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Duncan Garner: Let's squash the PC race relations office and move on

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Alicat
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« on: November 28, 2015, 10:13:54 am »

The story itself has been circulating for a few days now but Duncan Garner has hit the nail on the head here. Isn't it getting just a bit precious when offence is taken at the simple words 'Merry Christmas?' This is just PC gone wrong. This is NZ. We have always said Merry Christmas. So we have heaps of immigrants and heaps of people of differing beliefs to the traditional NZ ones. So bloody what. If we were to go and live in other countries, are we going to insist they change their ways to suit us? I don't think so.



Duncan Garner: Let's squash the PC race relations office and move on


OPINION: I'd almost forgotten about the ludicrous decision to appoint a squash player as the country's race relations commissioner – till Susan Devoy dropped another clanger.

And what a howler it was,  throwing her (insignificant) weight behind Auckland Regional Migrants Services' plan to ditch the word Christmas and refer instead to  "happy holidays" and "season's greetings". 

Apparently Devoy, the service's patron, wants to save the majority of Kiwis (who are not Christian) from feeling excluded at this time of year. Good grief.

It's hard not to form the impression that Dame Susan doesn't have enough to keep her busy. I want to be very clear: Devoy was a gutsy, world-class squash player. But none of these qualities make her at all qualified to oversee race relations in this country.

It's time to ditch her role and the entire office she heads. I know my position will be unpopular among the hand-wringers and do-gooders but let me explain.

We celebrate Christmas in New Zealand. It's part of who we are, whether we are Christian or not.

It's a time for family, gifts, talking, laughing, over-eating, drinking, celebrating the end of the year and, if you so desire, church. No-one needs to worry about being excluded from the joys of the season.

At the last census 42 per cent of Kiwis identified as non-Christian. But I have never felt excluded by the word "Christmas".

Nor do I expect taxpayers' money being squandered by an office that has time to meddle in such a lame, pointless debate. Solved all the race issues in this country already have we Susan? Not likely.

There is so much more to worry about in the world – and here at home – to keep a former sportswoman gainfully employed. You'd think Devoy might have learnt her lesson, soon after her 2013 appointment, with her ill-judged suggestion that we ditch Waitangi Day as our national holiday.

And make no mistake – having a race relations commissioner doesn't come cheap.

Devoy's office comes under the Human Right Commission, with a salary bill last year of $6.9 million. Travel costs alone came to $339,000.

Last year there were 456 complaints around racial disharmony and harassment.

The office promotes the annual New Zealand Diversity Forum and a National Youth Forum on Cultural Diversity. Do we really need an entire office to organise some feel-good forums?

In 2013-14, the commission received a total of 5598 new human rights inquiries and complaints, falling just short of the forecast quantity measure of 6000 new human rights matters. These guys actually forecast how many complaints they might get!

When I look around the world and see Paris, Isis and genuine evil, it's proof we live in a relative race relations paradise  and our problems are so, so minor.

Devoy's appointment smacked of a slightly star-struck Government opting for someone with name recognition, rather than relevant experience. It's the same muddied thinking that saw discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina included on a panel to consider a new flag.

We live side by side with dozens of races and religions. They enrich our lives. We go to their festivals and they come to ours. We are a secular society.

If we want to create a taxpayer-funded position to do something meaningful we should appoint someone to address domestic violence in this country.

This week we saw Wellington man Michael Preston convicted of murdering his estranged wife Mei Fan, effectively orphaning the two children they had together.

Preston breached a protection order to kill her. Around 3000 people, mostly men, breached protection orders last year. Violence against women and children remains  our national shame.

Let's declare war on that terror at home, rather than some trumped-up office pandering to political correctness.

What a brilliant Christmas present that would be.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/74463596/duncan-garner-lets-squash-the-pc-race-relations-office-and-move-on
« Last Edit: November 28, 2015, 06:43:27 pm by Alicat » Report Spam   Logged

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reality
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« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2015, 05:39:40 pm »

yup...Dont always agree with Duncan Garner...but I think he has got this dead right on this one...ditch her and the whole outfit.

