I AM dismayed with the comments of Lifeline Australia’s CEO Pete Shmigel (Central Western Daily, August 21, 2016) where he states in relation to the greyhound racing ban that “there is no evidence to suggest there is a direct link to suicidality”.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As a moderator on a greyhound website set up since the greyhound ban, suicide is mentioned all-too often.
Three times on one particular day last week.
I personally contacted Lifeline after listening to a few participants and was working towards having them follow up.
Mr Shmigel: there are hundreds, maybe thousands, who will be unable to pay their mortgages on purpose-built facilities and recoup their investment on pups and breeding stock.
Their prizemoney accounted for these debts in the past and to make it worse, the value of their properties and stock has halved since the ban was announced.
There are families who will break up, some trainers forced to move interstate with wives and children not wanting to leave jobs, schools and friends.
There is a very significant number of older people whose only joy in life is their dogs.
There are trainers with no other qualifications who won’t be able to find work.
Everyone is very deeply depressed.
A similar ill-thought-out ban resulted in suicides in the past following the Federal Government’s live stock ban.
Please Google livestock ban suicides and you will read comments from former prime Minister Abbott and Senators Nigel Scullion and Ian MacDonald.
You say Lifeline is working with Mike Baird to assist, without realising that the last place greyhound participants will go to for help is Mike Baird or his representatives.
Mr Shmigel, I recognise that it is difficult for city people to understand the needs of country folk, but your local office got it right in the first place.
Please do not undo the good work they have done.
Sincerely,
Maree Callaghan
Slow it down on Civic Centre development
WHY the big push to have the planetarium-conservatorium built so quickly without any public involvement?
We had to wait 16 years for the museum and council has been bickering for eight years on the pavilion for the showground, which the mayor at a public meeting committed to build immediately 10 years ago.
This combined construction has only been thought about in the last 12 months.
Charles Everett
Veteran’s message on war worth listening to
RECENT events surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan have drawn attention to the issue of post-traumatic stress experienced by veterans of the Vietnam conflict, not to mention those who have served in the conflicts that have followed.
As a Vietnam veteran, I continue to experience a smouldering rage against any and all politicians who blithely consign so many young Australians to the meat-grinder of war.
We owe it to damaged veterans, and to those who died for their country, to avoid sending more of our youth into unnecessary conflicts.
