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Power to the people.
Through your newspaper,I would like to congratulate the people responsible for the votersvoice.org.nz campaign on binding citizens initiated referenda. If we, the voters, had this option we would have the final say and would be able to counteract some of the stupid decisions made by incompetent parliamentarians. Surely it is time the government listened to us. It is to be hoped that newspapers nation wide will get behind this drive to make citizens initiated referenda binding. If not binding then referenda are a waste of time and money.
James Neal – Auckland NZ
On Ghosts, Aliens And Waikato Uni Scientists
In a world where many scientists preach evolutionary theory as fact, sheepishly admit that they can only account for "1 tenth of 1 percent" of the universe, and arbitrarily dismiss any concept of God or creation design, the Waikato University study showing scientists willingness to consider the existence and validity of haunted houses, ghosts, new age medicine, and aliens is truly bizarre.
Their credo seems to be "if we cannot disprove it, we cannot discount it", yet this hasn't stopped the "religion" of science summararily dismissing the empirical factors which exist within Creationism & Christianity. Which empirical factors? Eyewitness, Documentary, Corroborating, Scientific, Rebuttal, Identity, Psychological, Profile, Fingerprint, Medical, Geographical & Circumstantial evidential factors for both Creationism & Christianity are all well documented, and easily accessable to the enq een men". It would seem to me that academic double standards and selective data appraisal still have more credence within the public arena, than a genuine and unbiased search for truth.
Steve Taylor – Auckland NZ
Painted Apple Moth
In reply to the article Man threatening to spread apple moth should be punished: PM 06 May 2003
Forest and biosecurity director Peter Thomson said.
(1)It was an offence under the Biosecurity Act 1993 to spread any pest or unwanted organism, he said in a statement Monday. It is also an offence to harbour a pest or breed it for release
(M.A.F are doing exactly this with the painted apple moth, they are breading the PAM then releasing it? Didn't MAF spread this organism in the first place?
(2)For some individuals to actively talk about such malicious action is just plain stupidity and such talk needs to be stopped as quickly as possible.
(Don't people say things out of shear anger when nobody is prepared to listen to their cries of HELP? So why get so heated about a comment made by a frustrated west Aucklander.)
(3)Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) officials said. It is completely unacceptable to have so many millions of taxpayers' money spent to try and combat the spread of this pest and then have some idiot think its a joke to go and take it somewhere else. We would take a very dim view of it."
(We out here in the west also take a dim view as to the amount of tax payers money being spent on this programme, some of which is being spent on the propaganda adds, we ask the question of WHO allowed this Moth to spread in the first place? was it the people hear out in the west, I think not, but who are the ones that are suffering due to the TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT OF M.A.F? yes the people in the West who are so frustrated as deaf ears don't hear their plea for help)
Sally Lewis
Family Commission, A Good Idea?
A Family Commission sounds like a very good idea at first. The problem is that it will be implemented by a left wing government that does not believe in the natural family.
Family policy is about investing in future generations by ensuring that children are loved, nurtured and educated so that they will in turn become responsible adults who fully participate in society.
We might expect a centre-right appointed family policy unit to advocate the encouragement of life-long marriage, parenting education and relationship counselling as well as assistance for those whose marriages fail.
Labour, on the other hand, refuses to acknowledge marriage failure, preferring to celebrate diversity instead. They see government as a surrogate parent. Labour’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs believes that mothers should be financially independent of fathers, so we cannot possibly expect a Labour appointed family commission to support the natural family.
Let’s get real and acknowledge the overwhelming evidence that the best people to raise a child are the child’s natural father and mother, married and living together with the moral support of other intergenerational family members. Until we do, with or without a family commission, the fabric of our society will continue to be eroded.
Michael Williams – Auckland NZ
Deck Of Cards
Your cards are disgusting.
Marjorie Hardin
The Role Of Media – By Alastair Thompson
The above titled article/speech was brilliant and inspiring.
