Letter to the Editor, Tuesday July 12, 2016

Moving on

Correspondents such as Bruce Moon and Anahera Herbert-Graves insist on pushing their own one-track and selective versions of history. Each of them, no doubt, will agree with this statement being applied to the other.

Even if some of what they are saying is true, what is their purpose?

Maori once had slaves, as did Europeans and even Africans. All at one time subjugated women. Most peoples have moved on. Let us look forward.

A major reason for recording history is to avoid making history's mistakes. What is the point of laying blame on the descendants of people who made these mistakes? These descendants have moved on. We no longer have any right to have slaves or to feel superior to anyone else.

The way forward is to respect all people and accept them as people who share the planet and accept that the sons have moved away from the sins of their fathers. Transferring blame or praise from the ancestors to their descendants is neither fair nor useful.

The world we have inherited is the world we have now. Learning how we got here is academic. Blaming or taking pride in our ancestors is pointless.

We are what we are, the sins or achievement of our ancestors is not our doing. We need to look at our own sins or our achievement.

There will always be issues to address or change. Let us deal with what is in front of us, not behind. Feel free to criticise current actions or behaviour and leave it at that.

Correspondents who seem intent on judging groups because of perceived actions in the past, need to get a life.

BRIAN GILLESPIE
Cooper's Beach