If a tear falls in the dust of Afghanistan, does anyone understand what that war has wrought? (''Afghan civilians carry the burden'', February 14, p13).
I agree that the Afghan men, women and children must be at the heart of Australia's partnership strategy.
After all, Australia has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, where Article 38 (4) provides: In accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect the civilian population in armed conflicts, States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by an armed conflict. Indeed, the Australian Civil-Military Centre in Queanbeyan has developed a training package ''Mandated to Protect: Protection of Civilians in Peacekeeping Operations''.
Recognising that Afghanistan is not one of the United Nations' 1990s peacekeeping operations, can the Australian Defence Force comment on how it does ensure protection and care of children who are affected by an armed conflict? It is clear that the children of Afghanistan are dying to know.
Peter Graves, Curtin
COMPETITION OR NOT?
I recently asked the government to explain how, if it favoured competition, it could give a new supermarket site in Dickson to ALDI, instead of letting competition determine who gets it - as it intends to do with a second site. Minister Andrew Barr's response (Letters, February 13) contains incorrect statements that warrant public correction. He argues that the late John Martin, a former ACCC commissioner who conducted a review of ACT supermarket competition, recommended this. I seem to recall that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, criticised some of Martin's recommendations. But if this wasn't one of them, it should have been rejected anyway; if firms are in competition, it's anti-competitive for the government to interfere by ''picking winners'' like this.
The minister implies that ALDI is not in competition with the other supermarkets, that it occupies a different market, a ''niche'' market that plays a ''complementary role'' - his argument, apparently, being that it's therefore okay for the government to give Aldi the site. With due respect, nonsense.
As a former deputy chairman of the ACCC myself (when it had a different name), I'd be very surprised indeed if the ACCC thought ALDI wasn't in the same market as the other supermarkets, competing with them.
So there's still the question: How can you justify competition deciding who gets one site, but not the other?
R.S. Gilbert, Braddon
AGAINST SEGREGATION
We should all be wary of mealy-mouthed justifications such as Meredith Hunter's ''simply responding to calls from constituents for women's-only swimming''.
If sections of any community, religious or otherwise, demand publicly funded prohibitions, beyond Australian law and community standards, they should be unequivocally resisted. Public beaches and swimming pools belong to us all - thin, fat, male, female, young and old.
Peter Robinson, Ainslie
It is ironic that the push for segregated swimming sessions in the ACT comes 100 years after Fanny Durack swam in the first Olympic Games to allow female participation in that sport. Durack had to fight strong opposition in Australia to women being allowed to swim in competition, or anywhere that men might see them. The objections were that it would uncontrollably inflame the passions of male observers and lessen the natural modesty of the women involved.
I had believed the silliness of those years was behind us in Australia - that we had grown up just a little bit. Apparently, the battle was not entirely won. Cultural attitudes change and societies develop accordingly. However, outdated attitudes can re-emerge, or can be imported from other societies.
The question is whether we should pander to such regressive views or oppose them, as Durack did. I can almost hear the old refrain: ''The problem with dancing [for which read: mixed swimming, running, tennis, or sport generally] is that it might lead to...'' Heaven forbid! Let's all cover our eyes!
Paul McMahon, Isaacs
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