Post by Kiwi Frontline on May 28, 2016 6:21:19 GMT 12
Gisborne Herald 28/5/16
EXASPERATED BY NIT-PICKING OF TEE RAY-O
I am exasperated by the nit-picking of your correspondent “Annoyed” who criticised the way Mastermind quiz-master Peter Williams pronounced Kor-hunga Ray-o.
This is precisely the reason most people don’t bother to learn to speak the Maori language — they are damned if they do and they are damned if they don’t.
I expect that being linguistically superior, “Annoyed” speaks English with the excellence of a schoolboy from Eton College.
To complete the lexical trifecta I will chuck in a spot of le Francais to ask — why does Annoyed hide behind a nom-de-plume?
Je pense, donc, je suis.
R B
Northern Advocate 28/5/16
BRAINWASHING
Some years ago, while doing UE English at night school, I happened to say that we were living in a brainwashed society. Two classmates gave me a right royal rogering, to which the tutor, a doctor of English, replied: It is just surprising how brainwashed we are!" A young acquaintance had a look at my night school syllabus and declared that he might do grade 3 physics. I asked him about I and 2, to which he replied that he already had them. I asked him how he got them, and his answer staggered me: "I learnt early in the piece to tell them what they wanted me to know!"
Our schoolchildren are being indoctrinated by such a false account of our history that the lie is becoming the norm. Let our true history be told. From our elected representatives to the media ghouls, the Maori elite and the Waitangi Tribunal, this is outrageous.
One cannot blame the school teachers as they would be out of a job if the truth were told.
How about a debate on television (democracy in action, of course) occasionally, to replace some of the twaddle that we are being presented with, such as New Zealand's true history, global warming, genetically modified organisms, the continued destruction of the world's forests, just four of which come to mind? But I won't hold my breath
K G M
Kaipara
TRUTH WILL OUT
Rosemary McLeod's column on teaching history says: "'Left-wing people I knew as a teenager swore that any negative reports about Russia and China that followed their revolutions were a Right-wing conspiracy to besmirch Marxist heavens.
Decades later we know about disastrous famines, agricultural and environmental nightmares, and mass persecutions in those countries because the truth will out regard-less."
After 30 years of blaming governments for every misfortune visited upon Maori, anyone who criticises Treaty settlements, race-based affirmative action or funding, or tribal political appointees, is labelled racist.
We could paraphrase McLeod thus: Right-thinking liberal people I know swear that any negative reports about Maori were a racist conspiracy to besmirch their politically correct heavens.
A look into our history reveals intertribal genocide, reneged-upon land sales, harassment of settlers, murders of innocent women and children, deceitful claims for compensation, and deceptive bias by the Waitangi Tribunal. The truth will out regardless.
MIKE BUTLER
Hastings
The Nelson Mail 27/5/16
UNIMPRESSED
If your editorial writer wants to attack another media commentator, then it’s appropriate to not hide behind the cloak of anonymity, but to do as your correspondents are required – to sign his/her name. Accusing Mike Hosking of arrogance because he/ she does not agree with his point of view, while at the same time remaining safely anonymous, is not impressive.
Hosking’s vigorous standpoints can well be argued with. But it’s quite wrong to claim he’s out of touch with middle New Zealand in his insistence that most New Zealanders want the country to remain a democracy – without special rights being handed out on the basis of part-Maori inheritance. The New Plymouth folk rejected a special Maori ward proposal. Calling them redneck is offensive.
Hosking’s point, that individuals who may be part Maori are of course welcome on councils, if they successfully stand for election, is far from unreasonable.
To also accuse this majority of being on ‘‘the wrong side of history’’ is simply silly, the accusation of racism tedious. Nearly two centuries of Maori and Euro-New Zealanders’ coexistence, and intermarrying so successfully that it is now impossible to find anyone genetically totally Maori, disproves any accusation of racism.
A B
Nelson
Wanganui Chronicle 28/5/16
CONTROVERSIAL
Many artists have crooned "Where do I begin ...", the theme song from the movie Love Story. I am now faced with that dilemma, although there was not a lot of love in the responses to my May 11 letter about a book.
