For everyone’s sake wear a mask Think like a Christian

On Sunday January 31 the UK newspaper, The Guardian, published a piece by an NHS consultant anesthetist working with COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

The consultant wrote about intubating two women - one aged 42, the other 35 - who each face-timed their children before the procedure.

They gasped for breath and said ‘I love you', possibly for the last time.

Meanwhile, some in our community seem wholly uncommitted to protecting and preserving what we have worked so hard to achieve in Victoria.

Perhaps it's ignorance, and a misguided sense that ‘those things would never happen here.'

Perhaps it's fatigue, or apathy or rebellion. Whatever their motivation, the people who choose to shop in our local supermarkets without wearing a mask should read these types of stories from overseas, and reconsider.

For the sake of everyone around you, wear a mask.

Catherine Deans, Warragul

Honour invaluable role

Australia’s national servicemen, affectionately known as Nashos, played a unique and invaluable role in serving our country and each year on February 14 we honour them on National Servicemen’s Day.

Throughout history, Australia has had four periods of compulsory national service, most recently between 1951–1959 and 1964–1972, with more than 280,000 national servicemen serving since the Second World War.

Under the National Service Act 1951, all men turning 18 on or after November 1, 1950 were required to undertake 176 days standard recruit training in the Navy, Army or Air Force, followed by five years in their respective Reserves. Intake was cut back in 1957 and a birthday ballot was introduced to decide who would be selected.

National service was re-introduced in 1964 as concerns grew about the security of Australia due toconflicts in nearby regions and more than 60,000 ‘Nashos’ would serve between then and 1972.

Men who turned 20 years of age were required to register and were chosen for service through a birthday ballot held twice a year. Of those called to serve, more than 15,000 served in the Vietnam War, where some 200 lost their lives and more than 1200 were wounded.

Two national servicemen also died while serving in Borneo in 1966.

As a nation we should always remember the service and sacrifice of our Nashos. The Australian War Memorial will honour our Nashos through the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial on February 14 with a representative from the National Servicemen's Association of Australia layinga wreath.

I encourage all those in the community to learn more about the National Service Scheme of 1964 by visiting the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Anzac Portal — https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au.

On National Servicemen’s Day we say thank you for your service to all our Nashos and remember their service and sacrifice.

Lest we forget.

Darren Chester, Veterans’ Affairs Minister

For a professing Christian, Marc Schellekens displays, in his letter (Gaz 2/2) few of the values his religion espouses.

His diatribe consists largely of hateful and insulting language, and makes one wonder how genuine he is in his commitment to his religion.

He also makes the mistake of assuming that everyone has had the ‘benefit' of attending Sunday School where, apparently, messages and instructions from the big man in the sky are delivered to the young and innocent.

Nor do we all have the advantage of the hotline to ‘God' that Marc obviously has, and have to rely on rational and fundamentally reasonable thought and values when considering matters such as the dispossession of their land of First Nation peoples.

Think more like a Christian, Marc, and allow people to have views different from yours without being subject to abuse and insult.

Alan Bright, Neerim South