McClymont’s courage is a wonder to behold

Three cheers for three articles in today’s Herald. Peter Hartcher for reminding us of the particular virulence of the disinformation targeting women when Elon Musk has already posted a deep fake of Kamala Harris on his platform, Jacqueline Maley for pointing out that Harris’s running mate Tim Walz is punching back against Donald Trump’s gendered propaganda, and Kate McClymont who, as ever, takes on the male bullies and defeats them (“Abused, spat on and spied on: What keeps Kate McClymont going?”, August 10). Who said all is not right with the world? Gary Barnes, Mosman

Fortunately, journalists like the stylish and courageous Kate McClymont face off evil, violent creeps and chase them down their rabbit holes, despite the unavoidable fear. Fearlessness isn’t a real thing, but courage is. Andrew Cohen, Glebe

You are magnificent, Kate, it’s hardly surprising that those who you expose fight their corrupt corners with threats and abuse while you stand tall, a probing powerhouse refusing to walk away instead Walkley-ing towards the danger. You always come up smelling of roses, it’s those you uncover who are unpleasantly pungent. Janet Argall, Dulwich Hill

We are fortunate to have democracy-defending journalists who seek the truth and Kate McClymont has long been one of those at the pinnacle of her profession. What she has had to put up with from the thugs she helped expose is sickening beyond measure. Kate exemplifies the personal and professional qualities of the finest journalists, and pre-eminent among these is the courage she has shown pursuing and revealing the truth, courage that is an inspiring example to the young women who aspire to succeed her. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne

The talk given by Kate McClymont at the Women in Media conference revealed why investigative journalists should be held in such high esteem. Despite her humorous retelling it was apparent that there was an ever-present physical threat she often faced. The future livelihood of such journalists can also be put at risk when litigation is used as a tool by those with big pockets to take them down. On top of all this they face the abuse which is now able to be delivered easily and anonymously online. Louise Dolan, Birchgrove

I have long marvelled at the courage of Kate McClymont. She is unyielding in her pursuit of truth. Kate has exposed numerous acts of corruption in high places and the putrid underbelly of criminals and organised crime. What a woman! Undaunted by pea-brained, muscled-up thugs and lawyered-up white-collar criminals, she has brilliantly tracked their trail of malfeasance at great personal risk.

I congratulate Kate on her investigative skills and intelligence. However, her courage in following through, despite threats to her life, is her biggest achievement. She has outplayed criminals through her bravery, eloquence, steadfastness, moral certitude and intellect. Kate quoted Shakespeare in her speech to female journalists. I can draw upon another Shakespearean quote. Julius Caesar proclaimed, “I have a man’s mind but a woman’s might.” With due respect to the Bard, Kate McClymont has a woman’s mind and a woman’s might. Gerardine Grace, Leura

McClymont’s career started with a Saturday night job in the mid-80s selling her wares on Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross. She would sit on a milk-crate at a card table, as a respectably-dressed, dark-haired young woman with a sign behind her reading: “Questions Answered 40c, Arguments 50c, Verbal Abuse $1”. In 2012 in an interview she said young men would come up and pay her a dollar to abuse their girlfriends. People would come and pay money for racing tips; they’d ask all manner of bizarre questions. Her booth became so popular that a delegation of local prostitutes approached her to complain that she was ruining their business. Her answer paid off; “I said, ‘well, if you want to argue about it you’ve got to pay a dollar’. And they did!”.
Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

Dear Kate, You are my hero!! Stay safe. Margot Vaccari, Berowra

It is not Kate McClymont who needs a new deodorant, it is the corrupt and criminal men she exposes. Maybe they should invest in some mouthwash too. Stephanie Edwards, Leichhardt

I want to thank Kate McClymont for her fearless reporting in confronting those criminals in our society who do so much damage and need to be exposed. Josephine Piper, Miranda

What a fabulous speech Kate McClymont gave. I hope there were plenty of listeners with the courage to follow in her footsteps. Ken Ryan, Clovelly

What a gutsy and courageous woman Kate McClymont is. All strength to her. She’s a national treasure. Jeremy Light, Mosman

Gambling ads overload

One can only agree with John Howard in saying gambling advertising has reached an unacceptable level (“‘It’s too much’: Howard urges tobacco-like ban on gambling ads”, August 10). There’s nothing about online gambling that is good for our society. It’s time for the federal government to stop pussyfooting around and introduce legislation to stop this cancer coming into our homes. If the NRL and AFL think gambling on their games is such a great idea, let them set up on-course gambling facilities, as the racing industry has done. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill

