UN PEACEKEEPERS ARRIVING

Descending on Darwin for a conference are Australians who have served in UN peace keeping missions around the world . It is an insight into the part played by a small, but influential nation to try and sort out global conflict and help struggling nations to a better future . It is to be hoped that the local media gives these oft neglected heroes the coverage they deserve as they have seen action in many countries and have interesting stories to tell. While this gathering is in progress , the Chief Minister , the Mayor of Darwin, the battalion of armchair generals and freshwater admirals might apologise for the spelling error in the disrespectfully treated Darwin War Memorial, which lists UNITED NATION (sic) PEACEKEEPING when it should be plural, along with other clangers. Before we make political capital claiming that Australia forgot the bombing of Darwin, we should explain to the world how Darwin has allowed gross spelling errors exist for so long , Little Darwin having pointed them out several times in the hope that the embarrassing situation would be rectified. But no. Incidently, Baz Luhrmann's movie, Australia , starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman , in 2008 featured the bombing of Darwin and was said to have had a vast audience which put Darwin on the World Map, according to the Hollywood-hype and local spin . February 19,2012 ( not far off ) is the 70th anniversary of the bombing -it will be a day of shame for Darwin if the errors,including incorrect spelling of two countries, have not been corrected.