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Libz, Bible Scholars And Nats Fight S59 Repeal
Libz, Bible Scholars And Nats Fight S59
Repeal
Audio: People... Please, this is NOT an Anti-Smacking Bill! Kevin List and KiwiFM's Wammo state why this is not an anti-smacking bill. It is already an offence to give your child a crack. This bill removes defences that are letting people get off thrashing their kids. Click here to listen...
"It's says so in the Bible," was the answer given to Scoop today many times when questioning why opponents of Sue Bradford's repeal of Section 59 were so keen on giving their kids a good clip.
Joining a dedicated group of religious zealots were members of the anti-tax 'do what thou wants the whole of the time ' party – the Libertarianz, and their guru, broadcaster Lindsay Perigo. Rounding out the numbers fighting for the rights of parents to continue to hit their kids (in a presumably loving manner) were National MPs and retired folk keen to make certain todays' youngsters didn't miss out on the discipline that kept them on the straight and narrow.
ACT's Heather Roy, National's Chester Borrows, the Libertarianz Lindsay Perigo joined failed 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant Christine Rankin in making impassioned speeches against any repeal of Section 59. Numberswise the protest was well below any of the anti-civil union legislation efforts.
While some placards warned Labour of electoral doom it seemed unlikely from talking to the protestors that the current Government was going to lose too many votes from the oddly thrown together groups of Christian Fundamentalists, Libertarianz and ACT party placard wavers. A small counter protest to the main event was less vocal but had put in a lot of effort on colourful placards.
Among the banners to catch Scoop's eye was a banner asking 'Do you think Jesus hit the children?' When this question was posed to the more fire and brimstone opponents of Bradford's Section 59 repeal it was obvious there was a divide between the wishy washy New Testament and the more smacking orientated Old Testament.
While a number of National MPs were happy to soak up the anti-Clark chants of the protestors National's Leader John Key was either absent or keeping a very low profile – perhaps wary of getting in any pictures with Brethren resembling religious zealots. While National seems keen to tap into talkback generated backlash against Sue Bradford's Bill their MPs will also find themselves opposing among others Unicef, Save the Children, Barnardos and Plunket and a host of other respected NGO's and child advocacy groups.
happily mingled with Christian fundamentalists and other religious extremists
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