If I may allow myself a small pat on the back for a week of attending meetings (the Mt Gambier City Council Special Budget Meeting on Wednesday 12th June (previous post) and the two meetings below on Friday 14th June), particularly following the annual unpleasantness of the June long weekend anniversary of the 2002 dismissal of teacher Glyn Dorling from St Martins Lutheran School, Mt Gambier (previous posts), and particularly when one of those meetings directly related to the St Martins Issue...(if I may?-Ed)...certainly...(all roads lead to Scum-Ed)...nice...
As per previous posts, Agoraphobia not only makes it difficult to even leave the house, literally, but to attend meetings where you know that your presence is going to be met by a wall of abuse and unpleasantness, that is some hard yards right there...I largely don't want to go to any of these meetings and have to deal with any of these clowns...even their intense discomfort just at my presence is no genuine recompense for the fact that I shouldn't have to be be doing any of this....
It is just my nature that, having committed to what was effectively happening in my life any way, I just accept that that's just the way it is...(clumsily put, but true-Ed)...but the reality is that for me to become involved at all things must be diabolical, and indeed it was the St Martins issue that made me 'political' at all...
I don't claim to have all the answers, but the fact that I'm doing this is a direct indication of what a disaster things are when you scratch the surface...and the beautiful, scything irony is that I am a Monster of their own Creation...ahhhh, it's Frankenfletcher...get ye olde pitchforks and ye quaint pastoral torches...it is a running joke that 'I feel most comfortable in a room full of people who hate me because that's what I have grown accustomed to.'
Anyway; nearly lost amongst the avalanche of lies, deceits and various excuses from 'authorities' for their abject failure to investigate Dorling's behaviours, sanction him in any way, and in the case of SAPol (Police), not even interview him, the closest thing that parents have had to an official excuse is that 'the kids are/were too young to give evidence in Court, and would not be able to withstand the rigours of cross examination from a defense lawyer'.
(Note: I remind readers of the extraordinary conduct of Premier Jay Weatherill's business partner Stephen Lietschke who acted as Dorling's defence lawyer in the Teachers Registration Board/Crown Solicitor Hearing (previous posts) where he was given carte blanche to attack deeply traumatised parents, including taking parents personal documents off them in the middle of the hearing, calling us liars, himself lying, etc...outrageous...and fodder for a post about Flat Wicket Bullies.)
I attended the Attorney-General's Department: Improving the criminal justice system for people with disability Forum/launch on Friday afternoon 14th June 2013.This apparently comes under the second of seven 'priorities', "Safe communities, healthy neighbourhoods"...(seriously?-Ed)...as identified at the bottom of the cover page, where the first priority is apparently "Creating a vibrant city"...get that down ya' Regional South Australia...but I digress...again...
I view this 'Discussion Process' with absolute cynicism and seething contempt as a stop-gap farce to try and engender support for Labor from the 'Disability Sector' and assorted bleedin' hearts heading toward the March 2014 state Election.
Because of this I was reluctant to attend the Forum given that the St Martin's issue would have to be discussed and that could quite possibly lead to 'conflict' and/or disruption of a very important meeting re a critically important issue...but I also had to attend for the same reason, to raise the 'kids aren't old enough to give evidence and that's why we did no investigation' excuse/justification.
Our kids were all capable of expressing themselves but 'allegedly' were too young, so Dorling walked away scott free...combine that with the added difficulties of dealing with kids who do have communication issues, for whatever reason, and they are completely vulnerable.
So I attended the meeting briefly to ask a 'Disability Sector Worker' to raise the issue and then I could go, but that didn't eventuate and I ended up sitting at a table with two 'Sector Workers' (no offence ladies but I don't know your correct titles) and Ms Ruth Ambler, Executive Director Strategic Policy and Organisational Performance...(don't look at me, I've no idea what that actually means either-Ed)...
Anyway, I successfully diplomatted my way past my personal belief about the process as outlined above, and contributed thoughtfully and respectfully to the discussion. As part of that I explained the specific issues of the St Martins case and how they related to the current debate, and made my point that lawyers need to be kept away from witnesses, victims, distraught parents, etc, so they cannot manipulate vulnerable people with their aggression and intimidation...
And that this can be done with a '2 room' solution where the person to be 'cross-examined' has a support person and a 'Court Appointed Advocate' with legal training and is never in the same room with the lawyer, prosecution or defence, whom has to submit written questions based on prepared statements, evidence, etc.
This process is monitored by the Magistrate who can direct the Advocate to adhere to the questions, etc, and the defence lawyer, jury, etc, can monitor the proceedings from the body of the Main Court. The 'lawyer' is to be afforded several opportunities in each session to re-submit questions, etc.
This is partially done in the current Court system, but application appears to be quite random and does not preclude badgering and harassment from the 'lawyer'.
I also observed (without mentioning any names) that the high profile child pornography case currently underway in Adelaide, highlights the ridiculous, numerous, gaping loopholes in current Court processes and legislation that totally complicates the issue...what's the point of getting Disabled persons better access to a Court system that will still fail them!
My submissions were taken in very good faith, and I believe I generated a genuine understanding of exactly what happened at St Martins and how the relative critical issues remain un-addressed.
I also urge everyone to do a submission on this issue at www.saplan.org.au/yoursay or call (08) 8463 4364 to find out more...
Because I've attached the 'flyer' for the meeting I will make this into two posts, so ...
Tomorrow: Solar Presentation...
and related issues, eg, Geo-Thermal, Coal Production, Wind Turbines...(boooooo-Ed)...
And just listening to Bernard Finnigan trying to have his sole remaining 'Child Pornography' charge "Stayed Permanently'...that is, not thrown out or removed, just shelved...only to then hear that this arvo the Director of Public Prosecutions has lodged two new charges...please see previous post re this issue...call me a paranoid cynic, but this looks like a way to push the whole fiasco past the next state election...new charges will take at least a year to be 'processed' through the Courts...
I'm Nick Fletcher and I'm not an paranoid cynic...but I bet that's what they're saying...(ahahahaha-Ed)...and this is my blog...laters...ooo, and just as I go to scan the 'flyer', the power has gone out, so I'll post while I still have some laptop battery and add 'it' later...
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