Every day, we publish a selection of your emails in our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, you can email us at yoursay@theconversation.edu.au.
Monday August 3
“I loved the quiz at the end of John Hawkins’ RBA article – an excellent way to consolidate knowledge! I would love for more articles to have a quiz section.”
Zahro Muladawilah 
“The Bennett and Polaschek article on payments for disabled workers avoids some salient points and doesn’t ask some pertinent questions. Reduced productivity capacity and the need for funded carers are, I suggest, why rates of pay are low. Inclusion, financial support, funded carers and safe work environments should be considered a major recompense. Moving up the skills ladder and into independent employment is unlikely for many due to reduced capacity.”
Robyn Guy
Tuesday August 4
“Assisted dying, thankfully, is an emotional, very human issue. Anything that feels like a machine instead of a person making assisted dying decisions is going to create kickback. Unfortunately more talk in the community is needed.”
Luke Lake, Kambah ACT
“Closing the Gap policies should not be a one-way street. We have so much to learn from Indigenous cultures. Their enduring traditions offer guidance on critical issues including learning how to look after our ancient and fragile land so every generation thrives on available resources alongside the other species we depend on, and understanding how to thrive in a multicultural nation by trading and connecting with people with different languages, customs, and laws. Rather than abandoning the goal of equality, we should listen to and learn from Indigenous knowledge to build a stronger, fairer future for all Australians.”
Jennie Epstein
Wednesday August 5
“Karinna Saxby’s recent article on the new inclusion of sexual orientation questions on the census brings me to think about whether the collected data will be truly representative for queer youth – as the census is done per household, I have no doubt many closeted queer youth may not be answering such a question truthfully at risk of family members discovering their identity. The census website is quite lackluster in regards to getting separate forms, and even when one is received it is difficult to answer as the form asks for data regarding the whole household. As someone who is a queer youth myself, I strongly think there needs to be more discussion about this.”
Caleb, VIC
“My house is not connected to a sewerage system, I have a septic system, for which I am entirely responsible (which includes having it pumped out on occasions). Nor do I receive a residential mail delivery, despite living less than 3 kms from the nearest post office. I choose to live in regional Australia and enjoy doing so. But I also appreciate that I live in an Australia different in so many ways from the Australia of Canberra and the ANU. It would be appreciated if the writers for the Conversation (and many of our politicians) indicated that they were aware of such differences and their consequences.”
Dr PE Novelly
“It would be interesting to know if the parents were asked if student behaviour at public school was a factor in choosing a private school over the public system. I have friends that teach in public school in NSW and the general talk is that behaviour management is challenging. Teachers tell me there is a lot of time spent managing behaviour and documenting events that take time away from teaching and prep. As one teacher said, we are being left no option to show there are consequences for inappropriate behaviour.”
Eleanor Cook
Thursday August 6
“The article on Ariana Grande rightly reminds us that we cannot know what is happening in a person’s life simply by looking at them. However, it overlooks the fact that celebrity culture deliberately trades on appearance. Their image is often central to the brands they build, the roles they secure, the endorsements they attract and the influence they wield. As the parent of a teenage girl, I see firsthand how powerfully these images influence perceptions of what is normal, desirable and achievable. Compassion for celebrities and concern about body image are not mutually exclusive. We can reject personal attacks and harmful speculation while still having an honest discussion about the physical ideals being presented to impressionable audiences. To do otherwise risks ignoring the very real influence celebrity culture has on how young people see themselves.”
Melissa Monks
“Thanks so much for your article on the demise of the political cartoons in newspapers and how important they are to our society. I hope this trend can be reversed or new outlets found for these brilliant artists. I have long appreciated their work and am constantly amazed at the new perspectives they can make me see. We need these very Aussie points of view held up for us to laugh at, then go away thinking about the bigger picture. I have especially appreciated the work of Peter Broelman and David Pope. Constantly amazed how their brains work. Helps me reevaluate the constant news stream in a different light. Thanks again, Conversation. Keep up the good work. And maybe add a cartoon to the mix? Or is that too cheeky of me!”
Sue King
“I was disappointed by the framing of the article about Trump’s deal with Hamas, which presents Hamas primarily as a movement of "resistance” while giving little attention to its long record of terrorism, antisemitism and rejection of Israel’s right to exist. A balanced analysis should also acknowledge Hamas’s ideology, its attacks on civilians, including 7th October 2023 and its repeated commitment to armed struggle when assessing whether it is likely to genuinely abandon violence.“
Ran Porat
Friday August 7
"I’m so very scared that Australia is either not watching the United States, or is watching it and learning nothing. Pauline Hanson’s Trumpian disregard for democracy and convention could and should have been stopped as it started. The media has a bigger responsibility than just to report the facts. They need to ensure that they can access the facts. If it’s a ban on one, it should be a walk-out by all.”
Louise James
“Just finished reading the article on H5N1 bird flu that is devastating bird populations and vulnerable animals. One sentence that glared out at me: the authorities can’t wait. We need action now, immediately, and not to sit and ponder the ‘what if’s’ or ‘lets just wait and see what happens, it might all go away’. I found the sentence is the attitude that governments local and state rely on far too often. When the cure becomes more expensive than the prevention. What happened to the old adage ‘an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure’?”
Theresa Jackson, NSW
“I was so impressed by Hannah Schunker’s article on the Sun’s surface. It was stellar, and the video showing the forces at play moved me to a state of humility. Our knowledge and appreciation of nature’s processes can guide us to understanding our own place in the Universe; our importance or lack thereof. Something much needed in these times.”
Beverley Cooke