Feedback: Falealii & Murder – Election Funding

Thursday, 20 June 2002, 10:17 am
Opinion: Scoop Feedback

In This Edition: Falealii And Murder: Journalists Miss The Point, Mislead The Public - More Please

Falealii And Murder: Journalists Miss The Point, Mislead The Public

If you want to produce some really interesting news that exposes the truth about Falealii, here's how to do it:

Instead of incredulously wondering how on earth a person could be so violent and vicious, use the case to focus a strong spotlight on the what hard drugs have done to this man. The general public is basically unaware of how drugs totally overturn an individual's morality. CRAVINGS AND KILLINGS

When I was living in Toronto a few years ago, Detective Lorenzo Bressan, a local drug squad policeman, conferred with a neighbourhood gathering of 29 people in my home. We were working to rid our neighbourhood of a crack wholesaling operation (eventually successfully evicted.). During that talk he warned us that although a hard drug addict was a delightful person to deal with while "high", they were absolutely ruthless and nasty on their way to get their "fix".We should never obstruct them. ADDICTION - JECKYL AND HYDE

While high, the addicts would smile and laugh during their arrests, and offer no resistance. On their way to their suppliers though, they would break in as many houses as necessary to steal items to resell to pay for their drugs. On TV I once saw an addict recount how he had a policy of mercilessly bashing corner store owners, etc. to intimidate them as quickly as possible to get cooperation. The savagery of the unsatisfied drug addict is only surpassed by the unspeakable, all-pervasive, unspeakable cruelty of the craving for the drug. I once went to a Toronto court where there was a crack addict accused of failing to pay a thousand dollars of rent. It seemed that he was at that time drug-deprived, and that every stimulus that impinged on his consciousness was an agonizing irritation to him, making him totally restless and furious with everything. The addict had stolen $5,000 of tools from the building, and tried to sell crack to other tenants. The landlord, Joseph Wellman, waived the $1,000 just to get rid of the addict tenant. Such is the claw-grip of drug addiction.

TELL THE STORY PROPERLY

Instead of wringing your hands and wondering to each other what on earth could possibly make Falealii so "inexplicably" violent, we should focus diligently and honestly on the emotional effects of drug addiction, and the consequences in associated crime, and motivate the community at every level to act accordingly.

Please don't make this a facile goodies and baddies issue. Make it practical one that reduces the problem. Talk to the addicts, and the victims of the associated crimes, and police who can provide statistics and other information.

You can read about the crimes in an article by Scott McLeod at At http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=2047640&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

Bruce Thomson
Palmerston North

SEE ALSO:
- Manukau Serial Killings
- ASB Bank Pleased For Staff At Guilty Plea

More Please

Sir,

The Prime Minister, in crying foul over the allocation of Labour's share of broadcasting funding for the forthcoming election campaign, is simply highlighting the "more please" attitude that has pervaded the nations society since her attaining the Premiership in 1999.

If, under her stewardship of the nation, the level of public support for Labour is so high, why is it they need funding from the public purse? Why does this funding not come directly from contributions made by those ostensibly supporting the Labour Party?

More importantly, why should any party be allocated taxpayer funding to conduct an election campaign?

It seems totally illogical to me that those, of any political persuasion, who are working and contributing to the common tax pool should see a portion of their contribution being allocated to the election campaign of parties whose ideology and thinking they do not support.

Surely, if the ideology, thinking and performance of a party is such that it can confidently command the support of like thinking voters, then let those voters put their money where their mouths are. This should be in the form of membership and contribution to the respective party from their own pocket. Not that of the public purse.

Attaining and retaining public office is not something to be bought out of the public purse with what amounts to commercial advertising. It comes about through performance and support. If you do not have both you have no right to be there.

Mirek Marcanik

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