BY KEITH JACKSON

I AM SORRY to pester loyal readers with more Bruce Copeland. But allow me this extra opportunity – since yesterday was a busy day in which I kept trying to make inroads for PNG Attitude that were constantly betrayed by the rest of my life.

And the only PNG stuff I can report (which is not to say it is the only PNG stuff I happened upon) was Copeland stuff.

After I posted yesterday’s missive on the serial spammer and homophobe etc, I (and other members of Attitude who emailed me, if not for publication) expected that Copeland would spit and spat and revile and trash and abuse – since that is the man’s usual manner of dealing with setback.

But this other boot did not drop. I waited all day and the boot did not so much as teeter.

For me, that is, because Copeland continued to oafishly, crudely and persistently defame Dr Clement Malau, PNG’s Secretary for Health, in an outpouring of emails sent to an increasingly unwilling group of recipients.

Indeed, Dame Carol Kidu (is there a more revered politician in PNG), irritated by the treatment of Dr Malau, advised the sad Copeland: “You are very lucky that we are all too busy to take out a defamation case against you.”

Which shows how tolerant this lady is because, busy as I am, I think I could find room (and coin) for a little defamation proceeding.

“You have never directly defamed me (just by innuendo),” Dame Carol remarked graciously, “[but] your defamation of Dr Malau is unacceptable.”

Copeland chose to respond to Dame Carol with his usual incoherent bluster: “Don't let that stop you. But in any defamation case stands the gay/lesbian/paedophile agenda, who started it and who lets it run and why? Dr Malau is in the agenda up to his neck. Never forget that my family was the victim. We will start from there too.”

Copeland, you see, always portrays himself as the victim even when he perpetrates. He does not seem to understand that he has become that which he reviles.

Well, Copeland’s latest disingenuous email flurry was more than enough for Dr Malau, the man who was the subject of my main post yesterday.

“I ask you immediately to take Lady Carol and me off the [email] list right now,” wrote the indignant Secretary for Health. “Failure to do this I will request my lawyers to look at charging you for stalking.

“You also must address Lady Carol respectfully. She is one of our most respected leaders and does not deserve the sort of treatment you have given me and others who have supported PNG in a positive way to address the HIV epidemic.

“Your continued stalking will not do any good to any one. This is my last email to you and expect nothing from me in future.”

Then, and what a gentleman is Dr Malau: “All the best with your endeavours.” I could never bring myself to write that.

If you are with me this far, I will deal with the question of why Copeland is an issue for PNG Attitude.

Two things.

First, because he seeks to trash the reputation of any person who disagrees with him – and he does this in the most crude, defamatory and insulting way. The man seems incapable of reasoned and civilised argument. PNG Attitude dislikes that. Intensely.

Secondly, and more importantly, Copeland preaches snake oil wrapped in hate. If there is a Papua New Guinean taking notice of this man, it is time for this person to pause and reconsider. Copeland is not a doctor or a health professional, he is a zealot. He has no solutions for HIV/AIDS that any respectable health operative will lend their name to. He is a distraction.

Dr Clement Malau represents the voice of reason and hope. Listen to him and his dedicated staff.

In my opinion, the sooner PNG boots out Copeland, the better.

And tomorrow in PNG Attitude, we move on to more savoury things.