Post by Kiwi Frontline on Jan 10, 2017 6:23:53 GMT 12
The New Zealand Herald 10/1/17
WHITE MAN’S ISLAND ALSO
David Cooke of Pt Chevalier has gone off half-cocked like so many other correspondents. What he and others have done is to make false allegations about Sir Peter Leitch.
Missing out the last word “also” from Leitch’s sentence completely changes its meaning. Whether Bridger was so much into victimhood that she could not wait for the end of the sentence, or whether she had some other motive based on her tangata whenua hubris is anyone’s guess. Her statement could be interpreted as provocative if not racist.
Perhaps we should have more emphasis on teaching English to our people. To explain the meaning of this exchange (to those who have difficulty with their comprehension of plain English); Bridger’s statement was implying that her birthrights gave her carte-blanche to do what she liked, Leitch’s comment (ending in the word “also”) was a “me too” statement. No offence intended.
H W
Hamilton.
MEANING OF RACISM
Your Weekend Herald editorial certainly does raise some questions. How a person who has minimal descendancy from a certain random immigrant can claim to be indigenous, and other immigrants are not is one question.
Another is how you can state that an indigenous minority claiming special rights and status is not racism, and this does not hurt the majority.
The word democracy comes from the Greek, meaning “people power” and the implication of that is equality.
Many many wars and revolutions have been fought over just this question of privilege and special rights, and yet you state there is no hurt to the majority. Nothing surely is farther from the truth.
G F
Tauranga.
Northland Age 10/1/17
AVARICIOUS IWI
John Key's assurances that Maori exercising their hereditary rights under the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, and to their fisheries' ownership, would not inhibit the freedom of fellow New Zealanders have gone badly astray with the sheer avarice of Ngati Apa, Ngati Kuia and Rangitane o Wairau acting as Te Tau Fisheries and Te Ohu Kaimoana in their opposition to the establishment of national marine parks.
How far can Chris Finlayson stretch the bounds of "full and final settlements"? The legendary tangata whenua's spiritual connection to and protection of our natural resources seems to have been replaced by a more practical taonga, a financial one.
It is to be hoped that these disputes do not disturb the festive season's enjoyment of the former prime minister, who supported Maori fishing rights and the `foreshore' debacle, or Environment Minister Nick Smith, who has to clear them up.
B J
Omokoroa
A CLEAR PATH TO THE FUTURE
The opinion piece that appeared in the Northland Age on Thursday, December 15 was one of the most insightful ever printed in that journal. It should be prescribed reading for every New Zealander. Its author, Casey Costello, provides a clear path for New Zealanders, of whatever background and ethnicity, to take the country forward into the future.
By coincidence, just two days before, a number of Far North District councillors and community board. members attended a workshop at Waitangi to learn about the `special' relationship accorded to our Maori citizens in local government. This is prescribed under the Local Government Act (and others), but actually is not there in the Treaty.
It is generally accepted that it is the Maori version of the Treaty of Waitangi that has the greater relevance. An English translation of that, made by Sir Hugh Kawharu, a former tribunal member, is therefore an impeccable authority. Article the Third: `For this arrangement therefore concerning the Government of Queen, the Queen of England will protect all the ordinary people of New Zealand, will give them the same rights and duties of citizenship as the people of England.' Nothing more and nothing less.
As a nation we are all ill-served by those who would read into the Treaty meanings that don't exist. There are no Treaty "principles" and no "partners". There are clauses (articles) and parties to a contract that bind both equally.
Would that the past could be left behind and we all together boldly face the future, united in a common cause.
S R
Kaikohe
Bay of Plenty Times 10/1/17
LETTERS SCHOLARSHIP A LASTING LEGACY
They are just 16 words but I am very heartened indeed by the words of Tommy Wilson in your article about a scholarship to be created in memory of the late Awanui Black (News, January 7).
The 16 words Tommy uttered are, “We have to go forward, we can’t keep going back and being in grievance mode forever.”
As I look at the huge strides Maori have made since colonisation, to go forward and embrace the modern world makes much more sense than to be forever looking back.
In choosing a scholarship to remember his friend, he is acknowledging that the key to success is in education — as many accomplished Maori have already proven!
The best educational outcomes are the result of parental interest, encouragement and involvement in their child’s achievements, regardless of their economic circumstances.
We can all choose to be as successful as we wish and I applaud Tommy for his enlightened stance on this issue.
