I write about a lot of things. Things that make me happy, things that make me angry, things I want to help other people to understand, things that make me sad.
But there is a topic I keep starting and stopping on. Even now, I know nothing I write will cover the scope of the problem or all my thoughts on it.
Reading.
When I write about an issue, I tend to read an awful lot on it first. I hate to present inaccurate information or information I can’t give a source for. So I just don’t. Whether it’s vaccination, politics or whatever- I read. A lot. Things I’ve written, like this, for example, have taken me 6-7 hours to write to ensure I include links and references and to make sure I’m not giving out the incorrect information. Some topics simply require it. So when it comes to the topic of asylum seekers coming to Australia, particularly by boat, there is an awful lot to read.
And read, I have. I have read articles, government policy, information from the UNHCR, Amnesty International and more. I have read numbers and statistics as well as personal accounts. I have looked at photos of what is left of places like Syria. I read and read and when I try to organise all I’ve read into something coherent that I can write about here, I find myself at a loss.
