A touching tribute to dad

David Slack’s column, ‘‘A Letter to Dad’’ (December 30), has moved me.

The art of being able to communicate by using minimum words in a tone that is not condescending or overly emotive, is an art I fear is being lost.

My father was recently thanked by his

GP who noted that every time she enters the room, he stands and waits for her to sit.

I recently, was similarly ‘treated’ when a gentleman opened both car doors for his passengers.

So, thank you to all the gentle people (such as Slack’s father), who, in their quiet and subtle ways, show us all how we should be treating each other. Because some things should never change.

Too often we hear of the nonexistent/failing fathers in the media, so reading how Slack’s father patiently worked to raise his family was heart-warming. The good ones, again, are just quietly getting on and doing. Karlene Verryt, Hamilton

Recession reality

Steve Plowman (Letters, December 30) contends that it’s a ‘‘long bow’’ to suggest that New Zealand was in recession in 2008: the last year of the Labour government. The Treasury figures he quotes with regard to reduction of gross debt are irrelevant.

For clarification it needs to be pointed out that in economic terms, a recession is usually defined as a contraction in GDP (gross domestic product) for six months (two consecutive quarters) or longer.

In December 2008 the economy contracted by 0.9 per cent marking the fourth consecutive quarter decline in economic activity. Therefore the New Zealand economy had been in recession for all of 2008, before the impact of the GFC resulted in a worldwide depression.

This was not a Stephen Joyce moment as the writer contends. Rather, sobering data released by the Department of Statistics. Frederick O Williscroft, Wellington

A bum year

Poor Jordan Watson (‘‘A quest to end my pain in the butt’’, Focus, December 30. It seems he hit rock bottom there for a moment. Talk about ‘‘Mordor, he wrote’’. And it just goes to show how a bad day at the orifice can quickly become one’s anus horribilis, as Her Majesty sort of said. In the meantime, it’s prunes for Watson. Elementary!

Dean Donoghue, Papamoa Beach

Singed beards

Does Lynley Cullinane (Letters, December 30) not understand that facial hair grows naturally on mature males, and that its presence is a secondary sexual character that is not present on females of all ages and immature males?

Believing that the presence of facial hair makes a male look old and creepy is not natural, and neither is wanting mature hairyfaced males to shave so they look like immature males and females of all ages.

Or is Cullinane’s approach just part of a feminist plot to further emasculate mature males?

What next, should we hairyfaced males also be required to speak in higher tones – just like immature males and all females? Barry Donovan, Christchurch

I admit I have a modest beard that in my opinion makes me look neither young nor old (83) Beards are worn for various reasons so many will have their own opinions but I wonder if Cullinane has given any thought that some men may have a sensitive skin condition that makes shaving difficult, and there are women who wear heavy makeup for a similar condition.

Allow me to offer my own opinion that I consider she is being somewhat insensitive. Leslie Austin, Featherston

Thank God we’re not all baby faced, pubescent-challenged men. Women with faint sideburns and moustaches puts men’s creepy fuzz to shame. Craig Forsberg, Auckland

If it’s OK for Cullinane to write about how men present themselves, is it OK if I write: ‘‘Do women not realise that showing cleavage and wearing sexy clothing makes them look sleazy? What are they trying to show?’’

Did Cullinane not consider that the way both women and men dress and present themselves is not necessarily for anyone else’s benefit?

Bernard Jennings, Wellington

Inmates at risk

It is good news to read of plans to treat criminals with mental health and addiction issues first as patients, not prisoners.

However I wonder if anyone else has considered the implications of David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill on this group of New Zealanders.

Authorities in Canada recently presided over the first death by assisted suicide of an inmate, another three have been approved.

Canadian law (with provisions very similar to the Seymour bill) now allows these deaths to take place in prison hospitals.

With the rate of mental illness in prisons three times that of the rest of our population it would