Australia - Something in the water

Something in the water
WITH some diehards still hoping the fluoridisation of domestic water supplies in southeast Queensland early next year will somehow be averted, it is worth remembering what happened when Canberra was fluoridated in 1964. As Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is now aware, fluoride brings out nutters determined to prove it fades your curtains, curdles your cat and turns babies' bones to chalk. In Canberra it was the same, but with feisty Brisbane-based federal Liberal politician Jim Killen leading the anti-fluoride forces. The fight was covered closely in a short-lived tabloid edition of The Australian that Rupert Murdoch had published just for Canberra readers. The day water flowing from the Cotter Reservoir was due to be fluoridated, dozens of protesters chained themselves to the gates and refused to let workers past. "We don't give a bugger," one of the workers drawled. "We did it six months ago."

I'm surprised the Australians are so meek in accepting mass medication.I thought they were more rugged and independent.