When the Beatles penned the classic sixties song Let it Be, I wonder if a menstruating Mother Mary would have caused them concern as it has for many over the past week?
In fact it has been a week of why nots, what ifs and who cares _ but let's start
with the lyrics of Let It Be.
"When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me, seeking words of wisdom, let it be."
For many keepers of the Catholic faith and other Christian believers, Mother Mary is indeed the person that they come to in times of trouble, and faith is their foundation to hold on to.
Sure they could turn off their TV or voice their protest by boycotting the brilliant Campbell Live at 7pm, but that act of self-willed censorship will cause little or no change by CanWest, the owners of TV3 and TV4 _ now known as C4.
So here's one from outside the box so to speak in TV talk. Maybe a character cartoon of Mrs Rick Friesen, the wife of the chief operating officer, dressed up in period costume, in a similar sick situation, would at least give CanWest a dose of their own medicine.
In another hikoi of hope it was an honour to walk alongside Granny Maree and her P Protest this week as she took her cause toward the steps of Parliament, and in a similar headlining act was Maori MP, Hone Harawira's total ban on smoking bill.
Sure it's a pipe dream but the awareness it is creating can only be good for Maori. One in two Maori smoke, spending on average, $100,000 on hikareti (cigarettes) in their smoking lifetime, so guess where all the whare finances are going?
When I mentioned this subject to a ciggy smoking sister she said "Over my dead body will Hone Harawira stop me from smoking".
I thought quietly to myself, how prophetic.
Maybe it is all Hone huff and puff, but good on him for showing some leadership. The sooner Maori recognise nicotine as a dangerous drug that kills over 2000 of their own every year, the better, and then maybe their tamariki who are hooked on other drugs will start to listen to them.
For me and my two bob's worth, any awareness created by the smoke signals this chief is sending out to his tribe has got to be good. But reality suggests the economies of scale will prevail because the $750 million in taxes this drug habit brings into the Government coffers, stacked up against $250 million a year it costs to treat the illnesses smoking causes, suggests to me, Hone is on a hiding to none. I hope I am wrong.
On a lighter note there was a pint-sized protest at the planning meeting we had for the20-year future of Te Puna last Wednesday night. It seems that some like the sound of their own voice and will lick their own stamp when it comes to shooting the messenger and not the message.
Sure someone didn't play postman's knock and some residents didn't get the message, but the priority postage of being part of the planning process surely has to rate for the ratepayers. It wasn't that long ago local authorities would sign a piece of paper under the public works act and before you could say ``return to sender'' half of your sacred mountain Pukewhanaki on Station Rd was stolen for road rubble.
So we have come a long way. I thought it was a great hui and local councillors, and planning groups should be congratulated. I hope the ratio of four Maori and 94 non-Maori attending will be a bit more balanced for the next hui soon to be announced by fliers that must make it to every letterbox.
So does protesting work? From what I have seen this week I have to say yes. You can do the blame thing and say it's everyone else's fault but yours, or you can become part of the Ngati Whinger whanau, who will moan at the weather for being bad but never stop to thank it when it's fine.
Or you can voice your view in what ever format you feel fit. And if all else fails in this weird and wonderful world you can do what my bro Hori Harrison did when him and his mates sang about Mother Mary speaking words of wisdom in their times of trouble.
For me the next verse of that song is the real kicker.
"And in my hour of darkness there will be a light that shines on me, shine on till tomorrow, let it be."
Pai marire tommy@indigenius.org
KAPAI: Return dose of satire a good channel for anger
When the Beatles penned the classic sixties song Let it Be, I wonder if a menstruating Mother Mary would have caused them concern as it has for many over the past week?
In fact it has been a week of why nots, what ifs and who cares _ but let's start
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