Perhaps the best beginning is to declare that I am not anti-Maori or those people who endow themselves with that title despite DNA dominance from other races. I am anti the separatists who are mining this country and destroying hope of equality for all New Zealanders. Compare two words — "racist" and "racial". By generally accepted definition, discriminative treatment of one race is "racist", while anything pertaining to one race as a whole is "racial", a point not recognised by many and abused by many more.
Potonga Neilson harps on about culture and confiscation of land. Perhaps he should throw away his old gramophone and invest in a new CD system.
Janet Mace, you are so correct. The people at the lower end of the food chain never see any financial benefit from special treatment for Maori. However, the top dogs do. With regard to "special treatment", but perhaps mentioning Maori health, Maori education, customary rights, guaranteed seats on councils and boards, increasing leniency displayed in our courts, racially selected sports teams and a separate category for honours and awards will be a start. Finally, there is the Waitangi Tribunal, which is about as "special" as there is.
H Norton, if you had read my letter properly, you would know the queue at the library was yet to form as the book was purchased at my request and I was still in possession when I wrote the letter. The question of who is "well qualified is subjective. You name a handful of recognised historians; the authors of One Treaty, One Nation incorporate writings and statements from many more than you list. One of the best is Sir Apirana Ngata, who appears on our $.50 note we don't see any of your "experts" on our currency.
As for your comment about "ill-based anti-Maori rants", I suppose equally ill-based " pro-Maori rants" are more to your liking. I must thank the editor for publishing the May 11 letter, knowing that it was controversial, but it seems to have achieved its purpose.
D. P
Eastown
FRESHWATER MYTH
Ian Brougham writes describing "The Great New Zealand Myth" —the arrival of Kupe. There is another myth that needs to be dealt with as it has encroached on common sense —the myth of the taniwha.
The freshwater issue is of concern to all New Zealanders and the taniwha features among reasons Maori state they should have control of freshwater. Reason 8 is: "The people have identified taniwha as residing in the water resource." How can they keep a straight face when trying to persuade us of this nonsense.
British politician Aneurin Bevan once said: "We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the mad. They get run down."
The Freshwater lui Leaders Group demands for freshwater may soon become a reality. Make it clear to your local MP — fresh-water must belong to all of us.
R B
Tauranga
NZ Herald 28/5/16
READING ON
Dame Anne Salmond 's article dealing with the way pre-European Maori treated their kids included this quote from Richard Cruise's 1820 Journal: "...no partiality on account of sex was in any instance observed". In the same book I read ln the native families when the numbers of females has far exceeded that of males the disappointed mother has been known to sacrifice the former ... a woman at Rangehoo... murdered three female children the moment she was delivered of them.' I'd be surprised to find anything in Mr Duff's fiction or in the news as cruel as many of the atrocities described in Cruise's Journal.
K C,
Mt Eden.
ABUSERS NOT FATHERS
Anne Salmond paints a good story with her numerous quotes of early Europeans' observations of Maori fathers as kindly and loving. Such a portrayal ignores the fact that as a culture Maori were far from loving outside their own family or tribe.
Over the same period that Anne quotes from. the Musket Wars raged with more than 60 per cent of the entire population slain, enslaved or expelled from their Iands. She also suggests that today our atrocious record of abuse has no tribal or cultural link. What she fails to address is that a very high proportion of child abusers in this country are not the fathers of the children they abuse.
M R
Tuakau.
Bay of Plenty Times 28/5/16
MAORI TRUSTS
It is a concern that so many people say that they have nowhere to live and that the Government is not doing enough to help these people.
Why don't the Maori trusts, who have been given millions of dollars in compensation, provide housing on their own trust land to house their own people as many of them are in the situation of having no place to live. This way the current generation of Maori will benefit from the huge settlements and the Maori trusts money will be invested in housing, which will continue to grow in value.
I am suggesting this as, in my view, the majority of Maori who belong to some of the tribes get no benefit whatsoever from the settlements.
As most Maori land cannot be used as security for housing packages, the trusts could advance their people the cost of the house construction only, which means that their people are housed and the land remains in the ownership of the trust for future generations. (Abridged.)
