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 December 15
The mind of Trump
“Andrew Gawthorpe’s article on America’s national security and Trump’s view of the world is brilliant. It gives a clear explanation of what is going on in the mind of the president. For us mortals who are not historians, I value a writing style for the layman. Thank you for a great article.”
Jennie Clarke, Hobart TAS
A matter of interest
“I write in relation to this story about the RBA’s interest rate policy. I just wanted to raise some concerns about the analysis conducted. Monetary policy affects the economy via several channels. The ‘cash flow channel’ (i.e. mortgages) is only a small component. The main channels are actually the wealth channel and the exchange rate.”
Luke Hartigan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney
You know who
“Easy solution to the long queues at public hospitals, in Western Australia at least. Make the mega rich people who also subscribe to the "American system” pay their multitude of fly-in fly-out workers a fully subscribed private health cover that goes with their wages, then they will have to use private hospitals and take the massive manufactured pressure off the public health system.“
David Charlton, ex fifo worker, Perth WA
Tuesday December 16
We’ve had many emails about the Bondi Beach massacre. Here’s a selection of your thoughts.
"I feel that labelling the event as anti-anything just adds fuel to the agitators who want to encourage divisions in Australia. Surely it is the murder of a large number of Australian people, who were simply celebrating a religious festival.”
Jennie Bond, Highfields QLD
“How can this be happening in this country? We have lost control of our very own security. It’s time our governments and systems of authority stopped worrying about what goes on overseas and started repairing our own backyard.”
Lynda Paterson 
“Two murderers knew where to go for a target-rich environment. How good were the security preparations? How quick the intervention? We can do better, can we not?”
Allen Hampton OAM, Coburg VIC
“Antisemitism crimes have been escalating for the past two years, but nothing effective has been done about it. The recommendations of the Antisemitism Envoy have been ignored. The Bondi killings are the result of this. What we need is quick, decisive action – not just more words.”
Hugh Macindoe
Wednesday December 17
Festering hate
“There is surely no government on earth that can legislate against hate. True hate is something that individuals hold within their hearts and minds, usually as a result of background or upbringing. Most of what we term ‘hate’ is about anger and frustration at the many injustices happening in our world. Education and understanding are needed and the government and media should both play a part in this with accurate and informed reporting. Schools must also be involved in actively promoting tolerance and respect towards other cultures and beliefs.”
Susan Flegg
Blame game
“Members of the Coalition (including Sussan Ley and Josh Frydenberg) have constantly broadcast their view that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should shoulder the blame. This is a cheap and negative shot at gaining a free pass to power at our next Federal election. This monstrous behaviour needs to be called out for what it is.”
Anita Lawrance, Scone NSW
Easier said than done
“Many disparate voices are criticising the Australian government for not doing enough to combat anti-semitism. Notably absent from their criticisms however is any realistic concrete action that a government of a democratic country might take to prevent such horrors. It’s easy for armchair observers to criticise government action as being insufficient. Coming up with realistic, actionable policy to deal with difficult social problems is quite another matter.”
Gavin Oakes, Melbourne VIC
Thursday December 18
The right to protest
“Michelle Grattan writes: "The university encampments were another matter. Their presence on campuses was intimidating for Jewish students and staff.” I am very concerned by this characterisation of inherently peaceful demonstrations which had nothing to do with Judaism or Jewish people and everything to do with the foreign state of Israel committing atrocities and war crimes against civilians. The conflation of antisemitism with protesting against war crimes and genocide is illogical and harmful. The characterisation of peaceful and legitimate civil disobedience and protest - at universities with long histories of both - as “intimidating” has a chilling effect on public discourse and the ability of students to demonstrate.“
Avalon Anskey
No mention of racism against First Nations
"Sadly all the valid talk of antisemitism fails to mention the foundational racism in this country against First Nations peoples. I’m hearing pleas for inclusive "multicultural” Australia, yet nothing about the mother of all injustices.“
Jane Lewis
Gun crackdown
Why are we NOT talking about a gun amnesty? This was very successful in getting guns off the streets after Port Arthur.
Rex Walsh
Time for unity
The Jewish community is grieving, understandably fearful and understandably defiant. But the anger directed at the prime minister is misplaced. He is not responsible for the horrific losses mourned by all Australians. In pursuit of a much-needed sense of unity, Jewish and non-Jewish leaders alike should back Mr Albanese’s efforts to tackle antisemitism at its roots, while simultaneously recognising the legitimacy of other grievances.
Fighting prejudice in all its forms is a constant, imperfect struggle—but one that must not be abandoned or permitted to degenerate into factional fighting.
Lawrence Moloney, Cremorne VIC
A long wait
I am 71 and live alone. I was quite unwell with a UTI, it was a Sunday so I visited my closest Urgent Care Clinic. The waiting room was full and there was one GP. The receptionist told me it would be quicker to talk to a pharmacist. I drove to the pharmacy, waited a while and was then told pharmacists can only treat people under 65 for UTIs. Feeling very unwell, I returned to the clinic where I was told it was at least a 2 hour wait!
I waited to finally see the GP for about 2 minutes. Long enough to get a prescription. A good service? Definitely not. I asked the nurse why there was only one GP on a very busy weekend and she said there is only funding for one GP! This is a big regional city and there are no doctors’ surgeries open on weekends, as there are in Melbourne.
Sue Jene
Stay home
I’m appalled at the advice to UK parents to send their kids to school with an active COVID-19 infection or cold. My partner and I are in our 30s, were previously healthy, but due to long COVID we’ve not been well enough to work for three years. If everyone did the right thing and stayed home with any respiratory symptoms, would school attendance and learning actually improve? We do not make these illnesses disappear by wishing them away.
Andrew Barley