Well done on pools
I want to say a big thank you to our local councillors for their decision on the Corowa indoor/outdoor pool. Great stuff guys.
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Some time back the amazing Deb North, who used to be the manager of the pool and is now the owner of Aquazone in Lake Mulwala, presented this exact concept to the council and now here it is in the flesh, so to speak. We have some wonderful people out there with wonderful ideas and input and so we should credit those amazing people from all walks of life and not just sport.
Well done clever Deb North, and well done Councilors.
Chris Weller, Corowa
Seeking family ties
My family history search for information on my late great-grandfather Arnold Sylvester Thompson leads me to The Border Mail's readership.
What I know is that he took his mother's surname (Franklin might have been his father's surname), he grew up in Wodonga with his cousins Eddie and Vera, he used to box under the name 'Snowy' and "always had well kept hair, nice shiny shoes and no bone in his nose", according to my Uncle Russell.
Further, he went on to work in a shoe shop in Cowra and was buried at the cemetery there after his death on 10 February, 1993. Arnold's wife was Daisy and their three boys - the first of whom could still be alive and the last of which is my grandfather - were Alan, Leslie and William. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Please contact 0402 600 151 if you can help.
Lachlan MacPherson, Newtown
Far from a miracle
The election result was unexpected but no miracle. The Australian Christian Lobby along with conservative Christian churches, schools and institutions appear to have taken comfort in the result as an apparent endorsement for religious prerogative riding hard on the Trojan horse of religious freedom.
Scott Morrison's energetic electoral performance drawing on his marketing skills and the power of a simple message didn't need divine intervention, but it puts genuine religious freedom at risk.
Those advocating loudest for religious freedom are total unbelievers in the idea. Religious institutions have a track record of intolerance from the inquisition up to the current bans on positive discussion on marriage equality and the ban on yoga on any property owned by the Anglican diocese of Sydney.
Most clergy don't have the religious freedom to affirm the values of contemporary Australian society because churches remain equality free zones and remain persecuted for challenging faith-based hatred and discrimination.
It is a nonsense for the prime minister and others to claim concern for youth mental health and suicide figures while allowing religious schools and institutions to operate as publicly funded engines of prejudice within an inclusive society.
Rugby Australia has bravely championed Australian values in the face of political inertia. We no longer have the right to blow smoke (holy or otherwise) into the face of fellow Australians. The post-election celebrations should include a renewed commitment to a secular Australia to guarantee authentic religious freedom.
