Comprised of some of our leading actors – including Bryan Brown, Guy Pearce and Geoffrey Rush – urging our Prime Minister to do all he can to spare Bali 9 duo, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran from the firing squad in Indonesia, this video has been doing the rounds on social media today – and sparking varying degrees of outrage.
Some of the actors who have contributed video messages have kept it straight, stating simply that they “stand for mercy”. And certainly, the intention of the video is above reproach: namely, to save two lives which look otherwise set to be senselessly lost.
But it’s the tone that has rendered this effort a flop. Disrespectful, rude and snide: it ultimately reflects poorly on those who took part in it and does nothing to further the cause for clemency for the Bali pair.
“Tony, if you have any courage and compassion get over to Indonesia and bring these two boys home,” actor Brendan Cowell says in the video.
“Tony,” actor Brendan Cowell says, addressing our PM by his first name and slouching on what appears to be his bed. “If you had any courage or compassion you’d get over to Indonesia and bring these two boys home. Show some balls.”
Now, even if we put aside for one moment the moronic belief that Tony Abbott can save the Bali duo simply by jumping on a plane and appearing on Joko Widodo’s doorstep, Cowell’s sneering tone does more damage than good to the causes of the condemned.
I tell you what, Mr Cowell. Maybe if you showed the office of the Prime Minister a little respect, you might find your message falls on more sympathetic ears from the rest of us out here in the community who are similarly repulsed by the death penalty.
And if you feel so strongly about it, why don’t you get up off that bed and do something about it yourself? Why don’t you catch the next flight to Bali and take up a vigil at the port of Cilicap, near the prison island where Chan and Sukumaran are being held and face imminent execution?
Could it be maybe because any one can sit in their armchair and record a YouTube video – but it takes patience, diplomacy and hard work to effect real political change?
*Earlier this afternoon Cowell apologised for telling the PM to show “some balls” and do more to save Andrew and Myuan.
The actor tweeted: “Apology if we came across desperate or ignorant. Just heart broken.”
