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The fresh young reporter, back from the scene of the accident, recounted breathlessly what he'd seen and how the collision had occurred.
The white car, he insisted, had taken the bend too fast, over-corrected and collided with the red car.
"How do you know this is what happened?" I asked. "Did you see it?"
"No. One of the cops at the scene told me."
"So he was there? He saw it happen?"
"Um, no." The lightbulb came on.
It was a pretty basic lesson in separating supposition from fact. The known facts: two cars had collided, people were injured, the highway was blocked for a couple of hours. The supposition - the driver of the white car was at fault - had no place in the story.
We saw similar but much more damaging breathlessness last week in the initial reporting of the hospital blast at the hospital in Gaza. Headlines flashed around the world proclaiming hundreds had been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the hospital. Blame was apportioned based on an early statement from a Palestinian official. Outrage was instant and protestors poured onto the streets of cities around the world.
The known fact was horrific and undeniable. Hundreds had died in a fireball which engulfed the hospital car park where people had sought safety. But the supposition - that an Israeli airstrike was to blame - has since been vigorously contested. And the reality is we don't know - indeed, might never know - who was responsible.
The rush to be first with the news, to offer analysis in the absence of proven fact, carries the enormous risk of being wrong, especially when it comes to war reporting.
There was another example of this in September from that other war, which has slipped from front of mind. The finger of blame for a missile strike on a market in the Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka which killed 16 people was initially pointed at Russia. But later analysis of the video which captured the carnage strongly suggests it was an errant Ukrainian missile. In the milliseconds before it slammed into the market its shadow moved from the direction of Ukraine, not Russia.
It's not only those reporting the war who need to pause for breath. Our politicians do, too.
The point-scoring seized upon by the Coalition when Labor cabinet minister Ed Husic dared to say he felt Palestinian civilians were being collectively punished by Israel for the barbarism of Hamas was grubby politics.
Husic, the first cabinet member of Islamic faith, was speaking from the heart. Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who accused the government of being divided over the conflict, was speaking from political calculus, demonstrating no tragedy, no matter its scale, is immune from being turned to domestic advantage in the cheapest possible way.
For all the falsehoods, claims and counter-claims, one stark fact can be distilled from the fog of war. It's the innocent who suffer the most, whether they're the children of the kibbutz or the crowded alleyways of Gaza, where 2.1 million souls live in an area half the size of Hobart.
The over-arching atrocity always is war itself.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Is it possible to know the truth in times of war? Should we take sides in the Israel-Hamas war? Are Palestinians being collectively punished for the actions of Hamas? Or is Israel justified in taking whatever actions it deems necessary after the Hamas-led massacres? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Some women escaping domestic violence are forced to live with missing teeth for upwards of three years because of barriers to affordable dental care. A Senate committee into the provision and access of dental services has heard Australia has one of the worst rates of tooth loss when compared to other developed countries.
- Separating families will have an easier time navigating the legal system after changes simplifying the family law system passed Federal Parliament. The new laws, which went through Parliament on Thursday, will also make custody arrangements safer for children with their best interests being upheld.
- The world's largest online retailer is ramping up its drone program, with Amazon revealing plans to fly goods to suburban backyards in America, the United Kingdom and Italy. And the Australian aerospace veteran in charge of its drone program says he is committed to seeing flying deliveries expand Down Under, even though they are yet to be added to the company's launch schedule.
THEY SAID IT: "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Winston Churchill
YOU SAID IT: Attending a KISS concert to mark his 60th birthday, Garry monetarily rediscovered the joy of youth.
"You're complaining about reaching 60?" writes Bob. "For me, it was 70. Seventy is the start of the 80 +/- 10 age when most of us fall off our perches. When waking up in the morning is a plus, and getting vertical is a bonus. Enjoy what time you have left. Our life is nothing but a brief flash of light between two eternal walls of darkness. How bright that light shines is up to each of us."
Leigh writes: "With a little luck life is as good as you want it to be. Decide to be happy and work at it. Not always easy but worth it. This 86-year-old is enjoying a contentment as good as, if not better, any other decade, and her partner of 95 finds life very pleasant even while the body doesn't always co-operate."
"Get over it, Garry," urges Oliver. "Wait until you get your OBE (Over Bloody Eighty). That will make you think."
Jerry writes: "Old rock stars performing their classic hits for their lifelong fans creates amazing positive energy!"
"Loved your KISS story," writes Emile. "It neatly encapsulates everything wrong with getting old (I'm 77 in a couple of weeks). Back when I was 60, a wise friend counselled me that the difference between ageing and getting old is that ageing is defined by natural and inevitable change, while getting old is defined by the things you give up. The more you give up, the older you are - and I can attest to that, looking back at a life filled with risky adventurous stuff (racing cars, offshore sailing, womanising and so on) and comparing it to the waiting game I endure these days as I anticipate my ending (with more relish than might be healthy)."
Cass writes: "Your anecdote reminded me of when my partner and I flew to Darwin to see Midnight Oil, on their reunion tour, at the Botanic Gardens Amphitheatre, six or seven years ago. It was great, full of teenagers who were all aged north of 40. Last year, I turned 60 but, for me, age is a state of mind. I accept the accumulation of life's experiences as a benefit, not a burden. I realise I am fortunate to be at this point, so I try to celebrate life by living it in a positive manner. Every day on top of the ground is better than the alternative."
"I was supposed to have significant milestone on January 27," writes Christine. "I left Los Angeles on the 26th and arrived in Melbourne on the 28th. Hence no milestone! I may do the same next year and never get any older!"
Ian writes: "My father died at 60 of lung cancer, and he also had heart disease and numerous other ailments. As I sailed past that age I congratulated myself on living better and wiser than he did, and basked in the glow of everyone saying how good I looked. Then I had a heart attack. I thought, bugger, what'd I do wrong? It turned out my coronary arteries had been deformed by a childhood disease, but also my lifestyle wasn't as good as I thought it was. They said exercise was the key, so I resumed my previous high intensity exercise regime. Three hospital visits later I worked out that wasn't the right approach, long term damage and all that. At 67 I'm much more sedate now, but still kid myself if I just get my diet and exercise regime right, I can return to the 30-year-old sculpted physique I never had. Similarly, at 98 my mother kept saying that if the nursing home would just give her enough of the right physiotherapy, she'd be able to return home and live independently."