Thursday, November 19, 2020

In New Zealand today ....

 ■ Lots of reminders this morning that today is the 10th anniversary of the Pike River mine disaster. Morning Report devoted two lengthy items to it, including an 8-minute interview with Sonya Rockhouse and Anna Osborne, who lost a son and husband respectively when the mine exploded. Much has been heard from these bereaved women over the years, to the point where there’s little that hasn’t been said already – in fact many times. Oddly, the media seem to be less enthusiastic about interviewing another bereaved mother, Marion Curtin, whose take on Pike River is strikingly at odds with that of Rockhouse and Osborne.  Curtin has said she wants the remains of her son left undisturbed and that people shouldn’t assume the Pike River activists speak for all the bereaved. She has also been sharply critical of the public money spent on the re-entry operation, a piece of political theatre which the Taxpayers’ Union says has so far cost $50 million for negligible benefit. You can read the Taxpayers' Union statement here.  

■ The Dominion Post website had a story about a truck crash that blocked the Akatarawa Road, which connects Upper Hutt with the Kapiti Coast. The story was illustrated with a large, panoramic photo of the Paekakariki Hill Road – a different route altogether. Does anyone notice? Does anyone care? On paper, today’s journalists are the most highly qualified ever, yet they demonstrate over and over again that they know little about their country’s geography or history. On the other hand, their understanding of social justice issues such as sexism, racism and trans-gender discrimination is impeccable.

■ The Wairarapa Times-Age reported that Masterton district councillors voted 6-5 to reject an officials’ recommendation that two much-loved vintage tractors in the Queen Elizabeth Park playground be removed because they posed a safety hazard. Generations of children have played on the tractors and strangely enough, I don’t recall any reports of any being maimed or permanently disfigured. The council officials also have the playground’s popular flying fox in their cross-hairs. While they’re about it, why not demolish the park's swings? Or ban kids’ bikes because occasionally someone falls off and grazes a knee? Prediction: we have not heard the last of this. The council bureaucrats won’t let the matter rest until they’ve shown the elected councillors who’s boss.

■ BTW, two iwi representatives voted to have the tractors removed. They are not elected councillors. No one voted for them.

■ Someone complained on Twitter that food books by the Australian celebrity cook Pete Evans, who is accused of sharing a social media post that included a neo-Nazi symbol, were still available from the Warehouse, Mighty Ape (an online retailer) and Kmart.  The Warehouse, obviously eager to display its woke credentials, promptly fell into line. “Thanks for raising this with us,” it tweeted. “We are currently in the process of withdrawing [his] stock in our stores and online.” Meanwhile, Stuff entered into the spirit of the witch-hunt by approaching other retailers wanting to know whether they’ll do the same. No pressure, mind. Stuff also reported that Mighty Ape had pulled a book by New Zealand author Olivia Pearson because she criticised Jacinda Ardern’s appointment of a Foreign Affairs Minister with a moko. Stuff reported that Mighty Ape was promptly alerted to Pearson’s tweet by other users. “Hey team, I see you stock her book,” wrote one. “Could you please consider removing considering she advocates for racism in our beautiful Aotearoa?” It’s hard to know which is more disturbing: the left-wing vigilante squads constantly patrolling social media like sharks (and in this case, trying to conceal their priggish authoritarianism behind phony empathetic language), or the gutless companies that so cravenly kowtow to them.

■ Back to the Times-Age, which refers to “students” at Gladstone primary school. There used to be a general rule of thumb that primary school kids were pupils and those attending secondary school or university were students. It was a useful, if informal, distinction which now appears to have been lost. By logical extension, it means that kids at kindergarten or day care can also now be referred to as students. Perhaps “pupil” is considered demeaning and not in keeping with the inclusive spirit of the times. “Boy” and “girl” may be on the way out too, if the gender-identity activists have anything to do with it.

That was New Zealand today (or at least a little part of it).

8 comments:

  1. Its good to know I am not the only one thinking like this. Thanks Karl.

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  2. Re your second paragraph Karl, herewith a tale of Rationale vs Ridicule OR Bungling Bureaucracy
    In 2018 the Hurunui District Council (= a senior staff member) decided that symbols of 1) a scooter, and 2) two feet, should be spray-painted on to footpaths in several locations leading to the local school, which is close to the western outskirts of the town. This action, it was claimed, was intended to guide the town’s pupils (students?) ‘safely’ to and from their destinations.

    To compound the farce, the Mayor of the time, and the resident police officer, were photographed for the local newspaper with a few school children at the official dedication of the symbols. If it hadn’t been so ludicrous, it would have made great comedy theatre.

    The hoots of derision were almost deafening, and it wasn’t long before spoof images began appearing alongside the official ones. Apparently the children were delighted with the image of a hedgehog, and now there is one of a person riding a duck. The fact that not a single Council official or elected representative made any outraged and sanctimonious comment about the visual mockery, and that the official images have not been refreshed after two years, speaks volumes.

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  3. Pupils and students are so last century. The new word is "Learners".

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    Replies
    1. And if the left could have their way, "Voters" as well.

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  4. Joe Bennett, in a historical column, wrote about the pupil/student divide, compulsory vs voluntary & came to the same conclusion as you. It's far too archaic & sensible for 'modern learning environments', or classrooms, as Gabriel says. Re the tractors...yea verily, sense rules, for now. The new kindy in Botany that our girls went to retained an old wooden boat that the former Playcentre on the site had used...never lost its appeal. As for unelected officials...don't start me. Marion Curtin is/has been a breath of fresh air on the Pike River sob-fest...tuned out some time ago from the usual suspects. Folk die in industrial accidents regularly...wonder how their families feel about the elevation of these particular workplace deaths?

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  5. Karl

    I have a suggestion on the Olivia Pearson issue. Let's advertise on twitter, facebook, stuff, instagram and whatever else comprises the blogosphere. We'll send a general invitation to an event in front of the Wellington City library where all hate speech and other odious expressions of things we cannot abide will be formally denounced in a proper ceremony.

    I suggest we collect all copies of works we don't like and put them in a large pile. We douse them with petrol and set them alight. The necessary health and safety oficials can be distinguished by their clothing, say brown shirts with nifty badges.

    We can all stand around and cheer at the flames. The children can have a good play while we expalin to them why these naughty books are being burned.

    Just a thought

    Ricardo

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  6. The proposed Pike River memorial in Parnell, Auckland, seems like a good idea. I think we could just squeeze one in for Tangiwai too. Might have to shave a couple of feet off the Erebus memorial but it’s quite big so nobody will notice. Aramoana has been left out at this stage but if the council could just reduce their number of roses, which are not native BTW, then there’d be room.

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  7. My pre-school age son is referred to as an "Ākonga", which the online Māori dictionary translates as 1) student, pupil, learner, protégé, and 2) disciple [e.g. of Jesus]. So I guess we can take our pick now.

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