Society/Culture Tracy Connelly was brutally murdered in her home...

[Kynge of Begrem]

she came out the other side. touch wood

Reading her story gve me a little hope for my ex. But only a little

 

[chargers 09]

i remember you posting about her and it was heavy indeed.

it's a bad downward spiral and it's heroin which is the big killer. even when it's not directly, it is what keeps most of the girls on the streets. i remember nicky (from post above) telling me she spent about $200 a day on it. she pretty much said 'how else is a 35 year old with no skills, no education past year ten, and hardly any work experience gonna get that sort of money, plus food, plus rent, plus paying tax?'

the common theme was turning to the streets to make some quick cash. from memory it was often related to needing to pay off a gambling debt of some description. the standard line was something like "i just needed to make a few grand quick so i thought i could do this for a month or so". the first addiction was to the cash (often making $400-$500 a day tax free, which at 5 days a week is equivalent to about $180k salary*), then turning to drugs to escape the reality of what they are doing, and thus the spiral began.

the reality is getting off heroin is not easy. put simply it's the most incredible feeling one can imagine. the way it takes away any feelings of angst is incredible. during my st kilda period me a few mates dabbled. never injected, just snorting. i was never in a position where i felt i needed to escape reality, i was just doing it for a bit of experimentation at the end of night out, or to take me away from a (usually) brutal hangover. but even for us, who i would put in the low risk (relatively speaking) category, what started as a once every month or so thing, over the course of about nine months became a weekly thing until we cut it off before it really escalated.

i can only imagine the lure it has to someone who is in actual desperate need of escape, injecting, and whose tolerance levels would go well above the ~$50 a hit we were paying.

sorry if this cuts a bit close to the bone, but just relating my own experiences. wasn't really thread related which was about the media portrayal of different victims.

*EDIT: When i was re-reading this post and then read another one a few down i realised i might be implying that this is the sort of cash that these girls are earning over a year but it's nothing of the sort.

over the short term they can earn that sort of cash daily and even for extended periods (multiple months) but the general drudgery and depression of the whole things means that the income is very inconsistent and a lot of them would go similarly lengthy periods with little or no work to try and get away form it, however it goes without saying the cost of the drug habit didn't dry up which meant in time they would have to turn back once they burnt through whatever cash they had saved up.

it was such an incredibly vicious cycle.

Very insightful mate, I take it you no longer live in St. Kilda?

 

[The Passenger]

Very insightful mate, I take it you no longer live in St. Kilda?

nah mate moved back to sydney a couple of years ago. would like to move back to melbourne but every time i much prefer the winters up here plus all the boys i footy with. i try and get away most summers for a month or two.

 

[Kynge of Begrem]

12 months on and no arrests.

 

[blunt_tiger]

How many of these street workers have STD's you think?

Shame no one has solved the tracy case.

 

[Max zero]

All deaths are tragic. Are we to have a memorial march for every person that is murdered?

There was what 250 odd murders last year in Australia? I would argue the vast majority of those didn't receive the 'Jill Meagher treatment' either.

I'm just wondering what your point is? That some murders sell more papers then others? I agree 100%. That it's unfair? I agree 100%.

The Jill Meagher murder was the outlier. If you compare the publicity it received to pretty every other murder from that year you are going to see a discrepancy.

 

[Play by Numbers]

live by the sword die by the sword?

Otherwise, I'm not sure why you are surprised it isn't still headline news.

What the ****

 

[The Coup]

yes, I know what the literal meaning is.

I mean in it in the context of working in a high income but dangerous industry can lead to these outcomes.

I would have thought that would be fairly obvious, I'm not suggesting she deserved it.

That isn't what 'live by the sword die by the sword ' means.

It means if you make a living killing other people, or through violence, then you will die violent"

This is a woman who died violent without being violent herself. It's a complete misuse of the saying.

 

[Cap]

That isn't what 'live by the sword die by the sword ' means.

It means if you make a living killing other people, or through violence, then you will die violent"

This is a woman who died violent without being violent herself. It's a complete misuse of the saying.

Sigh. This was ages ago.

Leave the thread to be what the op intended.

 

[The Coup]

Its just as wrong now as it was then though. Cool thing about the internet.

 

[The Passenger]

Funny this thread was bumped then a day later I read this article about Grey Street in St Kilda

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...he-world-of-prostitution-im-lucky-i-can-leave

 

[Max zero]

Funny this thread was bumped then a day later I read this article about Grey Street in St Kilda

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...he-world-of-prostitution-im-lucky-i-can-leave

Opened her eyes? So she watches the prostitutes and the homeless guys and what exactly? Feels bad about it?

Did she think prostitutions, homelessness and drug addiction were glamorous?

Or is this just like the OP of this thread with no actual purpose expect to say bad things happen and thats bad?

 

[Kynge of Begrem]

Opened her eyes? So she watches the prostitutes and the homeless guys and what exactly? Feels bad about it?

Did she think prostitutions, homelessness and drug addiction were glamorous?

Or is this just like the OP of this thread with no actual purpose expect to say bad things happen and thats bad?

For christs sake, just because the article is written by a woman and discusses her feelings, and her concerns about her safety, you have to get your panties in a bunch?

