Promoting Orange widely is a full-time and on-going challenge.

In the 30-plus years that I've lived in Orange, I've seen many positive changes and improvements. I

n my opinion, some of these could perhaps be more widely promoted.

Some that come quickly to mind include: Our Regional Museum and Art Gallery; the Conservatorium; Orange Theatre Company; the City of Orange Brass Band; the recent improvements at the top of Mount Canobolas, together with its walking trails.

I'm sure readers can add to this list, especially in relation to its local history.

As Norman Douglas wrote in 1917, "You can tell the ideals of a nation by its advertisements".

I'll leave the last word to Marshall McLuhan who wrote : "Ads are the cave art of the twentieth century." (1970).

If the CWD news report of Thursday, November 9, Green light on track deal, is correct, Orange could soon become known worldwide as a killing field for racing greyhounds.

Is this really how we want our city to be promoted?

But it is not just about Orange, our concern is for greyhounds Australia wide.

We just don't understand how any person, or community which genuinely cares about the welfare of animals, could support the greyhound Industry.

Up until November 3, 2023, there have been 104 deaths Australia wide, of which 39 were in NSW alone.

Greyhound track injuries have totalled 9,825, of which 2,001 are classified as major injuries.

According to the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, as recently as Wednesday afternoon this week at the Temora races, a greyhound suffered an horrific death.

We have viewed the race video - since removed by Greyhound Racing NSW - which shows the greyhound losing footing, smashing into the fence and writhing with a fractured spine and foreleg, before being euthanased. Death number 40 for this year in NSW. This is definitely not family enjoyment and entertainment!

It is inevitable that greyhounds will continue to be killed and injured despite claims to the contrary by the Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association, and Greyhound Racing NSW.

There is no such thing as a safe track, be it straight, J-curved, horseshoe or oval.

Greyhounds will always run the risk of stumbling, running into each other, hitting rails or barriers, or having a breakdown, and suffering horrendous injuries and death.

Such collisions, falls, injuries and deaths are happening now on both straights and curves.

The claimed economic benefits to Orange are unsubstantiated, unrealistic and unwarranted, when at the same time our community is losing a valuable land asset that could be sold for a development that could have a much broader and more sustainable community benefit, more compatible with the proposed residential development opposite, and the expansion of the nearby Homemaker Centre.

It looks like retail giant Kmart is now in hot water over some Christmas merchandise that's currently being sold in their stores and of all things it happens to be a ham bag with the slogan saying Merry Ham-mas, which could be offensive to some people but not others.

It's just a bit of wit and humour and I personally can't see anything wrong with it.

We've had enough of political correctness and I think it's about time businesses and their consumers should say 'No' to this.

Some people have absolutely no sense of humour whatsoever and we do have choices by simply boycotting those products that offend instead of complaining about everything but why should other people have to suffer because of this?

Businesses shouldn't always have to bow down to people and groups who take offence at such petty things as mentioned in this letter by removing the stock from their shelves just because it has some message written on it.

It's costing companies so much money by removing and dumping the stock and then having to try and replace it with something else and it's very hard to do so at this time of the year.

My advice to these businesses is to keep the stock in store and sell it and not remove or replace it and if we continue to bow down to these whingers this country will be beyond woke and broke.

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