Thank you. Stephen Tindall-the woman – MADENZ
On Prostitutes n Parliament
I am so disapointed with the Prostitute reform bill, I am opposed to the proposed legislation as I believe its effects will be:
1. To give this "profession" an aire of legitimacy and encourage younger and more women to be involved.
2. Promote more widescale and more extreme exploitation of women.
Yes we should help the people in this predicament but we should help them get out not help more get in.
We have seen an increase in alcohol abuse with a lowering of the drinking age, likewise the prostitution law reform bill as proposed will make things worse for the prostitutes and the people visiting them.
If you think this is just a job think again, go and meet the people who are doing this, they are without doubt the most broken and vulnerable people I have ever met.
The men who are visiting prostitutes, our daughters, mothers and sisters are mostly married men, these are our sons, brothers and fathers, this is really a lose lose situation.
Wake up New Zealand!
Arjen Bloem – Manukau NZ
More On Prostitutes and Parliament
If Parliament passes the Prostitution Reform Bill in any form, prostitution and pimping and soliciting will become as legitimate as the corner dairy.
Do you want this? If it passes, prostitution will be in your face, just the way the perversion of homosexuality is in our faces more and more all the time. If laws remove sanctions against moral wrongs simply because lobby groups manage to muster enough votes from the MPs, there is then no logical reason to continue to have legal sanctions against incest, bestiality, polygamy, polyandry, paedophilia, child porn, necrophilia, and other perversions as long as it is seen as consensual or done for a reasonable pay. Groups advocating these things are waiting in the wings to move should this bill pass the next vote.
Write your MPs telling them to vote against the Prostitution Reform Bill. Do it today.
Craig Smith – Palmerston North NZ
The Fruit Loop Abusive Depressed and Bimbo Factor
On reading various articles regarding Charlotte Dawson, I was struck by the assumption often made by both the media and public about celebrities and their private lives: that they are "open slather" to all and sundry. I've never met Dawson, so I'm not in any way qualified to diagnose her as a "fruit loop", "abusive", "depressed", or a "bimbo".
I would respectfully suggest that neither is the media nor the general public qualified to pass judgement on her either. Having one's private life exposed as a cadaver for the public to pick over is both invasive & cruel, and a somewhat sad testimony to what rates as "newsworthy" these days.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could make our assessments of people based on who they are, as opposed to who the media portrays them to be, a picture often at odds with reality. For someone like Dawson who has successfully carved out a multi-faceted career, it h "famous for being famous", as much as "famous for succeeding".
Steve Taylor – Auckland NZ
US Invasion Iraq: Three Ships
Early In The War There Was A Minute Blip About 3 Ships And Poossible Wmd's Then Nothing Any Info On This? Has No One Heard Of Pax Americana Written After The Gulf War? Is This Not The Path We Are Following.
Skip Hunter
Australia/New Zealand And Helen Clark
Over the last few days I have been reading several articles on Scoop about the remarks from Helen Clark concerning the Iraq War. Particlularly how her statements contrast with those of Australian politicians. I am a Kiwi who has been living and working in Abu Dhabi, UAE since 1997. During that time my experience has been that most Australains take every opportunity to poke fun at Kiwis and NZ. Since the invasion of Iraq I have noticed that the tone has changed. Aussies are saying to me that they envy us our PM who is prepared to take an independent line and not simply parrot the US. They tell me that they wish their PM had the guts to do the same.
And .... the jokes seem to flow less freely.
I value the Scoop for news of NZ and for the quality of its coverage of world matters.
Catherine Hill – United Arab Emirates
Nick Turner on Clark
Beautiful piece from Nick Turner on Clarke v Bush on Gore....I hope we can read more of Nick's work on Scoop. This piece alone could be used as a "textbook" piece for journalism students on how to turn out a well-researched, compelling and accurate piece of writing.
On the basis of Nick's story, Ken Shirley should withdraw and apologise!
Graham Hawkes - WordsinBusiness.com
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