We’re no better than Aussie, US

Future focused

‘‘Rednek Xmas!’’ (Editorial, Nov 27). Well, this seems fitting coming from sunny old Nelson, one of the most redneck cities in New Zealand, if not the most.

Inspired, maybe, probably by the Ha¯ wera rednecks, yet another part of the country with roots deep in colonial oppression and racism.

Just when you think the country is growing up the redneks remind us what we actually knew but hoped it wasn’t there.

The covert, and now overt muscles of racism all on stage for all to see with provoking motivations. They feel safe as they should doing this in sunny Nelson, but this doesn’t make it right to do it.

Maybe do it in Wairoa and actually feel the teeth of your provocative activities as we all know such behaviour in the face of the masses who felt the ill-effects of it would not be tolerated.

Thanks for reminding us we in New Zealand are just like Australia and the United States with covert and overt racism attitudes sensitive to no-one. Zeb Tamihana Nicklin, Palmerston North

NZ’s charter

In Claudia Orange – Treaty witness (Nov 10), she states, ‘‘We do not have a constitution. How fragile is our present understanding of rights of our nation without any define constitution?’’

It seems Dame Claudia Orange has never read Queen Victoria’s Royal Charter Letters Patent, with its ‘‘Constitutional Charter of New Zealand. Charter for erecting the Colony of New Zealand, and for creating and establishing a Legislative Council and Executive Council, and for granting certain powers and authorities to the Governor for the time being of the said Colony’’. It has 14 clauses on the rights of our nation.

This document was issued by, ‘‘Victoria by the Grace of God’’, under, ‘‘The Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland’’ on November 16, 1840 and is filed at Archives New Zealand.

This document separated New Zealand from New South Wales on May 3, 1841 and set up New Zealand’s political, legal and justice systems under one flag and one law, irrespective of race, colour or creed.

Ross Baker, One New Zealand Foundation Columnist Joel Maxwell finds an ‘‘enduring flaw’’ in Pa¯ keha¯ (non-Ma¯ ori) culture, seeing it as is part of the Western culture inflicted by ‘‘Wasps’’ on all other cultures. He says this arises from ‘‘an appalling ignorance of history’’. Is this fair?

The history of mankind shows an expansion of territorial occupation, progressively, as family groups, tribes, kingdoms and empires sought to improve the lot of their peoples. This is true for the tribes of Europe, Asia, the Americas, Pasifika, and even between the Ma¯ ori tribes of New Zealand. Racial discrimination is principally a factor of culture and competition, not skin colour.

Like it or not, this is a multicultural society, of a type that has the best chance of success. His criticisms of the forces that made New Zealand an internationally recognised country, and improved the wellbeing of all its citizens, are unhelpful.

His condemnation of Pa¯ keha¯ culture is as racist as the attitudes he strongly criticises in Pa¯ keha¯ . Pa¯ keha¯ multiculture looks to the future of all those who live here. Maxwell’s Ma¯ ori culture appears to look only to the future of his race. Mike Williams, Tawa

Iceberg of loss

I believe the picture of myself, with thousands of buttons, was used misleadingly and out of context (Abortion: facts and fiction, Nov 20).

In a nutshell, Buttons Project is to help towards healing from abortion. Each button represents a baby lost to abortion and many have shared their heartfelt stories. For many the abortion wasn’t the quick fix they thought it was and these babies are not forgotten. Often after an abortion there can be feelings of an emptiness, loss, depression, anxiety and low self-worth and for some suicide ideation, to name a few.

Abortion is such a lifechanging event for many. I believe we are just touching the tip of an iceberg of loss.

I feel that for whatever reason you choose to abort, there is no denying it is a mental health issue, battle of mind and body, because you are taking the life of your baby. As I did 32 years ago.

Marina Young, Auckland