Crumbling of family values behind grim youth suicide rate

Isn’t it strange that New Zealand is a wonderful country yet has such a high youth suicide rate? Where did we go wrong? Look no further than the disintegration of the family unit, the loss of “family values” (read traditional values), the emphasis on money (the “right’’ of businesses to stay open 24/7/365), the pressure to perform, and the undermining of national identity by the PC trend towards globalism. Not to mention how technology has made our relationships more shallow. I’ve raised kids and been a primary school teacher, and I know this fact: kids need boundaries to grow up secure, knowing who they are. Our high road toll and suicide rate are indicators the family unit is malfunctioning.

Jules Riding, Whangarei

I take it that the welter of sanctimony about Todd Barclay’s stupid actions reflects a state of perfection among his critics and they have no skeletons in their cupboards.

John Clements, Orewa

I don’t know why the 85 imported students travelled all the way to New Zealand to help in the campaign to change our Government to Labour (does meddling in another country’s elections sound familiar?) when they could have had direct experience, much closer to home, of how nirvana can be achieved with socialism, by going to Venezuela.

Fiona Allen, Papatoetoe

It is ironic that while Auckland is being strangled by worsening traffic congestion and is crying out about a massive transport funding shortfall, Auckland Transport continues to pour piles of public money into running bus services which have no one on them. AT’s much heralded “new network” of bus routes being rolled out across Auckland has buses running