 

[mottrain]

For christs sake, just because the article is written by a woman and discusses her feelings, and her concerns about her safety, you have to get your panties in a bunch?

Does that make his comments any less valid or rational?

 

[Floor Pie]

Opened her eyes? So she watches the prostitutes and the homeless guys and what exactly? Feels bad about it?

Did she think prostitutions, homelessness and drug addiction were glamorous?

Or is this just like the OP of this thread with no actual purpose expect to say bad things happen and thats bad?

I think the story was about just how bad it is. Rather than how it isn't glamorous.

We have become immune to the situation, because it's so common, that we've forgotten just how bad it really is.

Did you enjoy reading it? I thought it was interesting.

 

[Max zero]

I think the story was about just how bad it is. Rather than how it isn't glamorous.

We have become immune to the situation, because it's so common, that we've forgotten just how bad it really is.

Did you enjoy reading it? I thought it was interesting.

I didn't actually. I try to be as realistic as possible with how I approach life.

I suppose if you lived in a bubble then actually seeing reality as how it actually is might be confronting.

 

[Floor Pie]

I didn't actually. I try to be as realistic as possible with how I approach life.

I suppose if you lived in a bubble then actually seeing reality as how it actually is might be confronting.

Enjoy was a poor term, I added it to avoid the possible confrontation of asking "did you read it?".

Apart from that... What?

 

[GWSP]

I think the author's angst is misguided. It was the feminist mafia that was the main driver for the reaction to the sad death of Jill Meagher.

And the fact Jill was very easy on the eye. People always show more emotional outpouring for good looking people over people with average mugs.

 

[Max zero]

Enjoy was a poor term, I added it to avoid the possible confrontation of asking "did you read it?".

Apart from that... What?

I have never been a fan of this kind of stream of consciousness kind of article.

It does not offer solutions just reminding us that prostitution, drug abuse and homelessness are bad.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Run n Spread]

This was very sad. After watching the special on Australian Story it finally convinced me that drugs should be legal. Fact is people for whatever reason are always going to take them/seek to get high/escape whatever circumstance in life. If Tracey had of been able to pay $10 a week instead of $1000+ she wouldn't have had to resort to a job she by all reports hated and wouldn't have been crimanalised. To that extent by not existing outside the law she may have been able to keep a support structure and myabe been able to get off the gear. Just sad all round.

 

[Floor Pie]

I have never been a fan of this kind of stream of consciousness kind of article.

It does not offer solutions just reminding us that prostitution, drug abuse and homelessness are bad.

Thanks for the heads up.

You would prefer if it wasn't written, perhaps?

How did you get your knowledge of prostitution? How should others?

I don't understand your attitude towards it... you seem inconvenienced by it.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

It was merely a question of why this lady isn't headline news compared to the other lady.

If you asked the average person, I'm fairly certain their answer would resemble my comment, that is they would imply that the she would have known her job was dangerous.

But hey, lets all say warm fuzzy things that make us feel better.

i would argue that the reason this woman isn't front page news is the same reason that over 253 people were murdered in the country in 2007 alone and the vast majority are never mentioned.

Jill worked for a news outlet and thus the community had a connection with her.
too be rather callous it was simply the perfect storm, friends in the media providing ample outlet of emotion, people have familiarity with her due to seeing her on the tele and the fact that she was killed in a public place.

It's a media outlets version of an orgasm.

The fact is the vast majority of people lie to themselves as well as each other, the reason this tracy woman isn't on the front page has nothing to do with danger of her job. Its because just like when you see a 30 year old flipping burgers they look down on the person.

a Prostitute? a street walker at that? much like homeless people society views them as lesser people. People don't like to admit they are campaigner's so they invent reasons why they are unmoved rather than outraged.

Deep down the reason why less people care is similar to how millions of aussies will gladly piss away money to world vision for kid's in Africa, yet will walk past a homeless guy at the train station and tell him to get a job.

the truth is they don't want to admit it, but their reaction is "meh shes just a whore" the fact is people are campaigners and society decides right from wrong. for the majority of the 20th century prostitutes and drug addicts have been outcasts living on societies fringes. as such, people just don't care.

There's no reason other than it being ok by societies standards not to care about prostitutes. In short people are campaigner's.

 

[Max zero]

You would prefer if it wasn't written, perhaps?

How did you get your knowledge of prostitution? How should others?

I don't understand your attitude towards it... you seem inconvenienced by it.

I got the feeling the article was not written for an audience but simply for the authors own concience.

Did you need someone to tell you that those situations were bad thing or did you manage to figure it out on your own?

To me it's just an empty piece bemoaning something anyone with half a brain should already know.

Just an empty gesture to say you care without doing anything at all. No wonder some find it appealing.

 

[Kynge of Begrem]

I got the feeling the article was not written for an audience but simply for the authors own concience.

Did you need someone to tell you that those situations were bad thing or did you manage to figure it out on your own?

To me it's just an empty piece bemoaning something anyone with half a brain should already know.

Just an empty gesture to say you care without doing anything at all. No wonder some find it appealing.

Gees, you must make pleasant company.

 

[Max zero]

Gees, you must make pleasant company.

If mean by being pleasant you mean fake concern and posturing then if rather be unpleasant.

If you actually met me you might be surprised.