(300 words version)
After the smoking ban in Queens Street Mall last April 2010, smokers said they will be made to feel like “social outcasts” under a new ban of the habit.
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman today announced a total ban on smoking at the site after a council survey found overwhelming public support for the move.
Smokers who continue to light up in the mall will face a $200 on-the-spot fine.
Catherine White , 23, said that the ban made her feel like an outcast as a smoker.
“It’s not like we’re smoking indoors,” she said. “I’m sure most smokers are considerate to not smoking too close to children or non-smokers.”
Ms White, who works in the Myer Centre, said the ban would force her to walk outside the mall where there was little shaded seating.
“I only get a 15-minute lunch break usually … and this will mean I will have even less time to sit down and relax,” she said.
“It would have been fairer to give us the option to smoke in the mall in an appropriate designated area.”
Under the new law, a three-step process would apply with council officers asking smokers to put out their cigarette, before giving a warning and then issuing a fine.
“People will not automatically be fined. They will always be asked to move on, put the cigarette out … before any fine is issued,” Cr Newman told Brisbane Times.
The ban will be enforced by council officers, although Queensland Police will also have the authority to issue fines.
Ratepayers were asked to vote for their preferred option – an entire ban, or partial ban – earlier this year.
Cr Newman dismissed suggestions the ban would be extended across the CBD, saying the habit was not illegal.
“Smoking isn’t illegal. Until such time as smoking is illegal I believe that measures like this one … are the appropriate thing to do,” he said.
READING EXERCISE
Talk to people on you campus and in your community about what they read or don’t read in the campus or local newspaper and what kinds of stories they would like to see in the newspaper.
People have a different characteristic and idea, and as 22 years old student, Nita Mascle is quite young to have a thought that the most interesting news that interested her is something that related to politics.
Things become make sense when she said politic is her concentration in her school at Griffith University. Her major is politic science, and no wonder she have somewhat curiosity in the political issue.
Different with Peter Brown (27), he more interest in reading local news. In general, he likes to read something criminal news in Brisbane.
“Beside it’s interesting to read, I think it also have a role to make the local citizen increase their awareness with the criminal issue in Brisbane and warning to those who might consider doing something bad,” he said.
Localize a news story on a national issue.
-DISCRIMINATION OVER INDIGENOUS PEOPLE-
Friday, 6th of November 2010, an Aborigin teenager, named Boche Satrick willed to be interviewed about the experiences of discriminaton in his school.
This 17 year old boy who studied in St. Peters Lutheran College said, “When I first came to this college, I often being judged and treated differently,” he said. “I felt not comfortable with the way they stared at me.”
Bosche said that sometimes he treated unequally, being judged, being treated differently, and not getting equal opportunities or access because he is an Indigenous.
“Sometimes the visibility of the skin colour influencing the discrimnation issue,” he said.
Some darker skinned were suffered worse discrimination because of their colouring rather than someone who have a lighter skinned colour.
Even though it is believable that white people have approached Indigenouss people with good intentions, they have failed to realise that the Indigenous people face separate realities to those of their own.
“Many students in school have failed to acknowledge the Indigenous people’s loyalty to one another as a family group or community,” he said.
“They would not understand that their group members could never hang their people in a white’ racist society.”
The high levels of violence regarding Australia’s Indigenous people have been complicated and effected by colonialisation and continuous racism.
Fortunately, since he was joined the rugby team, he finally made a lot of friends and people started to respected him.
“I didn’t give up, I wanted to show them that I am more than they think, and I proved it,” he said.
“I don’t want my whole life is being discriminated. I want to live my life happily.”
-Ends-
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