So what exactly is a "Fair Go" ?

Hello world,

Its been a while since my last post, but here I am, with yet another of my nitpickings. In case , many of you don't know, Australia is a country that strongly believes in the concept of "Fair go", which means, no matter what race, creed or kind, you are entitled to a chance to prosper or redeem yourself; whichever comes first.

Which brings me to the latest case in point; the one involving former terrorism supporter David Hicks. As if it weren't shameful enough that Australia allowed him to go scot-free after a 9 month sentence, there's talk of his taking on university studies(sure to be funded by Australian tax payers). As the days pass, people are actually beginning to sympathise with him and insist that he's been given a raw deal and therefore, must be given a "Fair go". The focus of my post here is an article published on yahoo7.com.au written by Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop. The article emphasises quite a few times that David Hicks was just someone who went on a genuine mission and got involved with the wrong people.

May I take the liberty to remind readers of the Mohammed Haneef case which not so long ago, took up major headline space. May I also remind readers, that his involvement in the so-called "attempted terrorism" acts came into light merely on the basis that his relatives were plotting unspeakable acts 11000 miles away from Australia, in the United Kingdom. Yet, while David Hicks gets the royal "fair go" treatment, someone like Mohammed Haneef gets his visa back subject to a million pending enquiries.

The essential difference here is this... Haneef was a victim of circumstances; the old adage of "God gave us relatives; thank the good God we can choose our friends", could not be further from the truth. Haneef couldn't help having relatives with radical ideas any more than he could being a devout Muslim. Even today, I'm sure he carries the ghost of those ghastly accusations. India despite being a great country still criminally stigmatises families and individuals who've been in the news for the wrong reasons(even if it wasn't their fault). Its a curse that Indians must learn to live with; and to my knowledge the only escape can be seeking greener pastures elsewhere. Can the same be said of David Hicks ? He knew very well where he was going; what his mission was; and yet, chose to involve himself in the wrong type of company. Sorry, but at this juncture, I have no sympathy for the man... and I doubt if I ever will. To think that his slice of "fair go" will come out of my hard-earned money that goes in to tax curdles my blood to unprecedented levels.