Post by Kiwi Frontline on Feb 6, 2017 6:16:30 GMT 12
The New Zealand Herald 6/2/17
MARVELLY OPINION UNHELPFUL
Lizzie Marvelly’s opinion on Waitangi Day is a naive and inflammatory viewpoint that will not at all help us achieve our goal of relegating racism to the past. To the contrary, her article is likely to alienate non-Maori New Zealanders.
Writing positively about Maori culture is to be welcomed. Writing a piece that is likely to make New Zealanders of non-Maori descent feel insecure about their cultural identity is not.
The idea we need to agree collectively on what it means to be non-Maori New Zealanders is wrong. We all bring our own cultural identity to this country whether we are of Maori, European, Asian, Pacific Island or any other descent.
I enjoy living in a beautiful country surrounded by many different cultures, especially the rich Maori culture. This doesn’t mean I need to identify with any of them, or borrow aspects of any of them, to feel comfortable with my own cultural identity.
Lizzie’s article focuses exclusively on the negative aspects of non-Maori culture (racism, perceived identity crisis, limited exposure to Maori culture), ignores all other cultures, and is more likely to help divide rather than unite our futures.
PHILIP COOP,
Mission Bay.
.
CHAOS KEEPS WAITANGI STUCK IN PAST
On Waitangi Day last year I picked some English friends up after their long flight from London. To unwind I suggested a walk along a beach. Long Bay was the destination and my friends were amazed and delighted at the sight and sounds of many ages and cultures all enjoying what looked like a mini snapshot of a New Zealand summer’s day. My husband joined in with a game of soccer being played by a family group from Iran.
The following day they read about the dissension in Waitangi in our newspaper. I found it hard to explain to them why this was happening. In a world facing such an uncertain future surely now is the time to celebrate diversity and our good fortune to live in such beautiful country and move forward.
I have a baby grandson being brought up in the USA. I feel concerned about his future and so do his parents. Barack Obama, when asked what advice he gave to his daughters about their future, stated simply “be useful and be kind”. The small minority who disrupt Waitangi weekend “celebrations” do not possess either of these qualities.
FRAN JONES,
Waiake.
.
MAORI LANGUAGE PUSH
The Greens and Labour parties suggest the Maori language become a compulsory school subject no doubt in an endeavour to secure the Maori vote. This is likely to alienate them from the mainstream where elections are won and lost.
Evidence already suggests many students fail with reading, writing and spelling skills. Maybe more time is devoted to teaching "English" instead.
P. J.EDMONDSON,
Tauranga.
.
TIME TO MOVE WAITANGI EVENT
The time has come for the Government to celebrate Waitangi Day somewhere other than Waitangi.
Again today, there is a huha about the "celebrations" and trying to charge TVNZ $10,000 just to film the celebrations.
This is no longer a celebration, but an occasion where radical Maori seem to come out of the woodwork and try to make a name for themselves. Abusing Government officials, rudeness, ridiculous demands ... they have to stop.
The easiest way is to celebrate this famous day somewhere neutral away from the idiots who want to make this day about themselves and not about the formation of a new country.
TRISH HEIKOOP,
Pakuranga
.
MARAE COVERAGE BLACKOUT
Pray that Te Tii Marae maintains their media blackout; it will save us all from being bored witless.
MARK SHLECK,
Remuera.
.
Wanganui Chronicle 6/2/17
TRUTH ON TREATY
It is way past time we stopped feuding among ourselves and stood together as a nation.
The latest hi-jinks at Waitangi, where the media was to be charged to broadcast our socalled “National Day”, shows how far we have moved away from each other.
Potonga’s and others’ letters in this paper also illustrate how divided we have become and how each of us is distorting/ massaging history.
It is not surprising when Maori activists/iwi can pocket millions of dollars via the Waitangi Tribunal.
New Zealand has only been an independent nation since November 1947, and before that we were a colony of Britain, which could make whatever changes it wanted to our constitution. The Treaty of Waitangi did not make us a nation, it just made us a colony subject to British law.
Anyone, including Maori, who has a problem with anything that happened before November 26, 1947, should take a case against Britain. It would be much better if all Kiwis united to get just reparations from Britain rather than fighting among ourselves.
Let’s correct Norman Kirk’s mistake and make November 26 New Zealand Day.
Where did I get this idea? Well, a great part of the inspiration was the new Prime Minister’s 2002 speech in which he outl i ned how uncontested interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi were driving public policy and how we needed to address the Treaty issues before they destroyed us.
You can read it at — www.nzcpr.com/the-treaty-ofwaitangi- and- new- zealandcitizenship. (Abridged)
TERRY O’CONNOR
Wanganui
.
Waikato Times 6/2/17
GANGS SHOULD PAY UP
How about suggesting that the gangs dip into the millions they are making from drug trafficking, to pay for helping drug members ‘‘kick the P habit’’ and spare the taxpayer for a change? After all, the Waka Moemoea Trust was granted about a million dollars for this worthy cause in 2004/5. But then the Waitangi Tribunal has recommended claims of less merit.