...especially if she has no quals ....  Embarrassed
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guest49
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« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2015, 08:26:22 am »

I am so very tired of both Political and Health and Safety correctness. [ie, the blind in possession of a dangerous white cane - oh, sorry, I should have said visually impaired!]
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Alicat
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« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2015, 08:32:38 am »

When I got my first 'mobility' card, it was for a disabled car park. They then changed them to mobility car parks. Huh? I have a 'mobility' (sick joke) card because I have a physical disability in my knee and hips. I'm not that mobile sometimes, so mobility seems a very strange label to have.
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Alicat
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« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2015, 08:33:57 am »

A bit like calling someone who is pissed ... intoxicated
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« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2015, 11:23:57 am »

I have spent the past week looking for Christmas decorations suitable for a church. Since I managed to get hold of 4 trees I thought I would try and theme them for Advent e.g. Hope, Peace, Joy, Love with a nativity scene for Christ.

If a church can't celebrate Christmas what is the point of Christmas?

From what I have seen there is no danger of any child accidentally finding out about Christianity from the decorations for sale in most shops. Angels are thin on the ground as are hearts, I have seen just two tiny nativity scenes and one of them only had one wiseman. There are hardly any bells and no other instrument decorations at all, almost no doves (a bit of a concern given the terrorism and war reported on our TVs daily), and the only candle decorations are battery operated or real neither of which will hang on a tree. Even red and white candy canes are not in big supply.

The only conceivably Christian symbol that is in big supply are stars.

The worship of Sinterklaas is alive and well even if Zwarte Piet  (Black Peter) has given a colour change or forgotten entirely.





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The way politicians run this country a small white cat should have no problem http://sally4mp.blogspot.com/
Alicat
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« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2015, 12:01:05 pm »

And now Kirkcaldies Christmas Shop is having its very last year. That was the place for Christmas decorations - fantastic good old traditional ones.
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Crusader
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« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2015, 01:19:04 pm »

Not to mention the new Health and Safety laws coming in April where the lowly supervisor can be prosecuted for any accidents staff have. Most likely these accidents will be the result of budget cuts from senior management, but it will be those further on down the food chain copping the blame.
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« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2015, 01:34:54 pm »

And now Kirkcaldies Christmas Shop is having its very last year. That was the place for Christmas decorations - fantastic good old traditional ones.

The end of an era.  

Did ya know that the first Kirks opened in a wrecked ship on the waterfront?

I still have one of the wee bentwood ladies' chairs where ladies sat while being served at the counter,  and their money was sent by wire upstairs to the office, and the dockets and change sent back down.

We always had morning or afternoon tea at Kirks when we were in town, and I was allowed to ask the pianist to play Mother's favourite songs.  I still have a silver cake-server that i used to lift a piece of cake onto my plate.

I use it now as a wee fish slice, when poaching an egg.  It doesn't get Silvo at all now lol

I spent the first twelve years of my life being scared of the old John great grand father staring down at me from a portrait in the hallway of my old home.

My Chrissy decos are up, a single string of white solar lights along a fence on the back deck.  I want one spelling out
" Happy New Year" in bright colours and flashing for the front.






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Alicat
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« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2015, 02:34:17 pm »

No - I didn't know about Kirk's and the wrecked ship. What a start for them.

Westerman's in Hastings used to have the little metal cylinders that the money was zoomed up to the cashiers office upstairs. I was always fascinated by that.

I don't do Christmas decorations anymore. I have two reasons why not and they are both Burmese cats - lol. Decorations are just too much of a temptation and a tree would be way out of their abilities to be good girls. They're a couple of angels really, but Christmas decorations and trees - way too much to ask.
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Alicat
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« Reply #10 on: November 29, 2015, 02:50:59 pm »

Duncan Garner, we're MAD for Peace, not PC Gone Mad

Dame Susan Devoy responds


OPINION: The ironic thing about people who send me letters about how useless I am and that our race relations are OK, is that most of them are from Pakeha men: as Duncan Garner proved in his latest opinion piece.  I get many letters and emails: some polite, many abusive or threatening.  The personal attacks aren't new and I've got pretty thick skin, for a simple squash player.

