Beware of those who deny racism

Why is it that those who have committed the most racist acts, the woman in Central Park who feigned that she was being attacked by ‘‘an African-American’’ when he was only politely asking her to restrain her dog, the President of the United States who on the basis of their skin colour and ethnicity suggested Democratic Members of Congress ‘‘go home’’; why is it that these people cry the loudest that they are ‘‘not racists’’.

It is because they do not recognise that racism is a trait, a kind of distorted survival mechanism inappropriate in a civilised world and something that we are all born with. Racism will disappear when we say to ourselves ‘‘I am capable of racism’’ and become guarded against it in our own behaviours as well as protest against it in others. Beware the person who says ‘‘I’m not racist’’.

Keith Burgess, Sumner

Predictable Peters

The content of the lead article ‘‘Leaders face off on bubble’’ (May 29), is no surprise. It was predictable that with his party polling so badly, Winston Peters would start to distance himself from his coalition partner. A case can be made for moving more quickly into Level 1. But it seems we are now very close to eliminating Covid-19, which supports the case for caution.

Peters has compromised his party’s principles on numerous issues since becoming Labour’s coalition partner. Frequently he has been silent when Labour, encouraged by the Greens, has enacted policy that would have seen condemnation if his party was still in opposition. Now, with an election pending, Peters is grandstanding in the hope of rescuing the party that he founded, and that gained him a cult following. Hopefully, he will be consigned to political oblivion in September.

Bruce Anderson, St Albans

Listen to experts

No new cases in several days does not a recovery make. The incubation period of the virus is longer than that.

I’d rather abide by what health experts say and not risk wasting all the good work New Zealand has done by changing levels a few days too soon.

Two thirds of people with the coronavirus in New York hospitals had been practising social distancing. If we don’t do our level best what country will want to allow tourists to travel here? Mark Aitchison, Sydenham

Silent majority

In defending Todd Muller’s first week as National Party leader, Martin van Beynen writes: ‘‘The silent majority, National’s main hunting ground, won’t see Muller’s so-called blunders in the same light as its natural foes’’. This is true. But it’s true at most times, for any party; and, in these extraordinary times, it’s becoming clear those old standbys around core party support just will not stick right now.

The problem for Muller and National is this so-called silent majority has not been nearly so silent in recent days; and indeed, the majority of voters have now swung their support behind the Government. National cannot assume that, because Simon Bridges has been got rid of, somehow the party can simply hit the reset button on its core support base; and a disunified and leaking National caucus won’t help Muller’s broader

appeal to voters as a strong leader.

If Muller hopes to turn the tide of voter favour he must be able to deliver a genuine economic alternative, and Martin van Beynen’s hope for Muller that, by September, the economy will have tanked is not one that places much faith in him; and Muller cannot take it for granted that National’s supporters won’t wind up thinking the same way.

Raymond Shepherd, Strowan

New company

Having set up my new company, Parachute Enterprises (NZ) Limited as a duly registered company with paid up capital of $1, with myself as its sole director and shareholder, in November my company will apply for the preChristmas gift of $10,000 from the newlyelected National Government (Press, May 30, A2).

I will do this after the company has advertised for a new employee with very specific skills and qualifications, which only I have, and the company will engage me and offer me a fixed-term full-time contract on a salary of $1 to be paid pro rata.

The company will, after 91 days, expire the employment contract and pay me a shareholder salary of $10,000 which will be taxed at my marginal rate, which is less than the company tax rate, with the company making a loss of $0.25 to be offset against its capital.

Then I woke up from my dream. Or was it a nightmare?

Michael Gousmett, Rangiora

Hat opinion

Donna Miles-Mojab’s opinion piece asserting that Todd Muller’s possession of a souvenir hat was akin to being indifferent to the tragic events that occurred last year on March 15 was childish.

Oliver Sanderson, Rangiora

What aspects?

It would be enlightening if Todd Muller, a self-confessed junkie of American politics, could tell us what aspects of Donald Trump’s administration he is enamoured with and which ones he thinks National

could adopt.

He does, after all, profess transparency.

John Waldron, St Albans

Ridiculous

To say that because the leader of the National Party has a Trump cap, he is an ‘‘unconscious racist’’ (May 29) is ridiculous. I have T-Shirts that have slogans that indicate my support for Israel, so does that make me a racist?

