned as a public school teacher to speak out. I waited and timed my resignation so as to not interfere with the NSW 2007 election. I had hoped a better government would win, but sadly that didn't happen. Partly because David Penberthy changed his mind about what constitutes good government a few months prior to the election. Further, I spoke out well short of the federal election .. which my issue should not have affected. 

I have had my issue raised as a question to NSW Parliament, but the ALP timed their answer to remove right of reply. I have run for government twice, in my local ALP seat as an independent but the press wouldn't report on my stance. 

Over six years unemployment has taken a severe toll on me. I cannot last much longer without severe financial hardship. No friends or family have supported me. But when I read of Andrew chastising Carlton, I get upset. Carlton isn't a kind or competent journalist. You can't expect Carlton to do better. But I have a high regard for Andrew Bolt. 
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This issue I raise might be bigger than merely me, or it may just be the shadow I cast. The pedophile investigations that allow input from those with public school experience I can contribute to. So I will speak out and it might, raise questions to do with Gillard's behaviour in office. Only for that to happen, it is important that the inquiry doesn't founder before then. But it might. The Saville case in the UK is appalling, but it is in the interests of pedophiles to discredit it, as they might do by inflating baseless claims and then collapsing further inquiry with the furphy that the new claims are baseless. It is important that all media, including Bolt, be sensitive to that. 




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