At 20:53 13/03/2001 +1100, Alastair & Clare Smith wrote:
>While I will not pass comment on the bona fides of these two potential
>travellers, Customs has detected a number of Czech nationals visiting
>Australia in
>recent years with the aim of smuggling fauna, especially reptiles. Indeed,
>it was the comment about an interest in herpetology alerted me.
While I may be alone in this, and no doubt will receive a few flames for my
troubles, I find it rather despicable that we should cast slurs on two
potential overseas visitors without giving them the benefit of trial or
jury. However the disguise is couched, the mud has has been thrown.
Overseas police authorities have detected a number of Australian nationals
visiting their land for the purpose of pedophilia and drug smuggling.
Should their birders therefore cast asperions on Australians seeking
information prior to an overseas visit?
It all smacks of zenophobia to me.
And no, the surname is not Czech.
Julian Bielewicz
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
