Letters: Humanity has been missing in modern times

Compassion is sometimes lacking in humanity, says a reader. Photo / Getty Images

I commend Doug Morris for his letter (Letters, October 4) "More of the basics of humanity needed" as humanity has generally been missing since the Ancient Greeks recognised us as a human, social species.

I believe this, because we all inherit dormant human and social potentials, our foundations, which require fostering from our earliest days for their fulfilment.

Developing these is the critical role of parents, but since the times of the Ancient Greeks there's never been a system established to ensure they, as all young are potential parents, all gain the understandings and skills needed to foster the development of this foundation.

This failure allows the survival and animal instincts, also inherited, to flourish, so removing acceptance of personal consequences resulting in increasing prisons populations, lack of concern and considerations for others, and the increasing growth of inhumanity around the world; as power, control and privilege by some predominate as a result of what's missing.

Overcoming what's missing seems a better result for us all.

Yet in times of emergency many people from a whole range of situations respond instinctually with compassion and goodness, things not usually apparent in their everyday life – showing that recovery of potentials are still possible.

Hugh Hughes
Mount Maunganui

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Treaty is NZ law

The Treaty of Waitangi is not an optional extra for local councillors.

The Treaty is New Zealand law. Local councillors are a part of government, and bound by the Treaty as much as central government.

The Treaty, as decided by the Waitangi Tribunal, requires councillors to work fairly in partnership with Māori communities.

The Local Government Act 2002 Section 77 states that any significant decision relating to land must take into account the relationship of Māori and their culture and traditions with their ancestral land.

Members of the public can make submissions that ignore fairness to Māori, but councillors do not have that freedom.

By law they are required to disregard submissions unfair to Māori.

They are not free to put their own personal view ahead of what the law requires, and professing belief in racial equality is not a free pass to then make decisions that are unfair to Māori.

Peter Dey
Welcome Bay

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