But as well as the haters I also get the opposite: messages of thanks and support from people who are grateful I stood up for their right to live in peace and dignity.  They aren't powerful  or famous people but their voices mean more to me than those who think it's PC gone mad to actively work at peaceful race relations.

Super Diversity isn't coming, it's already here. We are home to more than 200 ethnicities – more cultures than the UN has member states. More than one million of us were born overseas and these trends will continue. New Zealand is one of the most ethnically diverse nations on the planet, to ignore our differences is a naοve and hopeless response to an issue the entire world is grappling with.

READ MORE:
Duncan Garner: Let's squash the PC race relations office and move on

Race relations in our country are far from OK.  A third of all complaints we receive are about racial discrimination but we know many people never bother complaining. If we aren't careful the future we leave our children will be vastly different from the peaceful New Zealand we grew up in.

It's not OK for Muslim Kiwis to be singled out, abused and discriminated against because of violent extremists. Neither is it OK to blame Jewish Kiwis for an unfolding tragedy thousands of miles away.

It's not OK for Maori New Zealanders to be racially profiled shopping at their supermarket or walking down the street.

It's not OK to put an advertisement on Trade Me that says No Asians, No Indians or Europeans Only. This year I spent the day with some of the toughest Kiwis I've ever met, elderly Jewish women who survived the Holocaust. One remembers how advertisements for jobs and houses increasingly declared: No Jews. They told me hate starts small, in prejudice and intolerance and they were right.

Last week I told a journalist that people should choose how they observe Christmas. Nek minnit. My comments were twisted to say I supported banning the use of the word Christmas. I do not. I do support the right of Kiwis to decide for ourselves:  I don't want to live in a country where we are told how to observe our faith. We must be free to choose, this is an important tenet of human rights.

Duncan – and others whose opinions are amplified across our television, radio and newspapers – must do better in showing responsible leadership in the national debate about race relations. They are opinion leaders and their opinions are powerful: dismissing anything they don't like as PC gone mad is dumbing down a very important conversation New Zealanders need to have.

They need to be part of the solution, not the problem. When incidents take place, too often I'm the only person speaking out, but just because 'Race Relations' is in my job description doesn't mean they're just my responsibility. We are all responsible for the kind of country we live in.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, New Zealanders gathered at mosques across the country in peace: Jews, Muslims, Christians, Bahai, Hindu, Buddhist Kiwis who are taking responsibility for the kind of country we live in. Not one media outlet bothered to turn up at any of these events.

To mark Human Rights Day on December 10, the Islamic Centre in Avondale, Auckland, will host a peace vigil for human rights:  some may say standing together in peace is PC Gone Mad.  But they are wrong.

To quote London bombing survivor and peace activist Gill Hicks, what we are doing isn't PC Gone Mad.  What we are doing is MAD for Peace – Making A Difference for Peace.  We hope you join us.

Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/74532649/duncan-garner-were-mad-for-peace-not-pc-gone-mad
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« Reply #11 on: November 29, 2015, 03:07:42 pm »

Re Dame Susan Devoy's reply

Poor Susan, nemmind she gotta take it.  Roll Eyes



from r/AskReddit

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« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2015, 02:18:39 am »


....and Dame Susan was appointed to the position by a government of which political party to carry out their bidding?     
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Crusader
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« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2015, 07:23:34 pm »


....and Dame Susan was appointed to the position by a government of which political party to carry out their bidding?     


Once again you have to make some stupid anti Nats comment. Give it a rest KTJ. All of us are sick of you bringing down every single thread with your hate and misguided propaganda.
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« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2015, 09:14:22 am »


Are you one of those people who prefers to attempt to change history rather than answer the question honestly?