I believe Labor’s proposal to cap advertisements for gambling is a step in the right direction. Banning them outright would be even better. Many of us would know people who have had an addiction to betting ruin their lives and those of their families. Until the late 1990s, the various TABs were the sole legal betting agencies owned by each state government and gambling was not as ubiquitous. Aside from capping advertising, maybe the government can impose the draconian guidelines in place in another leading nation of punters, Singapore. These include prohibitions against encouraging visits to a gambling site, promoting a gambling operator, targeting young persons, implying skill can influence outcomes, providing tips and even encouraging gambling activity itself. John Kempler, Rose Bay

It is curious that when former Coalition politicians, the latest being John Howard, call for an end to betting ads on social media and other digital platforms but never call for a bipartisan support from the federal Coalition for such a ban, leaving Labor vulnerable to a potential backlash from the gambling industry and its mega-powerbrokers. This would only allow Peter Dutton to undermine Anthony Albanese and lead to defeat in the end. Dutton is very good at wielding his brand of scorched earth opposition approach to everything Labor proposes for national interest. Step up to the plate, Mr Howard! Kim Woo, Mascot

It’s interesting how ex-prime ministers find a conscience when they’re no longer in office. If only they had acted earlier when they had the chance, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Ruth Pojer, Double Bay

It’s too much for John Howard to complain about the rash of gambling ads. Many people made exactly the same complaints when Howard was prime minister, yet he did nothing about it. So tell us, John, exactly when did it all become too, too much? We need to know because the gambling industry is already gearing up with its usual sob stories. We know we’re in for a campaign that’s even louder than the one about poker machines. We’ve also long been aware that once governments get useful amounts out of gambling, they become addicted to the money. Please explain, John. Grant Agnew, Coopers Plains

Reynolds wide of the mark

Julia Baird, so eloquently put (“What I wish Linda Reynolds would say, instead of suing Brittany Higgins”, August 10). Justice Michael Lee found that on the balance of probabilities Brittany Higgins was raped. The trauma that accompanies such an ordeal must be horrendous, and must play out in so many ways. That trauma has been compounded by Linda Reynolds’ actions. To equate the hurt she has experienced with that of Brittany Higgins is at best ugly, at worst obscene. Graham Fazio, Cootamundra

Thank you, Julia Baird. Amalina Wallace, Erskineville

All our athletes are heroes

Of course congratulations must go to all those amazing athletes coming home with gold, silver or bronze medals. But my heart has to go out also to all those other brilliant athletes who are coming home empty-handed. Didn’t they also stretch themselves to the limit, invest precious money and time to rigorous training and share the same hopes and dreams? But, because of split-second timing, the quirks of nature, how they happened to feel in that particular moment, now come home knowing there will be no golden handshakes and certainly no phone calls from a PM. And I am sure I am not the only Aussie fan who is cheering you all on because you represented our country with every ounce of energy you possess, as well as grit, determination and, above all, grace.
Rosalind Winterton, Maroubra

I find those comparing the medals won at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 compared to Paris disingenuous. A total of 72 nations, with 3314 competitors - mostly men, there were only 376 women - competed in Melbourne and countries like China didn’t even attend. In Paris, there were 206 nations with 10,714 competitors, roughly split 50/50 men and women. The Olympics now are significantly larger and more competitive than they were 68 years ago. Surely we can celebrate the successes of both. Trevor La Macchia, Eastwood

What a remarkable achievement by 1500-metre runner Jessica Hull to claim silver in one of the most brutal events of them all. Her joyous reaction and congratulatory hugs with her competitors was one of the great moments of the games. Ian Fowler, Asquith

Why Harris should look to history

Kamala Harris has the example of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign to guide her descriptions of Donald Trump supporters – if she feels so inclined (“From hype to hope: Can Harris really defeat Trump?”, August 10). Clinton ran into trouble after saying that half of Trump’s supporters were a “basket of deplorables”. The polls leading up to election day had predicted a Clinton victory, but she lost the electoral vote while outpolling Trump on the popular vote. Harris should note the advice of Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic presidential nominee in 1952 and 1956, who was known for his wit and intelligent speeches. On the campaign trail he gave an opinion which should be noted by every candidate; “it is not enough to have every intelligent person in the country voting for me - I need a majority.” James Moore, Kogarah

Peter Hartcher paints a frightening picture of the septic state of political discourse in the US (“Good luck draining this swamp”, August 10). We haven’t descended to these levels but could we? I’d like to know what we have in place to prevent it ever happening here. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer

Full-time airport

With due respect to those opposing Western Sydney Airport’s 24/7 operations, it is important to remember that it was in the offing for more than 40 years and was always going to be a 24/7 operation (“‘Our village is dissolving’: Fury over aircraft noise from Sydney’s new airport”, August 10). Since the Kingsford Smith airport opened with a permanent curfew, air traffic has increased several thousand more times, for business and leisure travels. Sydney is probably the only major city in the world that doesn’t operate 24/7. It is baffling to see arguments put forward by Wilderness Australia and environmentalists asking for noise-free zones for the Blue Mountains that benefit one group over others. Mukul Desai Hunters Hill

