Abortion laws

As almost always, Narelle Henson has written another good column (Overhaul of abortion laws, March 18). But, contrary to what your weekly feminist liberal letter writers would have us believe, she is again too moderate.

It has not taken modern technology, Narelle, to inform us that the in-utero being is a human child from conception; previous generations knew that well. And that’s why abortion is included in our Crimes Act, punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment. It’s just another kind of murder.

That the murder of innocent children has been legal under sundry circumstances, effectively on request, for 40 years in this country is so horrific it scarcely can be told. The Nazis were small-time players, weren’t they ?

So, yes, let’s have an overhaul of our abortion law, and let’s make the protection of innocent lives the basis of it.

Benneydale

reducing crime, especially youth crime, because low police morale at the frontline will have even those police members relatively low in service, sprinting towards respite by taking up the office jobs, leaving inexperienced ‘‘newbies’’ enthusiastically but inexpertly ‘‘floundering’’ in a drug and apathypolluted society. In turning a blind-eye to social problems such as policing, foreign ownership of Kiwi resources, and the besmirched state of our ‘‘clean, green image’’, Government counts on the slavish demographic that always votes for them on party lines. Apparently it is only sustained protest and the threat to vote for alternative parties that will get any positive movement from Government to address these problems. After all, at present, it is that voter demographic which always supports this government that is getting the biggest ‘‘kick in the guts’’ from those who voted them into power.

Te Awamutu

How often in a lifetime do residents, spend their own time, money, and resources in maintaining a street verge that they can’t use or either own, but are expected to maintain out of goodwill.

But where is council’s goodwill to the residents? It expects us to pay ever increasing rates, but for what exactly? When is the last time you ever saw improvements or a job done properly down your street?

If council expects to ‘‘use’’ us to maintain its street verge, then maybe the ‘‘users/ council’’ should pay – it would be the ‘‘fairest’’ system and in accordance with its own philosophy or is it just a hypocrite!

Residents should invoice council no differently than the ‘‘independent contractors’’ it engages for other services in maintaining street verges.

Residents would be interested to know that, potentially they could be reimbursed possibly up to a quarter of their rates for maintaining the street verge annually.

Te Awamutu