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Your views: on free speech, Urrbrae gatehouse and Cross Rd

Today, readers comment on censorship and road planning policy.

Jan 14, 2021, updated Jan 14, 2021
Twitter suspended and then banned Donald Trump's account. Photo: Yuri Gripas/Abacapress.com

Twitter suspended and then banned Donald Trump's account. Photo: Yuri Gripas/Abacapress.com

Commenting on the opinion piece: Censorship versus the right to free speech

I would like to thank the writer for this piece – I breathed a sigh of relief.

This recent debate around free speech, where the focus is on rights to spread misinformation and hate over the impact such speech has on the recipients, saddens and angers me.

Our hard won rights matter, but they come with responsibility which seems to rarely be referenced. Diverse views should always be heard, even when (or especially when!) they challenge us, but opinions which have limited proof or a large amount of evidence contradicting them do not deserve to be viewed and widely disseminated as if they are well researched and considered views.

I really struggle to understand how spreading debunked misinformation and hate constitutes free speech and should be permitted without challenge or repercussions – and that includes some of the opinion pieces disguised as news peddled out by some of our more one-sided mainstream media outlets, not just individuals on social media. 

Surely we can have free speech where we can disagree with respect and endeavour to listen to different perspectives so we can learn and grow as individuals and a community? Those who seem to be screaming the loudest right now about free speech seem too often to be those who, whilst wanting their right to say anything whether there is proof or not and be taken seriously, at the same time refuse to listen to anyone else who does not meet their existing view of the world and often resort to insulting, aggressive rhetoric against those who don’t agree with them.

Hate and inciting violence to ridicule and repress different opinions is not free speech and undermines the rights of others. Everyone has rights, including the right to be heard and feel safe, not just the loudest and most opinionated of us. – Yvette van Berkel

Commenting on the story: Uni pursues ‘legal rights’ to stop Urrbrae gatehouse demolition

In response to this story and petitions available, go to MP for Waite Sam Duluk’s website, you can download a hard copy petition.

Petitions must contain original signatures and must be returned to Sam’s office before 30th January so he can table in parliament in February. You can sign up to be a volunteer on Sam Duluk’s website also. 

Please get your family and friends to sign the petition so the Department for Infrastructure and Transport can change the design of the new intersection to save the historic gatehouse and significant trees. – Sarah Brooke

Whenever my family and I drive past the Urrbrae gatehouse, we wonder why there is a need for the widening of the road.

None of us can remember being held up inconveniently at this intersection where lights work well. We do remember promises by Nicolle Flint in the 2019 Boothby election which resulted in this ill-considered project receiving federal Liberal money to support the needless demolition of an historic building.

Can the money be diverted to more urgent infrastructure, saving the historic gatehouse in a win-win resolution?  – Julanne Sweeney

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Transport officials are quoted as saying moving the Urrbrae gatehouse will degrade its heritage value. Less than demolishing it, I think! – Sally Bullock

There is something about the Urrbrae property with its arboretum including the gatehouse that puts it in the category of a “sacred site” for many South Australians, particularly those of us who had the privilege of studying at the Waite campus.

I am sure there are engineers and planners with the skill to redesign this intersection so that traffic flow is improved without the need for site desecration.   

It seems that transport authorities and the Minister are not trying to be other than arrogant. – Tony Cole

Wingard and Marshall together seem deaf to the majority of public requests to rethink their decisions over this, and the cancellation of the V8 Supercar race.

I believe there is considerable public outrage over these two major issues. Come May 2022, state election time, these two pollies are going to find out their political support will vanish, especially Wingard as he is in my electorate. – Trevor Synnett

”It comes as the Opposition accuses the State Government of a secret plan to make Cross Road the main connector for freight from the South Eastern Freeway to the North South Corridor – but the Transport Minister accuses the Opposition of “lying to the community and fear-mongering”.’

If it is so that this is the Opposition lying and fear-mongering, could the Transport Minister please explain why it is that the Federal Liberal member for my area, Ms Nicolle Flint for Boothby, letter dropped us some months back urging us to complain about the fact that Cross Rd was to be utilised as the road for the heaviest traffic. 

It would be interesting to get Ms Flint and the Transport Minister together on this.

Such a beautiful road, potentially, Cross Road. The idea that it is going to be further degraded this way is almost as distressing as the Government’s plans for South Road. Carrying on the tunnel idea so that it includes Cross Road is an obvious option. Make these areas more inhabitable, not less. Cathy Chua

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