R B
Tauranga
WHITE MAN’S ISLAND ALSO
David Cooke of Pt Chevalier has gone off half-cocked like so many other correspondents. What he and others have done is to make false allegations about Sir Peter Leitch.
Missing out the last word “also” from Leitch’s sentence completely changes its meaning. Whether Bridger was so much into victimhood that she could not wait for the end of the sentence, or whether she had some other motive based on her tangata whenua hubris is anyone’s guess. Her statement could be interpreted as provocative if not racist.
Perhaps we should have more emphasis on teaching English to our people. To explain the meaning of this exchange (to those who have difficulty with their comprehension of plain English); Bridger’s statement was implying that her birthrights gave her carte-blanche to do what she liked, Leitch’s comment (ending in the word “also”) was a “me too” statement. No offence intended.
H W
Hamilton.
MEANING OF RACISM
Your Weekend Herald editorial certainly does raise some questions. How a person who has minimal descendancy from a certain random immigrant can claim to be indigenous, and other immigrants are not is one question.
Another is how you can state that an indigenous minority claiming special rights and status is not racism, and this does not hurt the majority.
The word democracy comes from the Greek, meaning “people power” and the implication of that is equality.
Many many wars and revolutions have been fought over just this question of privilege and special rights, and yet you state there is no hurt to the majority. Nothing surely is farther from the truth.
G F
Tauranga.
Northland Age 10/1/17
AVARICIOUS IWI
John Key's assurances that Maori exercising their hereditary rights under the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, and to their fisheries' ownership, would not inhibit the freedom of fellow New Zealanders have gone badly astray with the sheer avarice of Ngati Apa, Ngati Kuia and Rangitane o Wairau acting as Te Tau Fisheries and Te Ohu Kaimoana in their opposition to the establishment of national marine parks.
How far can Chris Finlayson stretch the bounds of "full and final settlements"? The legendary tangata whenua's spiritual connection to and protection of our natural resources seems to have been replaced by a more practical taonga, a financial one.
It is to be hoped that these disputes do not disturb the festive season's enjoyment of the former prime minister, who supported Maori fishing rights and the `foreshore' debacle, or Environment Minister Nick Smith, who has to clear them up.
B J
Omokoroa
A CLEAR PATH TO THE FUTURE
The opinion piece that appeared in the Northland Age on Thursday, December 15 was one of the most insightful ever printed in that journal. It should be prescribed reading for every New Zealander. Its author, Casey Costello, provides a clear path for New Zealanders, of whatever background and ethnicity, to take the country forward into the future.
By coincidence, just two days before, a number of Far North District councillors and community board. members attended a workshop at Waitangi to learn about the `special' relationship accorded to our Maori citizens in local government. This is prescribed under the Local Government Act (and others), but actually is not there in the Treaty.
It is generally accepted that it is the Maori version of the Treaty of Waitangi that has the greater relevance. An English translation of that, made by Sir Hugh Kawharu, a former tribunal member, is therefore an impeccable authority. Article the Third: `For this arrangement therefore concerning the Government of Queen, the Queen of England will protect all the ordinary people of New Zealand, will give them the same rights and duties of citizenship as the people of England.' Nothing more and nothing less.
As a nation we are all ill-served by those who would read into the Treaty meanings that don't exist. There are no Treaty "principles" and no "partners". There are clauses (articles) and parties to a contract that bind both equally.
Would that the past could be left behind and we all together boldly face the future, united in a common cause.
S R
Kaikohe
Bay of Plenty Times 10/1/17
LETTERS SCHOLARSHIP A LASTING LEGACY
They are just 16 words but I am very heartened indeed by the words of Tommy Wilson in your article about a scholarship to be created in memory of the late Awanui Black (News, January 7).
The 16 words Tommy uttered are, “We have to go forward, we can’t keep going back and being in grievance mode forever.”
As I look at the huge strides Maori have made since colonisation, to go forward and embrace the modern world makes much more sense than to be forever looking back.
In choosing a scholarship to remember his friend, he is acknowledging that the key to success is in education — as many accomplished Maori have already proven!
The best educational outcomes are the result of parental interest, encouragement and involvement in their child’s achievements, regardless of their economic circumstances.
We can all choose to be as successful as we wish and I applaud Tommy for his enlightened stance on this issue.
R B
Tauranga