This does not help when women are facing high statistics of abuse in our country. One in three women is estimated to have physical/sexual violence from a partner in their lifetime. One of the highest in the OECD.
We all need to be aware of how we treat each other. Our schools can certainly play a big part, as can the home. The biggest lesson for our young is the interaction that takes place within our adult world.
Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
The muffled tread of fascism
Phil Goff may be forgettable, according to a letter writer (June 7). It’s really neither here nor there.
But he should be remembered for one thing at least: drawing our attention to recent history.
Anyone with even the slightest interest in it will recognise that the rise of 20th century fascism was heralded by attacks on minority races and social minorities, attacks on the media and the judiciary, disdain for the democratic process, propaganda and fakery, militia and dominant political groups controlling our understanding and teaching of history.
All these things we are witnessing abroad, but on our own shores the traces can be observed, particularly in the behaviours of our minor parties and their supporters. We have attacks on Māori, on gender groups, calls to control the press, judges called communists, much of our legislation rushed through under urgency and, lately, without consultation and due regard to expert evidence – and the actions of supporters of a so-called church.
We are not immune. Listen carefully, you can hear everywhere the muffled tread of fascism.
Dr Ian Ferguson, Auckland.
Importance of vaccinations
In an age of amazing scientific progress, it seems unbelievable that – because of anti-vaccination sentiment, a feeling of violation of civil liberties, general community lethargy and a bias against pharmaceutical companies – New Zealand childhood vaccinations are now at a low level compared with other First World countries.
Because of vaccinations, diseases in New Zealand such as hepatitis, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, tetanus and influenza became almost unknown – and Poliomyelitis was eliminated.
At regular intervals now, however, there are outbreaks of many of these preventable diseases. The time must arrive, therefore, when a new thrust should occur as to the necessity of these “at-no-cost” childhood vaccinations. This letter is an attempt to initiate such a process.
Dr Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
The China-US balance
I wholeheartedly agree with the letter by Helen Clark, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Don Brash and others (advocacy advertisement, June 7), reminding us that our loyalties are to maintaining peace with China rather than aiding military acts by the United States that oppose China.
We do far more trade with China than with the US. Our skills are in peacemaking, not war. We have agreed that Taiwan is part of China. If this eventuates, we can trade with (current) Taiwanese companies through China.
We need to maintain positive relations with both China and the US. The current US President believes he can win a conflict with China. We will have more effect if we maintain peaceful relations with both powers.
Kay Irwin, Point Chevalier.
Musk won’t have changed his spots
Elon Musk’s apparent break with President Donald Trump shouldn’t suddenly rehabilitate him from zero to hero for non-Maga people.
The chainsaw that he so gleefully wielded on stage was an appropriate metaphor for the Doge’s “move-fast-and-break things” approach. All the while, Musk displayed callous indifference to the lives of those most directly affected by his cavalier cuts, be it the HIV patients whose supply of medicine was suddenly turned off and may now be dead, the starving children who didn’t receive USAid food, or the federal workers who were peremptorily fired. These largely anonymous, defenceless people are the real-world collateral damage of Musk’s ill-considered actions.
The Doge proved to be surprisingly incompetent and became politically toxic, and now Musk himself has effectively been let go. However, a leopard doesn’t change its spots and the racist, fascist views Musk revealed at the Doge doubtlessly remain.
Peter Jansen, Mission Bay.
