How many of us, in our Australianness, forget that we are the product of people smugglers, of war, or at the very least of economic refugees? There is no question of the scale of the current refugee crises. 
Thank you for dedicating a large portion of your News Review to keeping those of us who care informed ("Turning the bitter tide",   September 12-13).
What is sad is that it took one tragic image (that of a little boy on a beach) to move people's consciousness. And what disturbs my understanding of humanity is who or what kind of society would allow a political and cultural indifference to exist unabated for so long, leaving blameless individuals to suffer the unimaginable.
Who are we to judge anyone for the hope of a better life.
Indeed, I would not be writing this if not for my father's courage, who, like so many from the post-World War II era, were torn from their homelands, cultures and families - literally and metaphorically set adrift; their centre of gravity and sense of belonging severed.
The strength of character
they portrayed - valour in the face of oppression, fearlessness to travel halfway around the globe, and inherent work ethic - are
just a few of the qualities I truly admire.
They arrived here and built successful lives with nothing more than just one suitcase of limited possessions and forgettable memories.
Cheryl Koenig Menai