Scoop Feedback: Responses and More Smacking

Monday, 26 March 2007, 11:31 am
Opinion: Scoop Feedback

[Re: Genevieve Cora Fraser - Maps Used To Brainwash Israelis About Palestine]

A response to Genevieve Cora Fraser's piece on Israeli maps used as brainwashing.

Ms Fraser says that Joan Peters' '84 book 'From Time Immemorial' denies that Palestine existed. No where in the book does Joan Peters say that Palestine never existed. What Ms Peters DOES say, however, is that historical Palestine is inclusive of modern day Israel, the Kingdom of Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza. I'm not sure how Ms. Peters' book got confussed with the "no Palestine crowd".

[Re: Bill Berkowitz - Berkowitz: The Religious Right's New Bugbear Iran]

RE: Berkowitz: The Religious Right's New Bugbear Iran

Pastor Hagee does not speak for Evangelicals. He's one of the false "prosperity teachers." Read this regarding his own money scandal: http://open-letter-for-pastor-hagee.org/

..Bernie

The Editor, Scoop

Dear Sir/Madam

Our government is elected democratically, but does it function democratically? They are now going to rapidly push through this highly contentious bill regarding parents’ rights to discipline their children quickly and effectively. (You can’t reason with a two year old). They obviously realise the incredible and increasing groundswell of opposition from the people. This bill would strike at the very heart of every decent, law abiding family in our nation.

Some less than decent people who already flout the law by abusing their children will continue to abuse them. Nothing will change, except that there will be fewer decent law abiding citizens in the future as they will have grown up totally undisciplined and with no concept of respect for others, conscious only of their own rights, not of their responsibilities.

How does a dictatorship ever get started? By denying the people any rights to live according to their conscience. Why have the whole Labour and Green parties been instructed to obey their leaders instead of being allowed a conscience vote, as representatives of the people who elected them, in such a vital and far reaching decision as this bill of Sue Bradfords?

Pauline Welch

[Re: Give life - Donor Doctor Validates Deaths on the Waiting List]

Dear Editor,

Re: Donor Doctor Validates Death….

As the mother of a tissue donor I was shocked at the total lack of understanding of the feelings of bereaved families, demonstrated by the comments of Dr. Peter Hicks.( 21st March 2007)

My precious only daughter died in a road accident 8 years ago. She was only 22.
In an instant I lost my daughter, my business partner and my dearest friend.

When Zoë was 11, she'd seen something on the News about a transplant. She told us, 'If anything ever happened to me, I'd want all my 'spare parts' used to help people'. When the unthinkable happened we remembered.

At first we were told, because she died at the scene, it would not be possible to transplant her organs. We felt gutted. It was a double blow. It seemed we could not even carry out her final wishes. Later we were told it might be possible to retrieve some of her tissues.
At the time we had never even heard of tissue donation but even through our grief and shock, we felt elated. I could not have put all her strong young body in the ground.

Zoë's heart valves transformed the lives of a baby in Germany and a 6 year old in England.

A cornea restored sight to a 24 year old man. This is a great ongoing comfort to her family.

The mother of 6 year old Jemma, wrote and told us how weak and sickly her child had been. She did not thrive like her twin. She couldn't walk far or go swimming with her brothers. Life was not much fun. Zoë's heart valve immediately transformed her life. Now she can swim, dance roller-skate and ride.

Jemma is 15 now; enjoying all the things a teenager likes to do. We are so proud that Zoë was able to help these young people. We are also proud of Jemma for all she has endured and achieved.

If Dr. Hicks really cares about bereaved families, which I am sure he does, I would implore him – Please give them some hope. Please give them a reason to get up in the mornings - by facilitating organ donation.'

Donor's Mother, Sue Cansdale.

Much has happened in the past eight years. We have found Zoë's tissue donation such a healing experience, we want to spread the message saying to every family 'Please talk about the issues and tell each other what you would want'. I have written as a bereaved mother but please also see our charity's website www.legacyoflife.org.uk Sue.

The Editor, Scoop

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to say, What is happening to NZ democracy? A Green list MP, with no electorate accountability, is trying to legislate how NZ parents raise their children based on her ideology.

We would expect a pile of well-documented, unbiased research and solid facts before such a radical, unwanted intrusion into families was attempted with the removing Section 59.

The decline in true democracy in this nation began decades ago with the Homosexual Law Reform, followed by the Lowering of the Drinking Age, then the Prostitution Law Reform, and now Anti-Smacking Legislation. All these lack popular support from the people of New Zealand.

Raising kids is a reality, not ideology, as Dr Spock realised too late. A small minority is mounting a clever, well-oiled campaign against good parents, with support from well-funded organisations whose international head offices are based out of New Zealand.

Polls consistently show that 70 to 90% of New Zealanders do not want this legislation. So why are Labour electorate MP's allowing their consciences to be dictated to by their Party and not giving a toss about the concerns of the electorate who they should be representing?

Foisting on voters a legislation that they do not want is dictatorship - not democracy!

This Anti-Smacking Bill will be a failure as soon as one darling, loved child suffers incredible, unnecessary emotional distress by being removed from a good family - just because smacking is one of the parenting tools used from time to time.

Democracy? Yeah Right!

Kerry Sharp

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