BRYAN JOHNSON
Omokoroa
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers
MARVELLY OPINION UNHELPFUL
Lizzie Marvelly’s opinion on Waitangi Day is a naive and inflammatory viewpoint that will not at all help us achieve our goal of relegating racism to the past. To the contrary, her article is likely to alienate non-Maori New Zealanders.
Writing positively about Maori culture is to be welcomed. Writing a piece that is likely to make New Zealanders of non-Maori descent feel insecure about their cultural identity is not.
The idea we need to agree collectively on what it means to be non-Maori New Zealanders is wrong. We all bring our own cultural identity to this country whether we are of Maori, European, Asian, Pacific Island or any other descent.
I enjoy living in a beautiful country surrounded by many different cultures, especially the rich Maori culture. This doesn’t mean I need to identify with any of them, or borrow aspects of any of them, to feel comfortable with my own cultural identity.
Lizzie’s article focuses exclusively on the negative aspects of non-Maori culture (racism, perceived identity crisis, limited exposure to Maori culture), ignores all other cultures, and is more likely to help divide rather than unite our futures.
PHILIP COOP,
Mission Bay.
.
CHAOS KEEPS WAITANGI STUCK IN PAST
On Waitangi Day last year I picked some English friends up after their long flight from London. To unwind I suggested a walk along a beach. Long Bay was the destination and my friends were amazed and delighted at the sight and sounds of many ages and cultures all enjoying what looked like a mini snapshot of a New Zealand summer’s day. My husband joined in with a game of soccer being played by a family group from Iran.
The following day they read about the dissension in Waitangi in our newspaper. I found it hard to explain to them why this was happening. In a world facing such an uncertain future surely now is the time to celebrate diversity and our good fortune to live in such beautiful country and move forward.
I have a baby grandson being brought up in the USA. I feel concerned about his future and so do his parents. Barack Obama, when asked what advice he gave to his daughters about their future, stated simply “be useful and be kind”. The small minority who disrupt Waitangi weekend “celebrations” do not possess either of these qualities.
FRAN JONES,
Waiake.
.
MAORI LANGUAGE PUSH
The Greens and Labour parties suggest the Maori language become a compulsory school subject no doubt in an endeavour to secure the Maori vote. This is likely to alienate them from the mainstream where elections are won and lost.
Evidence already suggests many students fail with reading, writing and spelling skills. Maybe more time is devoted to teaching "English" instead.
P. J.EDMONDSON,
Tauranga.
.
TIME TO MOVE WAITANGI EVENT
The time has come for the Government to celebrate Waitangi Day somewhere other than Waitangi.
Again today, there is a huha about the "celebrations" and trying to charge TVNZ $10,000 just to film the celebrations.
This is no longer a celebration, but an occasion where radical Maori seem to come out of the woodwork and try to make a name for themselves. Abusing Government officials, rudeness, ridiculous demands ... they have to stop.
The easiest way is to celebrate this famous day somewhere neutral away from the idiots who want to make this day about themselves and not about the formation of a new country.
TRISH HEIKOOP,
Pakuranga
.
MARAE COVERAGE BLACKOUT
Pray that Te Tii Marae maintains their media blackout; it will save us all from being bored witless.
MARK SHLECK,
Remuera.
.
Wanganui Chronicle 6/2/17
TRUTH ON TREATY
It is way past time we stopped feuding among ourselves and stood together as a nation.
The latest hi-jinks at Waitangi, where the media was to be charged to broadcast our socalled “National Day”, shows how far we have moved away from each other.
Potonga’s and others’ letters in this paper also illustrate how divided we have become and how each of us is distorting/ massaging history.
It is not surprising when Maori activists/iwi can pocket millions of dollars via the Waitangi Tribunal.
New Zealand has only been an independent nation since November 1947, and before that we were a colony of Britain, which could make whatever changes it wanted to our constitution. The Treaty of Waitangi did not make us a nation, it just made us a colony subject to British law.
Anyone, including Maori, who has a problem with anything that happened before November 26, 1947, should take a case against Britain. It would be much better if all Kiwis united to get just reparations from Britain rather than fighting among ourselves.
Let’s correct Norman Kirk’s mistake and make November 26 New Zealand Day.
Where did I get this idea? Well, a great part of the inspiration was the new Prime Minister’s 2002 speech in which he outl i ned how uncontested interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi were driving public policy and how we needed to address the Treaty issues before they destroyed us.
You can read it at — www.nzcpr.com/the-treaty-ofwaitangi- and- new- zealandcitizenship. (Abridged)
TERRY O’CONNOR
Wanganui
.
Waikato Times 6/2/17
GANGS SHOULD PAY UP
How about suggesting that the gangs dip into the millions they are making from drug trafficking, to pay for helping drug members ‘‘kick the P habit’’ and spare the taxpayer for a change? After all, the Waka Moemoea Trust was granted about a million dollars for this worthy cause in 2004/5. But then the Waitangi Tribunal has recommended claims of less merit.
BRYAN JOHNSON
Omokoroa
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers