Gisborne letters on Grey St saga, Olympics meet culture wars

I just hope my grandchildren never have to go through a crowd of yelling adults before they access the Skate Park and Pump Track, says Jill Chrisp ...for the past month there has been a protest each Wednesday over the 'streets for people' changes to Grey St in Gisborne.

Letters to the Editor

OPINION

Public spaces for us all to enjoy

I biked past a gauntlet of placards and angry people on Wednesday. It was worth it, however, because then I came across several groups of playing children and picnicking families. Yes – Grey Street!

I absolutely support the right to freedom of expression and protest. I, as vehemently, support the rights of children and young people to play and be part of family life. These young children were not stuck in front of a screen or messing around being bored.

They were having fun, testing themselves, building their physical skills, and developing their social skills. They were growing into those people we need in our future. How can this be a waste of public money? How can changing a route by several minutes matter more? How can having to slow down when driving matter more?

I applaud the efforts of the Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust to create these spaces for us all to enjoy - and of the council for ensuring safe access to these spaces. It escapes me why there is so much anger from a few people concerned about a tiny section of one street in the city that has been prioritised as “streets for people”. Wouldn’t it be heartening if the same amount of energy were put into protesting about child poverty, or homelessness, or abuse?

I just hope my grandchildren never have to go through a crowd of yelling adults before they access the Skate Park and Pump Track.

For those who are appreciating the new Grey St, and the safety it gives us all to enjoy these facilities, there are many of us with you.

Jill Chrisp

Grey St fiasco

So, on Wednesday I witnessed a mother with three small children cross Grey St direct from the bus stop canopy and go straight across to the skate park using those planter boxes as a protection buffer mid-way.

Obviously I slowed down for them to allow this. Yet, there is an actual pedestrian crossing only 25m away they should have been using.

This is not the first time I have seen youths crossing at this location - proof that this isn’t the safe haven claimed by the so-called designers.

To discourage this jay-walking, those planter boxes need to be removed ASAP.

It goes without saying this is just a disaster waiting to happen.

Peter Millar

Another battle in ‘culture wars’

Re: Olympics opening ceremony - a Christian ‘conspiracy’? August 7 column.

To think that an artistic display at a global event, originating in Hellenistic Greece, could provoke such outrage. I suppose that is rather the point of art - however, in this case, a simple side-by-side comparison of the paintings mentioned clearly shows elements from Jan Hermansz van Bijlert’s Le Festin des Dieux (The Feast of the Gods) AND elements from Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

Christianity is estimated to be held as the religious belief for approximately 31% of the planet. Of that 31%, only a small proportion of Christians felt attacked by the Olympic opening. What I fail to see is an excuse for the outrage.

As Wilson points out, one of the DJs called it the “New Gay Testament”. Fun fact: there are definitely gay Christians, and even those who participated in the opening likely hold some religious beliefs (or not).

If the piece is a critique of Christianity, surely this should invite debate, not blind outrage. In fact, some media outlets and social media accounts have taken to referring to the Olympics as the “Games of Satan” or “The Olympics of Hell”. It seems that particular groups, positions and ideological vanguards have taken this as another battle in the “culture wars”. A petty excuse to attain power or ideological momentum.

The Olympics are meant to be a time of celebration, where athletes compete with their compatriots, celebrate achievements, and represent their countries on the world stage.

Instead, they have now become a pool from which people pick out and manufacture outrage. First, the opening ceremony, now deemed “satanic” or “evil” or whatever descriptor you wish to use. Then we had false allegations of cis women actually being trans, even though actual trans athletes are competing without any problem or apparent advantage.

The outrage that people are feeling seems to be the natural course of things, what with all the social, economic, and environmental pressures the world seems to have on its throat.

Wars, ethnic cleansing, social unrest at the merest hint of a lie (looking at Britain at the moment) and the effects climate change is having on people, their livelihoods, and their countries from severe storms to droughts, from rising sea levels to desertification.

Takoda Ackerley

Should be a win-win

Re: ‘Please help us’: Mayor wants rules for maintaining buildings, August 8 story.

Well done Rehette for bringing this issue to the fore. At last something constructive. Unfortunately the issue is not peculiar to Gisborne and any new legislation will need to be clear, fair and provide the result that will benefit the city and the building owners.

At the end of the day it is the owner’s responsibility to keep their commercial premises to a level and standard that complies with the the New Zealand building code. The CBD of Gisborne is the face of Tairāwhiti and standards and covenants need to be imposed on building owners to ensure the buildings are maintained to the acceptable level.

It really should be a win-win situation. Sure, it costs the building owner to comply. But he will get a rental return that will assist in reimbursing his costs. At present we have non-compliant, unrentable commercial premises and a very ugly and poor impression of Gisborne and the East Coast.

Good luck Rehette ... I have not voted for you in the past but I think you have hit the nail on the head with this call. You might get my next one. Well done.

Tony Gray