Todd Muller supports the idea that Trump wants to make America great again, so how does that equate to racism? To deny someone their right to show support for something or someone may not please everyone, but to deny him/her that right takes away their right to freedom and thought.

This country cannot be in too bad a shape if all some people have to worry about is a cap on a bookshelf!

Brian Preddy, Casebrook

Lost trampers

Bill Newsom (May 29) complains about the cost of finding the lost trampers last week, and thinks that unless they take some locator device with them, they should meet the cost of the rescue.

May I suggest that there is a limit to the legal obligations we should be forcing on our people, and that his next suggestion might be that anyone who hurts themselves in any way should pay for their public hospital costs as well?

We are a society which looks after its hurt and its lost, and long may we remain thus.

John Burn, Merivale

Rescue cost

As the relief and congratulations at finding the two missing trampers lost in the Kahurangi National Park die away, inevitably the talk will turn to how much it all cost in man hours and machinery used in the search.

Helicopters are not cheap to run and the disruption and risk to the lives of those involved in the ground search and professional services will not be small.

Putting aside the fact that the trampers should not even have been there due to the current virus lockdown rules, it defies logic why these trampers and many more like them go into the wilderness without an emergency beacon or at the very least some form of emergency smoke flare.

The disparity in costs is overwhelmingly in favour of the latter so why do we allow this madness?

Malcolm Mills, Waimairi Beach

Hard to accept

As manager of numerous secondary school sports teams into the North Island, I find it hard to accept the judgment on the level of bullying that apparently occurred in the Press story of May 27, ‘‘Christchurch school-leaver escapes conviction for toothbrush assault’’.

Firstly questions have to be asked about supervision.

Who was in charge allowing things to get so out of control?

Then, as a group of boys were involved, why were they not all facing charges of indecent assault?

A toothbrush into the anus is a seriously sick and perverse action.

Bullying at this level is entirely outside the bounds of acceptability and should be punished by law.

The lack of a conviction allows perpetrators off scot-free and a seriously traumatic experience for one young man to be whitewashed.

The judgment sends the wrong message.

Steve Thomas, North New Brighton (Abridged)

Not just feral cats

It is not just feral cats responsible for a decline in native skinks.

Skinks are particularly vulnerable as they need to bask in the sun to warm up enough to get away from predators.

We had a healthy population of skinks until the locals took to cat ownership ... eight regularly patrol our wild native tree bank.

We rarely see a skink now, despite piles of river stones for cover.

Would cat ownership be so random if, like dogs, they had to be licensed and owners made responsible for their activities?

Linda Pocock, Oxford

Water quality

Articles in The Press (May 29, page 6 and 14-15) highlight that the Government is to provide $700 million to improve freshwater quality across New Zealand.

Hopefully some of this money is made available within Canterbury to support the ineffective efforts of Environment Canterbury (ECan).

ECan’s chief scientist is quoted as saying that ECan has rules, and that ways of working are in place, ‘‘even if they had not yet been implemented’’.

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy has been in place since 2009 and ECan has had a decade to implement rules.

Despite their own requirement to report annually, the latest Farm Environmental Plan report, dated November 30, 2018, states that 68 per cent failed to meet the requirements.

Dairy farm compliance data is no longer produced by ECan as that data highlighted significant non-compliance.

As the years pass our Canterbury water quality continues to deteriorate under ECan’s governance.

S M McNeill, Albans

Free-trade deals

We are naked. Yes, we are without the protective clothing of tariffs.

Free-trade deals leave us open to all situations, such as the current deluge of overseas potato chips flooding our domestic market.

Most countries in the world have freedom to apply tariffs to protect their local producers and manufacturers.

Since our country accepted the neoliberal propaganda of ‘‘free-trade treaties’’ we have seen labour and capital siphoned off to overseas power, controls and profits. And domestically, we have experienced marked increases in inequality, systemic poverty sprouting diseases such as rheumatic fever.

The political and moral power evident in our country in the late 1970s and early 1980s included challenges to the French and United States governments. Our ‘‘free-trade’’ deals hamper such independence. Contrary to globalisation, internationalism is enriching and beneficial to all, especially migrants and refugees.

Marie Venning, Dallington (Abridged)