Baffled by misogynist trail names

I’d like to thank you and Professor Annemarie Jutel for the article These sexist in-jokes aren’t funny any more (Nov 27). The writer makes an important point. I spend a bit of time in the bush and have been perplexed at times by misogynist trail names. As amale I find it embarrassing this sort of rubbish is still around in 2020, and that Professor Jutel has had to put up with such thoughtless, snide criticism for having the guts to stand up to it.

This issue has nothing to do with political correctness or ‘‘having fun’’; it has to do with caring about other people’s well-being. Professor Jutel is right: names absolutely do matter, especially when it comes to looking after each other.

To me, it’s weak of namers of mountain bike tracks and climbing routes to protest they didn’t ‘‘mean any offence’’ or ‘‘mean to be insulting’’ – a sexual or any other put-down is a put-down, whether it’s ‘‘meant’’ or not.

And another way is possible; I’ve seen quirky, fun track names thatmade me laugh, but which didn’t belittle anyone. Caleb Harris, Wilton

Fix the big things

Citizens select their councillors by looking for those with vision and leadership, peoplewho can see what the community needs done – and set about doing itwith flair and energy.

Forget themeaningless pet projects; pick up the big ones like water, roading and sewerage. Plan carefully. Fix the big ones and you have every chance of being re-elected.

Fix nothing, spend your time in petty and meaningless bickering – don’t even bother to stand next time. Never forget, you’re there to serve the people!

Bob Fox, Trentham

Choking in rage

As I recently stood with a group of fellow commuters at the David Jones bus stop on Lambton Quay, choking on the diesel fumes of three concurrently departing buses belching toxic fumes, I wondered at the hypocrisy of Tranzurban, the bus company running the majority of the Wellington bus routes, being presented with an environmental prize at the Wellington Gold Awards.

How was this decision reached, and on what grounds was this accolade decided? If such an award was to be given, would it

not be more appropriatewhen the promised electric fleetwas actually running, and the system has progressed past the Third World hit-and-miss fiasco that currently passes for a public transport system in Wellington.

Such praise and backslapping for nothing more than as-yet unfulfilled promises is yet another middle finger to the commuting public. Obviously nothing has changed since the smoke-and-mirrors reign of the departed regional council chairman Chris Laidlaw.

Stephen Bland, Wilton

Fresh approach

Is Jacinda Ardern acting deaf to raw Ma¯ori objection? If so, we can expect Ma¯ori to continue to be frustrated with the timidity of Kelvin Davis, who should have sacked the incompetent CEO of Oranga Tamariki, Grainne Moss, long ago. It is obvious a ‘‘white-tainted’’ voice will be heard instead of the voice of genuine Ma¯ori experience.

Let Ma¯ori do the best for their people. We Pa¯keha¯ have little understanding; we’ve buggered thiswell and truly. The time to invest in a fresh approach is surely now.

Steve Russell, Auckland

Switch of roles

How about a job swap? Ian Foster could bring his empathy and compassion to Oranga Tamariki, and Grainne Moss could bring some niggle and aggro back to the All Blacks.

Keith Simes, Hastings

Crisis response

The housing crisis requires from the Government a crisis response. Wherever possible, compulsorily purchase landbanked land.

Have the Ministry of Housing directly employ builders and other tradies to build state houses, and blocks of flats, to provide accommodation for low-income families at affordable rents.

Renovate existing state houses rather than demolish them, or, at least, immediately replace them.

Pass binding laws prohibiting the selling-off of state houses.

John C. Ross, Palmerston North

I’m not being herd

I amdismayed by Jacinda Ardern’s recent adoption of the ghastly descriptor ‘‘herd immunity’’. It’s as distasteful and dehumanising as the concept it refers to. It’s also linguistically inaccurate.

Herds refer to cows. Cows have four legs and udders, and they converse in moos. Not even the PM can claim ‘‘they are us’’.

What about ‘‘collective immunity’’? Or ‘‘community immunity’’?

Margaret Austin, Mt Victoria

Unconvincing plans

Perhaps more convincing detailwill appear in coming days, but the application to develop the Johnsonville mall is underwhelming.

There are a lot of subjective justifications for an 18-storey complex. It feels entirely speculativewithout more information.

It feels like how far can we go and how much can we get while making it sound like it’s for the good of the community.

I suspect these are not the right developers for the Johnsonville community. David Patterson, Raumati Beach

Not the gospel truth

In reply to Terence Conway (Letters, Nov 27), alI I can say is that the Christmas story as described has been ridiculously stretched to describe the outrageous housing situation in New Zealand.

The baby was not illegitimate; Joseph and Mary were married. Joseph was not a builder; in those parts of the world the houseswere, and still are, built of stone. Houses were built by masons. He was a carpenter, inmodern terms a joiner; he probably built tables and chairs and similar items.

There is no evidence of multi-house ownership in Bethlehem.

Theywere not roaming around Israel (at the time, it was known as Palestine), but because the emperor Augustus had ordered a census and everyone had to return to their hometown to take part. The overcrowding was very temporary.

Mr Conway must have been asleep in the classroom when these thingswere explained to him.

Thomas Patrick Newell, Tawa

Downhill path

Like the other neoliberal opinionwriters the Dominion Post loves to give space to, John Bishop has but one idea of what makes a successful city: growth in GDP.

So that is the only criterion shaping his suggestions for development of the city and wider region.

This is the model that assumes that endless economic growth on a finite planet is possible, but the end of that fantasy is clearly in sight.

We are on the verge of environmental and climate disaster, and that fact should be shaping how we plan for the future of our region. Ifwe take the advice of most mainstream economists, we will be careering downhill with the rest of the world towards the collapse of human civilisation.

Laurence Harger, Seatoun