Net censors
Nick Jensen (Letters, May 6) and others in favour of internet censorship offer their support on little more than blind trust.
Legitimate questions have been raised about the method behind the ''live trial'', casting doubt on any conclusions that may result.
They also ignore that anyone who knows how to search Google can circumvent the filter in a matter of minutes. Most concerning, however, is the failure to even acknowledge free speech implications. The proposed filter will be mandatory for all Australians. Even if the minister retreats further and limits the mandatory blacklist to only illegal material, the fact remains that the contents of this list will be kept in secret. Future governments will also claim that only illegal material is on the list.
If the list is kept secret, how can Australians verify that this is the case? It's a lot to take on trust.
Peter Henderson, Turner
Israeli stance
Further to K. Griffiths' letter (May 5) it needs to be said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to endorse the principle of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict agreed to by his predecessor.
So what kind of peace does Athol Morris (Letters, May 1) propose? The Israel way? Wholesale ethnic cleansing of the local element?
We have all been through this before. The solution is so concisely summarised by K. Griffiths. Nothing less will do. We all know it so why is Athol Morris trying to pull the wool over our eyes? Indeed, it is a jungle out there. Sapienti sat as the Romans used to say.
Adam M. Rust, Belconnen
Once more apologists, like Kenneth Griffiths (Letters, May 5), excuse Palestinian rejectionism and attempt to portray Israel as the sole party in the conflict responsible for building or preventing peace.
Contrary to his assertions, Israel has offered realistic and painful compromises to the Palestinian side, including those concerning resolution of Palestinian refugee issues and removing a significant number of settlements, but to little or no avail.
Furthermore, Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat recently confirmed to al-Jazeera, that in 2000 and again in 2008 Israel had offered the equivalent of the 1967 borders, and most of East Jerusalem but still the Palestinians refused without making a counteroffer.
Athol Morris, O'Connor
Road snarls
Yes, H. Merritt (Letters, May 4), only Federal Government money will help intersections on Canberra's northside as both major parties have a history of ignoring and insulting northsiders and their traffic needs.
Let's not even mention the Gungahlin Drive Extension.
Way back when the Liberal minister for urban services, Brendan Smyth, slammed northsiders for being ''rat-runners'' for having the audacity to use Phillip Avenue, Majura Avenue and Officer Crescent as thoroughfares to the city.
Later, Jon Stanhope went ''green'' (well before he had too) and promptly snuffed the Monash Drive/Wolsley Drive arterial road from Watson to the City off the map because it was in parkland.
It is still on most maps, and appears it could have been a benefit to many.
Those are two reasons why the major traffic carrying intersection of Majura Avenue/Phillip Avenue is a mess, and is still ignored.
Unless of course, you park your car (for sale) up on the grass in the adjacent wide open spaces; then Stanhope's parking inspectors will take notice.
Peter Hemming, Palmerston
Anzac calls
Dr Peter Stanley former senior historian with the Australian War Memorial is said to be glad to have escaped from the ghetto of only writing military history (''Tragedy of pioneer's wasted potential'', Panorama, May 2, p14).
My sentiments are with him.
While attending the Dawn Service on Anzac Day, paying my respects to my father, a former Rat of Tobruk, my grandfather, a veteran of both wars and all those service people involved in all other conflicts, I shed a tear and thought we shall remember them.
We have had our special day lets move on and, like Stanley, remember other people and events that have helped make this country what it is.
Alas, no. The War Memorial is advertising Nurse's Week and Gallipoli Remembered did we not remember them on Anzac Day? Lets get over it and have our one day April the 25 or it will lose its significance.
Nick Corby, Hawker
Kelty's legacy
Mick Kelty's retirement from the Australian Federal Police is long overdue. His legacy is not a proud one.
Kelty defended the actions of the AFP over the Bali Nine case. Instead of allowing them to return to Australia where they could be charged, AFP staff informed the Indonesian authorities, resulting in three of them now being on death row. We may detest drug dealers but no one deserves a death sentence for it.
Kelty was pivotal in lobbying for the introduction of the notorious Anti-Terror law in 2005. Our Federal Parliament never passed a more draconian and fascist piece of legislation. It introduced concepts like preventive detention, control orders and strengthened the abysmal sedition laws. A piece of legislation more suited to George Orwell's 1984 than to a country whose men and women died fighting for our freedom in World War II. The same piece of legislation that was used to trample the rights of Dr Mohamed Haneef and others, and has now been used as a model for the NSW Anti-Bikie law.
Kelty has had a long career in the AFP, and politicians who support tyranny will send him off with the usual cliches and platitudes. But men who justify tyrannical laws to prosecute criminals are flawed men. They use security as an excuse for the removal of legal safeguards.
Adam Bonner, Meroo Meadow, NSW
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