Aussie twaddle
From Mrs E. Rawlence Sir: As a fellow Australian I can only deplore the extent to which Michael Duffy ('Grief is good in Australia', 26 October), and many in the Australian media, are infected with political correctness.
The memorial service in the Coogee stadium was, he tells us, 'a very Australian experience', with the opening words taken from Lennon's ubiquitous twaddle 'Imagine'. (not very Australian). Duffy conveys his pleasure that no mention was made of nationalism or, even better, religion. Mr Duffy is perhaps unaware that there were many memorial services all over the country where religion and even — help! — Oz flags were in evidence as in the main churches and cathedrals.
Mr Duffy should remove his suburban blinkers for a moment and realise that a group of young people in Coogee attending a service of which John Lennon would have approved hardly reflects the nation as a whole. In fact. if Mr Duffy had dug deeper, he would have found much of the population still subscribing to 'a set of state and religious beliefs' which they still find relevant.
Eileen Rawfence
London SW10
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