The real values
Sunday, February 26. At Mt Maunganui, we saw a young mum take her disabled daughter into the surf to enjoy a swim. What a terrific lady, caring for and loving a child who totally depended on her.
Earlier in the morning as usual, I read my Sunday Star-Times .On page 3, ‘‘12-year-old athlete Caitlin O’Reilly became the youngest female to swim Cook Strait. She was sore, tired and cold,but felt proud of herself. Caitlin, all of New Zealand would be proud of you.
On page 5, ‘‘Cancer survivor powerlifting and uplifting’’. Four years ago Elouise Hemming was told she had only weeks to live, and it was time to say goodbye to her baby. Instead of chucking in the sponge she took up powerlifting. What a big heart, what an example.
On page one, real estate agent Ricky Cave had lost his licence for speeding and drink-driving. He would ‘‘suffer extreme hardship’’ if he couldn’t drive his Aston Martin for six weeks.
How pathetic he looks in comparison to Caitlin, Elouise and the young mum giving her daughter so much love.
Fred Delahunty, Mt Maunganui I was disappointed to see your front-page feature on Auckland real estate agent Ricky Cave.
Apart from a relative minor case of drink-driving, Cave’s only real crime seems to be an inflated ego.
That doesn’t deserve the humiliation your newspaper handed out, featuring Cave as your prime front-page story, especially given his request to drive his flash car while suspended was rejected by the judge anyway.
It smacks of envy-journalism, trying to take someone down a peg simply because they are rich and conceited.
It’s this abuse of power that turns people off the media, and enables the likes of Donald Trump to build a following.
Freedom of the press is critical, but you have to play the part by using that power with care and respect. I think you failed in your article about Cave.
Greg Williamson, Christchurch Time to take the keys from the commissioner? (Editorial, February 26) No, but high time to take the keyboard from Jonathan Milne. Milne writes that a vulgar, narcissistic real estate dealer ‘‘tried to worm out of accountability for driving under the influence’’. This is inaccurate. He appears to have wanted to have his sentence modified, quite unrealistically. Regarding ‘‘under the influence’’, this is a stretch, in that while he contravened the law at a low level, consensus would have it that a normal male would not be under the influence at that reading. Concerning the Police Commissioner: It is pitiful that an infringement that occurred 34 years ago should warrant this low level of muck raking. The world is opposed to drink-driving and similarly should oppose sloppy journalism as Milne’s ilk only encourage Trump-like aversion to the press. Remedy. Milne should take a refresher in journalism, starting as a cub reporter.
H L Wright, Wellsford