R D
Mount Maunganui
EXASPERATED BY NIT-PICKING OF TEE RAY-O
I am exasperated by the nit-picking of your correspondent “Annoyed” who criticised the way Mastermind quiz-master Peter Williams pronounced Kor-hunga Ray-o.
This is precisely the reason most people don’t bother to learn to speak the Maori language — they are damned if they do and they are damned if they don’t.
I expect that being linguistically superior, “Annoyed” speaks English with the excellence of a schoolboy from Eton College.
To complete the lexical trifecta I will chuck in a spot of le Francais to ask — why does Annoyed hide behind a nom-de-plume?
Je pense, donc, je suis.
R B
Northern Advocate 28/5/16
BRAINWASHING
Some years ago, while doing UE English at night school, I happened to say that we were living in a brainwashed society. Two classmates gave me a right royal rogering, to which the tutor, a doctor of English, replied: It is just surprising how brainwashed we are!" A young acquaintance had a look at my night school syllabus and declared that he might do grade 3 physics. I asked him about I and 2, to which he replied that he already had them. I asked him how he got them, and his answer staggered me: "I learnt early in the piece to tell them what they wanted me to know!"
Our schoolchildren are being indoctrinated by such a false account of our history that the lie is becoming the norm. Let our true history be told. From our elected representatives to the media ghouls, the Maori elite and the Waitangi Tribunal, this is outrageous.
One cannot blame the school teachers as they would be out of a job if the truth were told.
How about a debate on television (democracy in action, of course) occasionally, to replace some of the twaddle that we are being presented with, such as New Zealand's true history, global warming, genetically modified organisms, the continued destruction of the world's forests, just four of which come to mind? But I won't hold my breath
K G M
Kaipara
TRUTH WILL OUT
Rosemary McLeod's column on teaching history says: "'Left-wing people I knew as a teenager swore that any negative reports about Russia and China that followed their revolutions were a Right-wing conspiracy to besmirch Marxist heavens.
Decades later we know about disastrous famines, agricultural and environmental nightmares, and mass persecutions in those countries because the truth will out regard-less."
After 30 years of blaming governments for every misfortune visited upon Maori, anyone who criticises Treaty settlements, race-based affirmative action or funding, or tribal political appointees, is labelled racist.
We could paraphrase McLeod thus: Right-thinking liberal people I know swear that any negative reports about Maori were a racist conspiracy to besmirch their politically correct heavens.
A look into our history reveals intertribal genocide, reneged-upon land sales, harassment of settlers, murders of innocent women and children, deceitful claims for compensation, and deceptive bias by the Waitangi Tribunal. The truth will out regardless.
MIKE BUTLER
Hastings
The Nelson Mail 27/5/16
UNIMPRESSED
If your editorial writer wants to attack another media commentator, then it’s appropriate to not hide behind the cloak of anonymity, but to do as your correspondents are required – to sign his/her name. Accusing Mike Hosking of arrogance because he/ she does not agree with his point of view, while at the same time remaining safely anonymous, is not impressive.
Hosking’s vigorous standpoints can well be argued with. But it’s quite wrong to claim he’s out of touch with middle New Zealand in his insistence that most New Zealanders want the country to remain a democracy – without special rights being handed out on the basis of part-Maori inheritance. The New Plymouth folk rejected a special Maori ward proposal. Calling them redneck is offensive.
Hosking’s point, that individuals who may be part Maori are of course welcome on councils, if they successfully stand for election, is far from unreasonable.
To also accuse this majority of being on ‘‘the wrong side of history’’ is simply silly, the accusation of racism tedious. Nearly two centuries of Maori and Euro-New Zealanders’ coexistence, and intermarrying so successfully that it is now impossible to find anyone genetically totally Maori, disproves any accusation of racism.
A B
Nelson
Wanganui Chronicle 28/5/16
CONTROVERSIAL
Many artists have crooned "Where do I begin ...", the theme song from the movie Love Story. I am now faced with that dilemma, although there was not a lot of love in the responses to my May 11 letter about a book.
