Category: Life

Life, Thoughts

Save a man’s life

by NeilEnnis 21 November 2005 No Comments Shortlink

I think drug trafficking is a terrible crime. Offenders should be dealt with severely.

But I strongly oppose the death penalty, and especially “Mandatory Execution” where a government stipulates that someone found guilty of a crime MUST be executed, without reference to any mitigating circumstances.

This is the case in Singapore today.

Van Nguyen is a convicted drug trafficker who will be hanged on 2 December 2005 unless by some miracle, the Singapore government changes its mind.

So far they have been unmoved by legal appeals, or by appeals for Clemency on moral or ethical grounds. So I fully support the efforts of Rights Australia to urge companies and people that hold significant investments with the Singapore government to lobby them.

Do you have an Optus phone, or internet account? Optus is 63% owned by the Singapore government. Other large Singapore concerns include SP Ausnet (Victorian Power Company) and Singapore Airlines. Click here for information about how you can ask these companies to support the campaign for clemency for Van Nguyen.

Poetry

Double the Fun

by NeilEnnis 3 February 2005 1 Comment Shortlink

 

(The North Pine River at Sunrise.  I took this with a cheap digital camera while going for a walk at about 5am one morning)

Liz is the love of my life.

I wrote this double acrostic for her during a difficult time for us.

They’re difficult to write because the words are written in a square, and the first and last column of letters makes up a word – in this case a name. So each line has to have exactly the same number of letters, with the only leeway being that full-stops may have either one or two spaces after them to help keep the acrostic square.

They’re worth the challenge. But so is life 🙂

Enduring hope of a shareD
Life with you gives extrA
Impetus to us.  No shadoW
Zones of despair can ruiN
An iron-strong tie insidE
Both of us.  Our love caN
Endure the many trials iN
This life that we face. I
Have faith in our onenesS