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Scoop Feedback: Apology To Chinese NZers
In This Edition: Pandora's Box - The Treaty - Get Out Of
The Kitchen
Pandora's Box
Sir,
I fully support the initiative taken by the government in acknowledging that the years of discrimination against early Chinese settlers in New Zealand was wrong.
However, for the government to be considering providing "money to develop Chinese language and culture and to recognise the immigrants' contribution to society" is not in the best interests of developing New Zealand's identity or nationhood.
Wellington Chinese Association president Esther Fung commented "She wanted more teaching of Chinese history in schools and a commitment to encouraging Chinese language. Without their language, the Chinese here did not have their culture."
Yet in the next breath Ms Fung states "We do regard ourselves as New Zealanders now".
Having adopted the culture and lifestyle of another country in preference to ones origins, you can not later expect to have it both ways.
This applies to all immigrants and it is the responsibility of the "elders" to ensure continuity of their heritage, culture and language, not that of the adopted country.
There is, it seems, a precedent being set here which will open a Pandora's box similar to that of our politically correct dealings with things "Treaty" , the lid of which will be hard to close.
Mirek Marcanik
The Treaty
Dear sir,
The treaty of waitangi is an anachronism and has no place as a founding document, a partnership, or a living document. At best it’s a historical document, recording British colonial attempts to quietly gain sovereignty over a new territory, without expending vast sums on enforcing and defending their authority in such a far flung place. “Give the colonials and natives the idea that each is the master of themselves and the other, while milking them for commodities - should keep them quiet for a while, what!”
The treaty was always doomed to fail, because each language version is so different. It was cleverly designed this way to give each party the impression, that what they thought they were getting, was what they wanted - except that the government, as governments always do, gets away with what ever it wants. They ALL were duped, just as we all are being duped nowadays.
The treaty is based on falsehoods and will be forever open to reinterpretation, relitigation and perpetual claims. It is a recipe for racial division, tribalism and will lead to apartheid in this country.
One law for all - not: law for one, and law for one other.
-- Barry Cole Christchurch
Get Out Of The Kitchen
Sir,
The Government is pleading with its Australian counterparts to desist interfering in New Zealand's political decisions.
Come on. This is the world of politics.
They, like us (I think), are a democracy entitled to freedoms of speech. Freedoms which allow one to comment where it is perceived the implications of decisions made by one of the partners is detrimental to the common good.
If the Government "can not stand the heat in the kitchen" they should stop cooking their own stews and get out.
Mirek
Marcanik
Scoop
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