In the flurry of emotionalism surrounding the murder of Adelaide football coach, Phil Walsh, for which his son has been charged, police superintendent Des Bray stood tall.
Pressed by journalists to comment on what they termed was a "high-profile" killing, Bray calmly answered: "It's not even just that he's a high-profile person, it's just absolutely terrible when families are torn apart in such tragic circumstances; for any family, regardless of who it is, this is one of the worst things you could imagine that could happen to you".
In that context it is worth recalling the words of Rosie Batty after her son, Luke, was battered to death by his father: "I want to tell people that family violence happens to anybody no matter how nice your house is, no matter how intelligent you are".
There are lessons to be learnt from all such tragedies (which seem to have manifested in these times of mounting mental health and drug issues) but we cannot expect governments, the courts or any other instrumentality to provide all the solutions.
As Kay Hull said recently about the ice tsunami sweeping the world: "This is everybody's issue; too often members of the community turn the other way and say it's not their business. We cannot just expect police and other services to tackle this issue alone".
Certainly it is time communities and families started leading from the front irrespective of what weak governments and media say or do.
On the latter score, the QandA issue has been a total over-reaction by the Federal Government and the media, notably News Limited publications.
It won't be surprising if PM, Tony Abbott, next appoints his own Minister for Propaganda and Information in the tradition of the world's great dictators. Anyone who contemplates, as he has, appointing a wind farms commissioner to detract attention from his failings is capable of anything.
Abbott's decree that no minister must appear on QandA puts free speech in this nation in grave danger but, on the other hand, it will clearly distinguish the men from the toadies.
My friend Terry put the wind machines issue in context: "What's worse, aesthetically or health-wise, than a coal-fired power station, coal mine or an open cut coal mine?".