Anyway, reading through the earlier thread about Susan Devoy (posted by Lovelee back when Ms Devoy became the race relations concilliator) is very interesting. Posts from YOU even feature in it. You should go back and see what you were posting about her back then and compare it to what you (and others) are posting about her now. I won't make it easy for you and post a link....find it yourself by typing Susan Devoy into the group's search engine and it should be the top result, ahead even of this latest thread about the Dame.
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« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2015, 09:30:49 am »


Are you one of those people who prefers to attempt to change history rather than answer the question honestly?


Anyway, reading through the earlier thread about Susan Devoy (posted by Lovelee back when Ms Devoy became the race relations concilliator) is very interesting. Posts from YOU even feature in it. You should go back and see what you were posting about her back then and compare it to what you (and others) are posting about her now. I won't make it easy for you and post a link....find it yourself by typing Susan Devoy into the group's search engine and it should be the top result, ahead even of this latest thread about the Dame.

I am not here to discuss the past, I am merely informing you that your constant anti Nat propoganda has brought this group down and needs to be toned down.

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« Reply #16 on: December 01, 2015, 02:46:14 pm »



 Peter Jackson - editor of The Nothland Age - has written an interesting opinion (editorial) on the subject, 

headed:   9:52 AM Tuesday Dec 1, 2015

         Grin




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« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2015, 02:54:19 pm »


Are you one of those people who prefers to attempt to change history rather than answer the question honestly?


Anyway, reading through the earlier thread about Susan Devoy (posted by Lovelee back when Ms Devoy became the race relations concilliator) is very interesting. Posts from YOU even feature in it. You should go back and see what you were posting about her back then and compare it to what you (and others) are posting about her now. I won't make it easy for you and post a link....find it yourself by typing Susan Devoy into the group's search engine and it should be the top result, ahead even of this latest thread about the Dame.

I am not here to discuss the past, I am merely informing you that your constant anti Nat propoganda has brought this group down and needs to be toned down.


Ooooooh.....we mustn't criticise the government unless some people get upset.

Does that apply when the Nats are no longer the government in NZ?

'cause I seem to recall a HUGE amount of criticism of the previous government by heaps of people.

Would you like us to all sing Kumbaya together every day for ever and ever and ever?
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If you aren't living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space! 
guest49
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« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2015, 03:14:21 pm »

I think there is reason in all things.  Over recent times, and viewed from the sidelines, the political posts have been far from reasonable from both left and right.
I applaud the actions of the Mods in their efforts to try and return the site to what it was, instead of the point scoring duelling arena it has become.
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Alicat
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« Reply #19 on: December 01, 2015, 03:47:46 pm »

Thanks Yak.

I get fed up seeing threads deliberately hijacked. There was no need to brings the Nats or any political party into this thread.

I have also taken the liberty of moving a fair number of the dual banjoed political threads to the Biffo Room and will continue to do so.

The Mods are trying to encourage other Members to come back to XNC2. I will be mighty damned cross if the efforts that we are making are in vain.
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Alicat
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« Reply #20 on: December 01, 2015, 03:52:02 pm »



I am not here to discuss the past, I am merely informing you that your constant anti Nat propoganda has brought this group down and needs to be toned down.




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Alicat
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« Reply #21 on: December 01, 2015, 03:52:42 pm »

I think there is reason in all things.  Over recent times, and viewed from the sidelines, the political posts have been far from reasonable from both left and right.
I applaud the actions of the Mods in their efforts to try and return the site to what it was, instead of the point scoring duelling arena it has become.


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« Reply #22 on: December 01, 2015, 04:55:11 pm »


Susan Devoy is merely carrying out the tasks set for her by the government who appointed her to the position of race relations conciliator.

So if you don't like what she is doing, then take it up with those politicians who appointed her (the minister who appointed her to the job was called Judith Collins).
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Alicat
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« Reply #23 on: December 01, 2015, 05:03:40 pm »

Point noted - let's move on.
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reality
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« Reply #24 on: December 01, 2015, 06:36:07 pm »

kj..."Susan Devoy is merely carrying out the tasks set for her by the government who appointed her to the position of race relations conciliator."


..are you saying that she is not independent of the govt..if so..do you have proof ..and have you reported that proof to the police...because it would have to be a crime ...surely Wink
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