Post by Kiwi Frontline on Aug 5, 2019 7:53:14 GMT 12
Nelson Mail 5/8/19
RACISM
‘‘Take your Pakeha hands off our tamariki.’’ I never thought I would live to hear ugly, raw, racist slogans screamed out in anger here in Aotearoa (I must admit I prefer that lovely poetic name rather than that other dull and wholly inappropriate Dutch one!).
I remember with pride our stand against apartheid. I worked in public service for a lifetime – never being forced to follow racist legislation. I greatly admired the Treaty of Waitangi, unique in the world as a written contract between European colonisers and an aboriginal population. To our shame, this contract was occasionally broken in earlier times, mostly by the Crown – but we are now (and quite successfully) negotiating redress.
The Treaty of Waitangi never envisaged two nations, two cultures, two languages, two judicial systems, two social welfare systems etc. It proudly looked ahead and declared: we are one people. We must adhere to that original intention. I hate racism.
ANDY ESPERSEN, Stoke
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers
RACISM
‘‘Take your Pakeha hands off our tamariki.’’ I never thought I would live to hear ugly, raw, racist slogans screamed out in anger here in Aotearoa (I must admit I prefer that lovely poetic name rather than that other dull and wholly inappropriate Dutch one!).
I remember with pride our stand against apartheid. I worked in public service for a lifetime – never being forced to follow racist legislation. I greatly admired the Treaty of Waitangi, unique in the world as a written contract between European colonisers and an aboriginal population. To our shame, this contract was occasionally broken in earlier times, mostly by the Crown – but we are now (and quite successfully) negotiating redress.
The Treaty of Waitangi never envisaged two nations, two cultures, two languages, two judicial systems, two social welfare systems etc. It proudly looked ahead and declared: we are one people. We must adhere to that original intention. I hate racism.
ANDY ESPERSEN, Stoke
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers