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April 17, 2008
Haven't the fun police got anything better to do?
Apparently balloons are way too light and airy for some occasions. Or some, on some occasions:
The RSL says hot air ballooning should not be allowed on Anzac Day morning in Canberra.
The National Balloon Autumn Spectacular begins this weekend and runs for nine days.
Balloons are scheduled to take off next Friday, an hour after the dawn service, only 2 kilometres away from the Australian War Memorial.
RSL national president Bill Crews says commercial activities such as ballooning should be restricted on Anzac Day morning.
"It's disrespectful. Why do we have to go ballooning on Anzac Day morning? There's 365 other days of the year, bearing in mind the weather's not always that generous," he said.
"But I think we can give it away on Anzac Day morning surely and certainly not a Government organised activity, that really distresses me.
364 other days actually, but that's being picky.
Maybe people want to balloon on Anzac Day in order to better appreciate the country all those dead soldiers gave their lives to protect? Maybe they're all descendants of soldiers who were ballooning enthusiasts? Maybe they want a good view of all the mourners, paraders and two up piss up street parties? Maybe they plan to spend their entire balloon rides standing to attention, saluting, waving flags and blowing bugles.
And of course,
Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson has also described the event as disrespectful.
Thanks ABC news for providing so much balance. Balance must have seemed such a good idea before Brendan. How long will it be before conservatives start accusing the ABC of ridiculing the right by over exposing Nelson?
But the ACT Government has dismissed the accusations.
The ACT Government's director of special events, Jeremy Lasek, says pipers will attend the balloon launch as a mark of respect for Anzac Day.
"We have been in contact with the Memorial and the organisers of the dawn service and the feedback actually has been generally very positive. The dawn service finishes just a few minutes after 6:00am, the balloons won't be launched until around about 7:00am," he said.
"The feeling generally was that perhaps this was a nice thing that could happen on the day."
Well the feeling was wrong, wasn't it? The whole nation has a moral duty to be as miserable as possible until lunchtime, whether the dead in question might have preferred a celebration instead or not.
Stuart Robert MP, my local federal member, has been thoughtful enough to post shiny, expensive looking Anzac Day pamphlets to the electorate. Among all the grainy images of the injured, the busy and dutiful, there's a casual shot of a dozen diggers clowning around for the camera. They seem to be enjoying joy - smiling, laughing and perhaps looking forward to their next hot air balloon ride. I wonder how they'd feel about being responsible for so much gravity and indignation? Would they be happier about the biscuits than the way we choose to observe the day?
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Already we see the nation's standards slipping. You wouldn't have dared write this treasonous lefty dribble when Mr Howard was in charge.
(Pipers are a sign of respect for Anzac Day? Well at least I understand now what that Edinburgh Tattoo thing is all about. How nice of the Scots to honour us like that every year.)