An Obadiah Slope column
Erika Kirk (widow of Charlie Kirk) in the New York Times, writing on grief: “Grief is strange. Time continues even when every part of you wants it to pause or, better yet, rewind. But the people we love who have passed on would not want us to spend the rest of our lives trying to rewind. At first, I needed to survive the next 15 minutes. Over time, I’ve realized that Charlie would want me to live them.
“Occasionally, I’m asked whether I’m angry at God. I say no. My husband was one of one. I was blessed to be his wife, and I understood his assignment here on Earth, which he more than fulfilled. He wanted people who felt lost to know the everlasting hope he found through faith and the sense of meaning and purpose that can fill the deeper longings we so often try to satisfy elsewhere. To the world, he was Charlie Kirk. But to me, he was the love of my life. To our children, he was the center of their world…
“True faith means accepting that we won’t get every answer and finding peace in that.
“I have seen extraordinary good born out of something unimaginably evil. I have watched people return to faith in droves, reconcile with their families and forgive old wounds because of Charlie. I know my husband is in heaven, but I ache for him to be here. Still, I can stand and say without a shadow of a doubt that God is good.”
Obadiah is pleased that Erika Kirk chose a centre left publication for this piece and also that the New York Times published her. Civility like this, from both of them, tamps down polarisation.
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George Orwell on war (in 1938, reflecting on Spain and the conflect he thought was certain): ” You cannot be objective about an aerial torpedo. And the horror we feel of these things has led to this conclusion: if someone drops a bomb on your motheer, go and drop two bombs on his mother. The only apparent alternative s are to smash dewlling houses to powder, blow out human entrails and burn holes in children with lumps of thermite, or to be enslaved by people more ready to do these things than you are yourself; as yet no one has suggested a practical way out.”
Page 296, volume one of Orwell’s collected Essays, Journalism and Letters.
As Obadiah read this, it seemed this passage is more relevant than ever – especially if one substitute sthe old-fashioned term “aerial torpedo” for “drone.”
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Andrew Hastie MP on doing his duty (as One Nation opposes him from the right):
“One Nation are coming to unseat me, and they’re working indirectly with Anthony Albanese to do it.
“Don’t believe me?
“Have a look at the front page of The Sunday Times from two days ago.
“The headline makes One Nation’s position clear:
‘I’M CANNING FOR YOU NEXT: Hanson warning to Hastie after Secret Harbour romp’.
“The journalist, Joe Spagnolo, didn’t even bother to offer me a right of reply, but here’s what I would have told him:
“I won’t take any more slander from One Nation.
“Not after they called me a traitor to my own country.
“As you may be aware, I was subpoenaed to give evidence in the defamation trial brought by Ben Roberts-Smith against Nine Media concerning allegations of war crimes.
“I believe in the rule of law, so I complied with the subpoena rather than be found in contempt.
“I gave evidence under oath, before God.
“I did so with more than twenty other combat veterans and witnesses from the Special Air Service Regiment.
“For that, I’ve been called a rat, a traitor, a dog c—, and many other things.
“People I trusted have walked away from me or failed to defend me.
“That’s the nature of public life, and I seek no sympathy for the slings and arrows fired my way.
“I did my duty, and that’s why One Nation are coming after me.
“One Nation are working to unseat me because they don’t believe in the rule of law, nor do they believe in holding Australian soldiers to high standards of battlefield conduct.
“Now I’m calling time on cowards who have never served a day in the Australian Defence Force attacking my service record, my integrity, and my loyalty to Australia.
“I gave 12 years 8 months to the Australian Defence Force.
“I deployed twice on combat operations to Afghanistan. I left my wife at home, knowing that I might not return.
“And then to be called a traitor by One Nation…well, they’ve picked a fight with the wrong veteran.
“So, if Pauline Hanson and James Ashby want to come after me, I will make it a very costly exercise in time, money, and political capital.
“One Nation might succeed in defeating us in Canning, or helping Labor win, but it would be a hollow, Pyrrhic victory.
“While setting things straight, let’s clear up another home truth.
“One Nation doesn’t own ANZAC, it belongs to all Australians.
“Nor does One Nation get to redefine the profession of arms, and the standards that govern our battlefield conduct.
“Our men and women of the ADF are the true custodians of the profession of arms….”