Scoop Feedback: Bullying Is The Domain Of Cowards

Friday, 20 September 2002, 11:57 am
Opinion: Scoop Feedback

In This Edition: Bullying Is The Domain Of Cowards - The Green Party: Thou Shalt Buy Local - Teen Killer Sentences - Honorary Truck Drivers License

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Bullying Is The Domain Of Cowards

Dear Sir,

Michael Cullen’s poisonous comments in parliament about Bill English, Simon Power, Gerry Brownlee and Don Brash (18 September) are out of order.

At a time of much public discussion about bullying in our schools and workplaces, we expect better behaviour from the Deputy Prime Minister.

There is no room in an effective parliament for personal attacks.

The government should get on with governing the country rather than opposing the opposition.

We can’t expect our leaders to be so thick skinned that they will be unaffected by this kind of political barbarism. De-sensitised politicians will never deliver the delicate balance of social, economic and environmental good that this nation needs.

Neither can we expect the true leaders in our community to be interested in representing us in parliament while the mental and emotional risks are so high.

Be civil, Dr Cullen, or go home. Bullying is the domain of cowards.

Mike Williams, Auckland

The Green Party: Thou Shalt Buy Local

Mike Ward, a high priest of The Church of the Green Party, has decreed that the buying of Australian bricks is Evil.

This may come as some surprise to those of you who have merrily gone about your home improvement projects believing the worst that could come of it was a visit from Ginnette McDonald and the resultant remodelling of one's favorite stretch of oil-spotted concrete into a pastiche of garden magazine tweeness.

But now we are turned to the True Path through the recent sermon from Mike Ward which rings with all the authority and moral clarity of many a Papal Bull: - Turn the other cheek my children to the Painted Apple Moth fore true evil lies within the heart of the Foreign Brick and what is Foreign is not Local and what is Local is not Foreign and what is Local is the One True God.

Since hearing The Message I have spent many lonely years searching out this Evil Ozzie Pestilence, ripping it out from wherever it may have taken root even when it found succor in the heart of my Neighbour's backyard. And after many a year I saw there was no more Foreign Brick in our land and everywhere where there was a need for Paved Surface there was but the New Zealand Brick (fore Our Lady Ginnette has a thing about concrete and prefers the sacred Brick, or on occasion an area nicely leveled with a mixture of seashell and gravel bounded by low hedges of lavender for the playing of Petanque).

But lo, after a time I saw that the Task was not complete fore when I finally lifted my eyes from my Neighbour's backyard and looked across The Ditch I saw that Our Great Neighbour to The West was infested with the evil Foreign Brick and, the shame of it, that this Foreign Brick had been nurtured and nourished and baked right here in the Heart of God's Own. The Australians had in their turn been seduced by evil and were planting the New Zealand Brick in their own Garden.

Fore is it not true that the New Zealand Brick, when taken to Australia, is a Foreign Brick? And is it not true that what is Foreign is not Local and what is Local is not Foreign and what is Local is the One True God? I pray that you dear reader will join in the Great Crusade Against The Foreign Brick by destroying all New Zealand Bricks here in New Zealand before they have a chance to multiply and spread their accursed kind through out the world.

This will be a great sacrifice fore we will have to forego the glory of the Blessed New Zealand Brick and suffer the indignity of concrete (may Our Lady of The Ground Force have mercy on our souls). But with faith in The Church of The Green Party we shall overcome.

regards

Neil Morrison

Teen Killer Sentences

Dear Sir,

I observe with a sense of disbelief and anger the pathetically light sentences handed down to the 7 youths convicted of contributing to the killing of Micheal Choy. I shake my head in abject frustration as I learn that the lawyers representing these 7 intend to appeal these same sentences. I reflect on NZ's whimpering legislative endorsement of "concurrent" sentencing, and 1/3 of sentences served.

In all of this, I slowly become aware of a frightening personal insight: NZ's current legal "consequences" would in no way deter me from committing a crime, if such "consequences" were all that I had to consider, prior to committing it. Thankfully, my faith in God, a sound sense of self, an unreserved acceptance of personal responsibility, strong boundaries, and a considerate empathy for others go a long way to ensuring my safety, and by default the safety of others. I conclude my musings by wondering as to when our legislators will come to realise that they cannot externally legislate internal wisdom and character?

Yours faithfully

Steve Taylor

Honorary Truck Drivers License

Sir,

Following media reports of a potential shortage of logging truck drivers, Peter Brown has asked the Minister of Transport what initiatives, if any, he is considering to assist the industry to remedy this?

What has this shortage got to do with Government? It is the responsibility of the transport and logging industries to solve, not the Government.

If Government has to become involved, I suggest the LTSA offer all people of eligible age an honorary truck driver's license. That would kill two birds with one stone. One it would solve the shortage and two, get people off the unemployment benefit.

Mirek Marcanik

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