Letters to the editor: Don't blame Māori suicides on Pākehā

Stop blamiling colonialism for Māori suicides, a reader says. Photo/Getty

Don't let past define us

Suicide rates as outlined in the NZ Herald (August 24) are a blight on our society and I agree that issues like poverty and violence are a major issue.

However, I strongly object to the Mental Health Foundation dragging in the so-called "legacy of colonialism" into the debate, as said by Ellen Norman.

This is clearly aimed at laying the blame on Pākehā (the colonialists) and creates a sense of injustice that does nothing to help in addressing the high rate of suicide amongst Māori. It only makes the divisions in our society worse.

Surely as an organisation, the Mental Health Foundation should be doing the opposite and encouraging people to not let things that happened in the past define where they are at today. We all have issues that we have been though but encouraging people to blame others and to dwell on the past cannot ever be helpful.

Let's get this racist blaming of a "legacy of colonialism" out of the debates around suicide, crime and other such issues so that these people (and the nation) can move forward with their lives.

B Ingram
Papamoa

Denying culture and history

Holding that one section of New Zealanders are getting a better deal than another if Māori are getting a seemingly better provision than the rest of us is, in my opinion, tantamount to the view of your average racist who denies there is anything called culture.

It is also to deny history, but that's another story.

I get heartily sick of these would-be protagonists of fair play who are blind to both these facts.

Whenever there is a necessity to build an accommodation suiting two or more cultures, thinking outside the square is called for.

Looking in Don Brash's direction for that won't get you very far, I'm afraid.

Laurie Loper
Pyes Pa

Worse on Edgecumbe Rd

I agree about the speedsters on Christopher St (News, August 25) but in my opinion, Edgecumbe Rd from 11th Ave to 5th Ave is much, much worse

Christopher St already has intersections which slow traffic down. Edgecumbe Rd is used as a Cameron Rd bypass in the same way that Christopher St is, but Edgecumbe Rd is a long, straight dragstrip with no give way or stop intersections to slow speedsters down so the speeds on this stretch of road are much higher than on Christopher St.

Multiple cars on any given day do speeds approaching or in excess of 100km/h on this stretch of Edgecumbe Rd.

Paul Mercer
Tauranga