Understandably, there has been much anger around the country following the 20-year sentence handed down by the Indonesian court last week.

However, sadly, over the weekend much of this anger manifested itself into spurious and vengeful hatred, prompting ridiculous claims for the Federal Government to withdraw foreign aid from Indonesia.

Some angry Australians have called for a Bali boycott, while others still have made abusive and threatening calls to the Indonesian embassy.

In arguably the most offensive, spiteful and ridiculous acts of hatred, some people have even contacted major charities demanding that the money they donated to Indonesian tsunami victims be returned.

Even locally, the Salvation Army reported that many Ballarat residents wanted assurances their money, donated through the weekend's Red Cross appeal, would stay in Australia and would not be used in Indonesia.

It was a disturbing trend echoed around the nation.

This whole over-reaction smacks of spite and displays an incredible lack of perspective.

To compare Schapelle Corby's hardships - as serious and as painful as they are - to the worldwide devastation caused by last summer's tsunami which killed more than 150,000 people is selfish and wrong.

And to call for Australian donations to be returned can be regarded as highly offensive.

This immense over-reaction is conducted under the guise of support for Schapelle Corby.

However, any rational analysis of the situation would show that such misplaced and misguided patriotism will serve no good.

No matter how many days of national protest are organised, no matter how many abusive calls are made to the Indonesian embassy, and no matter how many potential tourists boycott Bali - it will not alter the course of Indonesian

justice.

And nor should it.

The courts and judges can only base their decision on the evidence presented before them and not on the emotions, lobbying and rhetoric of the mob mentality.