Maths equation

If Rosehill Racecourse was developed as medium to density the same as Pyrmont it would house 8,700 people in 4,200 dwellings (“Rosehill ‘megacity’ plan hangs by a thread as internal divisions laid bare”, August 10). Developed land value in nearby Parramatta is currently $5,068 per square metre, according to Microburbs. Taking the 60 hectares of racecourse-owned land, giving half to infrastructure and parks leaves 30 hectares to sell; those 30,000 square metres would be worth much, much more than the projected sale value of $5 billion. Maths don’t lie. Julius Grafton, Birchgrove

Really Cross

North Sydney now has a train station, right after Chatswood and Crows Nest, and it’s called Victoria Cross (“Threading the needle: How engineers crammed new metro lines beneath Sydney CBD”, August 10). Why? It’s not really near what used to be Victoria Cross in North Sydney (at the intersection of Pacific Highway and Miller Street). And what’s with “Victoria” in this day and age? Among the next stations are Barangaroo and Gadigal; these names sound contemporary. But choosing Victoria instead of an Aboriginal name? Seems retrograde.
Carsten Burmeister, Balmoral

Tenuous training

Just like Michael Koziol, I too have done many of my City2Surf races with only about ten days’ training (“Can you cram your City2Surf training into 10 days? I’m racing to find out”, August 10). Sunday - my 49th consecutive race - was no different. What makes up for a lack of training is the extraordinary atmosphere on race day, which made my son and me run just that little bit faster. As far as the weather goes, yesterday was perfect. In all the many years that I have been doing the race, it has never rained. Steven Baker, Engadine

What a complete and utter schemozzle the finish line was at the City2Surf on Sunday. Boasting the highest numbers in its history somehow there was a complete misunderstanding of crowd flow which manifested in a whopping great bottleneck of sweaty runners at the finish line. This was my 10th race but I’ve never seen anything like it. It took more than five minutes to slowly walk with all the hundreds of others to get over the timed finish line for the chip to record the time. So much for all that training. It is widely known that by sheer luck somehow Vivid avoided hundreds being crushed with the drone show. While the City2Surf finish line bottleneck was not dangerous, these two massive events show that something is seriously wrong with Sydney event organisers’ understanding of crowd flow and behaviour. Let’s hope it is not third time unlucky for another event. Peter Neufeld, Mosman

Dog decay

Around here, five off-leash areas are not enough, with some dog owners walking their dogs in Dog Prohibited areas or off-leash on beaches that are designated on-leash (“Residents’ dog fight over off-leash beach”, August 10). Some dog owners even throw sticks into the water for their off-leash dogs to chase while people are swimming laps. We simply don’t have enough rangers to enforce the Companion Animal Act. It seems the rule of law is breaking down, resulting in a decaying society where individualism reigns over the common good. Karen Joynes, Bermagui

Crap coffee

Ben Groundwater is so right about the poor quality of French coffee (“French coffee is getting away with merde”, August 11). Sometime within the next four years, all of those selected to represent their country must save up for a portable coffee machine as the coffee in most of America is disgustingly undrinkable. I liken it adding half a teaspoon of instant coffee to a litre of hot dishwater. Honestly, it’s so bad it would kill a brown dog. Peter Miniutti, Ashbury

What Ben Groundwater has missed in his critique of French coffee is the colonial connection. Former French colonies in Africa and South-East Asia generally grow Robusta beans whereas Arabica is favoured in higher altitudes such as Ethiopia and coffee-growing regions of Latin America. Arabica delivers a much more pleasant taste but the French are acculturated to Robusta and won’t move on. We Australians drink Arabica almost exclusively, except in instant coffee where Robusta blends are used. Lewis Kaplan, Birchgrove

Craft demise

We enjoy our craft beers and often travel the country enjoying the taste of interesting brews, interacting with interesting people and finding local hidden venues to experience. (“Boutique Blues”, August 10). But the bizarrely-notioned “Belly Button Beer”, in which a yeast strain was grown from the naval lint of the brewer, may hold yet another reason for the craft brewer’s demise. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

Anti-alcohol test

What’s all this fuss about Karen Webb handing out gifts of bottles of gin (Letters, August 10)? I was once pulled over by the Northern Territory police for an alcohol test only to be given a stubby holder for not being drunk. Only in the NT!
Tony Lewis, Mount Victoria

We remember them

During the last couple of weekends I’ve been slowly clearing up what most in my family classify as junk and I consider treasure. A mixture of books, records, music mags, love letters and scores of mostly yellowed letter’s pages from the Herald dating back to the 80s. While skimming through these pages I got a bit nostalgic as I noticed quite a few of those then-regular letter writers including a couple who I knew personally are no longer with us. I still miss seeing their missive, name and of course suburb on the page.
Con Vaitsas, Ashbury

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