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— Press Release —
for publication 1030 hrs (am), Wednesday 8
September, 2004
By: Stewart K.
Beattie
author of,
·
A Gunsmith’s
Notebook on Port Arthur;
self pub, April 2002
Contact
details: 32 Brunskill Road,
Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2650
Phone: (02) 6922 3397
E-mail:
phineas7@bigpond.com
Subject:
“Tasmania Police training video” or “The Video Overboard
Affair”
Statement by Mr
Stewart Beattie:
“This "Tasmania Police
Training Video affair" was not instituted by myself, or indeed
any of my acquaintances or friends. None of the people I know
and respect and whom I correspond with, instituted this
controversy. Someone obviously produced the tape originally, and
it found its way into our hands.
“In spite of the
intimidatory and threatening actions on the part of persons in
authority in the Southern Island State, alleging some breach of
law on my part, I believe their actions defame my good name, as I
have done no wrong.
“In 1933 a dictator came
to power in Europe; he burned books. In 2004 here in Australia,
agents of the State intend to destroy evidence of a crime/crimes
- a video tape.
“In the shadow of that
awful massacre at Port Arthur in April 1996, and on to around
October of 1998, the State instituted a national confiscation and
destruction by fire and crushing people’s private property, their
means of self defence, their long arms.
“From 1st October, 2003,
in New South Wales at least, the State began the destruction of
private property in the form of hand guns. On Sunday, the 11th
January 2004, I myself witnessed the crushing crew’s arrival, in
their shiny new cars who set up their caravan of vehicles at the
Wagga Pistol Club. There they confiscated and destroyed those
models of handguns the State deemed “prohibited”.
“In Beslan, Russia there
has been this very weekend last, possibly one of the most
horrific single incident massacres of people in the world in
modern times. The Russian security forces are receiving much
criticism for the huge loss of life.
“But I’m caused to ponder
did the Tasmania authorities have anything to do with training
those forces? After all, at Seascape the command of the Tasmania
Police SOG and those under his command saw
all the hostages
die: 100 percent of the hostages died in that debacle!
“So, in the name of The
State, and beginning in 1996 they came for our long arms.
“In 2003-2004 they came
for our hand guns.
“On 8 September of 2004
they came for my legally obtained and privately own video tape.
“Whose door will they
knock on tomorrow, and what shall they come for?
“People of Australia have
been officially warned recently to be alert but not alarmed. I
am now firmly of the opinion this message from the halls of power
in Canberra is entirely inappropriate.
“I believe the people of
this nation should be shaken from their slumber by the events
that have occurred today outside my modest home in Wagga, for we
should all be alarmed and alert to the fact we are fast losing
all those cherished freedoms that are our heritage, that young
Australians apparently fought and died for in vain on the
battlefields of conflicts in all those theatres of war for more
that 80 years…
“Wake up Australia, this
is real, and it should be a lesson to you all!” |
