To Err Is Human...

To a person who has lived a privileged and sheltered life it is difficult to understand the feeling of sheer desperation and helplessness. We've all made stupid mistakes in our lives but some circumstances breed greater consequences for those mistakes. To put your life on the line to traffic drugs is no doubt foolish, to put a price on your life is certainly greedy and shortsighted. But in life we live and learn, we all make our own mistakes and usually we are given the opportunity to pick ourselves up and move on. People who traffic drugs through countries that uphold mandatory death sentences are no doubt foolish, often young and hot blooded. But what pushes them to make such a huge mistake? Are they less sensible than the rest of us?

I think the answer is quite simple, of course they aren't, they are simply more desperate. It is difficult for someone with a privileged lifestyle to understand how anyone could abandon all reason and put their life at such risk, but I think that many people are incapable of understanding what it feels like to be falling deeper and deeper into despair. I, for one, have absolutely no idea. The worst consequences I have ever suffered for my actions are short-term punishments from parents for ridiculous little things, or perhaps that $360 fine and 3 demerit points for running a red light by 3.6 seconds (oops). I refuse to believe that no matter how desperate I could possibly become I would never put myself in so much risk. Like I said, the context of my life means the mistakes I make result in minor consequences.

The Bali 9, Van Nguyen, many of these kids are and were around my age when they made the biggest mistakes of their lives. Yet there are people who feel that some mistakes do not deserve a reprieve, that some acts of foolishness carry a higher price than a human life.

I guess this is a good opportunity to tell you about one of my first serious involvements which was December 2006 working with the Reach Out Campaign as volunteer. Nguyen Tuong Van was convicted of drug trafficking by the Singaporean High Court and sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out 6:07 am 2 December 2005. Australian barristers Lex Lasry and Julian McMahon worked tirelessly in support of Van throughout much of his appeal process. Australian's rallied behind Van and showed their support through the Reach Out Campaign by tracing their hands on a piece of paper, similar to a gesture Van himself made to his mother, Kim. The campaign, started by two of Van's close friends, Kelly Ng and Bronii Lew, created a focus point for an incredible amount of support for Van to flow into. Tens of thousands of traced hands reached out to Van at a time when not even his mother was allowed close enough to hold him. The hands were then displayed on the lawns at the State Library in Melbourne which created even more local support and drew international interest.

In December 2006, the campaign was restarted in commemoration of the 1 year anniversary of Van's execution and to remind people that Australia is a nation that stands firmly opposed to capital punishment. Here are some photos and videos from the event.












The day ended up being an incredible experience and we achieved a lot in a short amount of time. Perhaps this year they will even be displayed again.

Thanks for reading.

Quote of the day:

"...this man has completely rehabilitated, this man has completely reformed, now they're goin' to kill him."

- Julian McMahon