Where’s our humanity?
Andrew Stewart wonders when the country will put their differences aside and unite for the good of everyone.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to take my family of four on a well-earned cruise holiday after a very busy year with the farm, farmstay and our annual cross-country running event, The Mudder. Sharing such a trip with 2500 passengers and 900-odd crew gives you a fascinating insight into all aspects of humanity. There were people from many different countries and cultures, young and old, large groups and small.
Unfortunately, on the second day of the trip, during some rough weather, our captain received a mayday call from a yacht in trouble, and we were tasked with rescuing the three crew. This meant a 500km diversion, attempted rescue in the middle of the night and having to remain near the yacht for 12 hours until smaller rescue boats could arrive to assist.
Such drama on the high seas was certainly an eye-opener, and living in such close proximity to so many other passengers, it wasn’t long before the ugly side of humanity raised its head.
From the outset, rumours and speculation about what had happened, and was happening, spread throughout the ship like a plague. During the actual rescue, passengers set their alarms so they could wake up and look off their balconies with their smartphones to capture all the details, despite knowing there were lives at risk and people injured.
Some passengers were adamant they should be offered a full refund from the cruise company for such an interruption to their holidays. There were those who swore they would never cruise again.
And some passengers gazed out through cloudy porthole windows whilst dining, oblivious to what the drama was all about. They simply didn’t understand, or care, what the sailors had been through or were going through.
So why am I talking about a cruise ship holiday and the behaviour of some of the passengers? The whole experience reminded me of what has been happening in New Zealand over the past few years.
Passengers staring through cloudy windows to see people who need help reminded me how it feels to be a farmer sometimes, when the bulk of society views from afar without understanding the challenges we face in our own small communities.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that farmers should be pitied or need “rescuing”. For me, it is more about breaking down the dividing walls, or taking out the “portholes”, so farmers and the general public have a better understanding of each other. That takes work from both sides of the equation.
It is equally important for farmers to let go of the mentality that the rest of the public thinks poorly of us. Research proves that most New Zealanders respect farmers.
As with any industry, there will be those in the farming sector who tarnish our reputation with poor practices and behaviour. It is up to us fellow farmers to encourage them to change their ways, for the benefit of everyone.
This is no different for all Kiwis outside the farming sector. We have become a nation of people with deeply divided opinions that have been fuelled largely by reactions to different political beliefs.
In the leadup to the recent election, it was hard to escape or ignore the chat and gossip around the political players and policy promises. Many felt aggrieved by the most recent government and were adamant we needed a change; equally, many felt any change in government could be just as bad as the last bunch.
All Kiwis now need to find a way to put aside their differences and come together.
The new government has massive challenges, including slowing inflation, trying to fix broken health, education, housing and infrastructure whilst protecting and growing the economy so we can pay our bills as a country.
As a sheep and beef farmer, I am hopeful that some of the policies, particularly in the environmental space, will be relooked at. I’m not against regulation, but the previous government got some things wrong in its haste to roll out such an ambitious agenda.
It will be bloody hard and take years.
But it will be made easier if we leave the toxic side of humanity, as we saw firsthand on our cruise, disappearing in our wake. Maybe it is time for Kiwis to heed the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.”
Andrew Stewart is a fourth generation sheep and beef farmer in the Rangitīkei region. He and wife Kylie also run Rangitīkei Farmstay and The Mudder as successful diversifications on the family farm.