And so this is Christmas

'Happy Christmas (War is Over)'

by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

So this is Christmas,

And what have you done?

Another year over,

And a new one just begun.

And so this is Christmas,

I hope you have fun.

The near and the dear ones,

The old and the young.

A very merry Christmas,

And a happy New Year.

Let's hope it's a good one,

Without any fear.

And so this is Christmas,

For weak and for strong.

For rich and the poor ones,

The road is so long.

And so happy Christmas,

For black and for white,

For yellow and red ones,

Let's stop all the fight.

... you know the rest

Lyrics have a way of finding a way into our brains. Whether they give us a moment of philosophical wisdom or a lighthearted escape from a less than perfect day, they play a huge part in our lives. But do we really know what the lyrics mean?

The above lyrics, by the dramatic duo John Lennon and Yoko Ono, always makes me think about the more solemn aspect of Christmas. Apart from this song being played on television as a most heart-wrenching TAC commercial, it expresses the reality of how harsh life can be for some. Whilst Christmas IS a time for presents and parties, fun and festivities, love and laughter, and peace and goodwill to all, it's also about so much more.

Lennon also wrote in the song that 'the world is wrong' and Christmas can also be seen as: a reminder of the loss of loved ones; road tolls caused by alcohol, speed, and/or fatigue; city brawls; poor and homeless people, in particular children; war - civil and international; road rage and carpark rage; assassinations; Kenya's tribe massacre; in Australia, the threat of our Summer dragons (bushfires); Darfur; Boxing Day tsunami; innocent dead Iraqi civilians; feelings of loneliness ... the list could be endless.

And yes, whilst most of these events can, and do, occur all-year-round, it is never more stark than at Christmas time - the only time of the year when most give, and the only time of the year when most are on holidays. Therefore, the stark contrasts are so much more obvious.

This Christmas, I can't stop thinking about David Hicks in particular - as another shameful chapter in Australia's history closes. Six years to the month since his capture by Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay, David Hicks has now re-entered Australian society, albeit with an imposed interim control order - and as a forerunner to a failed Howard election campaign.

David Hicks is not a hero, and his life is not heroic. His name did not become noteworthy because of what he did but because of what was done to him. All Australians would not agree with Hicks' life choices, and on the flipside, most (?) Australians would not agree with the shoddy justice that was dealt Hicks' way - most importantly, losing his basic legal right to the presumption of innocence. In Australia and America, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Further, Hicks was denied habeas corpus - the right to petition a court for the State to show just cause for one's imprisonment.

The Australian Government failed at one of the most basic democratic levels, which is to ensure that all accused promptly receive a fair trial in a properly constituted court, whatever the circumstances. Hopefully now that Hicks is 'free (!)', the media will leave him alone, just as the Howard Government left him alone whilst he whiled away in solitary confinement!

An after-thought: sorry if any of you find my blogspot too intense, too dark, or too deep for a blogspot - or even too female, as not many of my male friends leave comments! - but it's my way of sharing my inner thoughts and enabling discussion amongst friends about the topics of the world and beyond. It's just that this blog really gets me thinking, and hence, gets me writing. And yes, I LOVE everyone's comments and appreciate your opinions - and I know not all will agree with this post. I promise to publish a more fun-spirited Christmas/New Year entry with a myriad of pictures - especially now that I have my digital camera!