Perhaps the best beginning is to declare that I am not anti-Maori or those people who endow themselves with that title despite DNA dominance from other races. I am anti the separatists who are mining this country and destroying hope of equality for all New Zealanders. Compare two words — "racist" and "racial". By generally accepted definition, discriminative treatment of one race is "racist", while anything pertaining to one race as a whole is "racial", a point not recognised by many and abused by many more.
Potonga Neilson harps on about culture and confiscation of land. Perhaps he should throw away his old gramophone and invest in a new CD system.
Janet Mace, you are so correct. The people at the lower end of the food chain never see any financial benefit from special treatment for Maori. However, the top dogs do. With regard to "special treatment", but perhaps mentioning Maori health, Maori education, customary rights, guaranteed seats on councils and boards, increasing leniency displayed in our courts, racially selected sports teams and a separate category for honours and awards will be a start. Finally, there is the Waitangi Tribunal, which is about as "special" as there is.
H Norton, if you had read my letter properly, you would know the queue at the library was yet to form as the book was purchased at my request and I was still in possession when I wrote the letter. The question of who is "well qualified is subjective. You name a handful of recognised historians; the authors of One Treaty, One Nation incorporate writings and statements from many more than you list. One of the best is Sir Apirana Ngata, who appears on our $.50 note we don't see any of your "experts" on our currency.
As for your comment about "ill-based anti-Maori rants", I suppose equally ill-based " pro-Maori rants" are more to your liking. I must thank the editor for publishing the May 11 letter, knowing that it was controversial, but it seems to have achieved its purpose.
D. P
Eastown
FRESHWATER MYTH
Ian Brougham writes describing "The Great New Zealand Myth" —the arrival of Kupe. There is another myth that needs to be dealt with as it has encroached on common sense —the myth of the taniwha.
The freshwater issue is of concern to all New Zealanders and the taniwha features among reasons Maori state they should have control of freshwater. Reason 8 is: "The people have identified taniwha as residing in the water resource." How can they keep a straight face when trying to persuade us of this nonsense.
British politician Aneurin Bevan once said: "We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the mad. They get run down."
The Freshwater lui Leaders Group demands for freshwater may soon become a reality. Make it clear to your local MP — fresh-water must belong to all of us.
R B
Tauranga
NZ Herald 28/5/16
READING ON
Dame Anne Salmond 's article dealing with the way pre-European Maori treated their kids included this quote from Richard Cruise's 1820 Journal: "...no partiality on account of sex was in any instance observed". In the same book I read ln the native families when the numbers of females has far exceeded that of males the disappointed mother has been known to sacrifice the former ... a woman at Rangehoo... murdered three female children the moment she was delivered of them.' I'd be surprised to find anything in Mr Duff's fiction or in the news as cruel as many of the atrocities described in Cruise's Journal.
K C,
Mt Eden.
ABUSERS NOT FATHERS
Anne Salmond paints a good story with her numerous quotes of early Europeans' observations of Maori fathers as kindly and loving. Such a portrayal ignores the fact that as a culture Maori were far from loving outside their own family or tribe.
Over the same period that Anne quotes from. the Musket Wars raged with more than 60 per cent of the entire population slain, enslaved or expelled from their Iands. She also suggests that today our atrocious record of abuse has no tribal or cultural link. What she fails to address is that a very high proportion of child abusers in this country are not the fathers of the children they abuse.
M R
Tuakau.
Bay of Plenty Times 28/5/16
MAORI TRUSTS
It is a concern that so many people say that they have nowhere to live and that the Government is not doing enough to help these people.
Why don't the Maori trusts, who have been given millions of dollars in compensation, provide housing on their own trust land to house their own people as many of them are in the situation of having no place to live. This way the current generation of Maori will benefit from the huge settlements and the Maori trusts money will be invested in housing, which will continue to grow in value.
I am suggesting this as, in my view, the majority of Maori who belong to some of the tribes get no benefit whatsoever from the settlements.
As most Maori land cannot be used as security for housing packages, the trusts could advance their people the cost of the house construction only, which means that their people are housed and the land remains in the ownership of the trust for future generations. (Abridged.)
R D
Mount Maunganui