Messages of love and support continue to adorn the Al Moor Mosque in Christchurch after the tragedy of the 2019 mass shooting. Photo / Mike Scott
As a US citizen who specialises in early Christian-Muslim relations, I was asked to brief US State Department personnel on Islam in the wake of 9/11. I remember the cultural blindness of many career bureaucrats who had never set foot outside of the US except to
various US compounds. While many were very well-meaning (who could deny the benefits of democracy and education, after all?), what was lacking was a serious outreach to the multi-faceted US Muslim population.
Although 9/11 was perpetrated by (foreign) Muslims, and the Christchurch shooter attacked (Kiwi) Muslims, the precipitating environment is, arguably, that of historic tensions between dar al-islam and Christendom. I therefore very much hope that, rather than pouring more money into (governmental) security, intelligence and "anti-terror" task forces, the NZ Government will seriously engage Kiwi Muslims, of all backgrounds, and particularly those who suffered in the Christchurch attack, as it formulates and implements its response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry report.
In particular, I hope it will not overlook the specific theological and cultural roots of the Islamophobia that was present in the attack.
Clare Wilde, Research Associate, University of Auckland.
The only prophylactic to further atrocities is an exhaustive inquiry into the perpetrator's history which will always reveal the motivation for the crime and provide a mature understanding and closure for victims.
For Brenton Tarrant read Stephen Paddock (Las Vegas), Anders Breivik (Norway) and Thomas Hamilton (Dunblane) et al; an all too familiar pattern of the murderous ramifications of paternal loss in childhood.
The victims (past, present and future) must be our priority and, unless we overcome our natural resistance to including the "victim within the perpetrator" too, then no lessons will be learned and we will be colluding with the nurturing of future perpetrators and sadly, many more victims.
Peter Aylward, former detective in counter-terrorism, New Scotland Yard.
Aotearoa was the perfect land of milk and honey for the lethal terrorist viper attack. Such an act is so alien to our society and sense of aroha. Unthinkability works in two realms. It provides the viper with the cover to strike and the unsuspecting victim does not see it coming. That is us with the Christchurch horror, it was also 9/11 and we, the world need to open our perspectives to the unthinkable everywhere.
We cannot watch with over-vigilance, we cannot live in fear of the unseen and be equally intimidated by the protection mechanisms like armed police. We must have relaxed alertness, have the time to observe and notice what is threatening and lethal. This enables the rat trap to be set to save our delicate species from such toxicity to humanism.
Aroha to all who have lost and continue to endure, our words and awareness cannot bring back all you have had stolen and felt. You have made me smile warmly when I see your faces clearly display that there is love in our world.
Richard Ghent, Randwick Park.
It's almost too embarrassing these days to admit to being an Aucklander. Firstly we have a water shortage brought on purely by inept management, and Auckland Council is either unable or unwilling to sort Watercare out.
Secondly, Auckland Port is crippled because one of the straddle carriers was wayward and, of course, an investigation has to be carried out so all other such machines are stopped. Boat after boat is unable to come into the port to unload at a time when retailers need the goods urgently to try to recover their losses. One would like to believe that every possible effort is being urgently made to get the straddle carrier behaving itself thus allowing all others to get back on the job.
Then there are roadworks, which are self-explanatory. I know there is an ultimate aim but the timing of the works by the council is abysmal.
I love Auckland but seriously, we need some strong, common sense council leadership without extravagant spending. Currently, we are not getting that.
Janet Boyle, Ōrewa.
New Zealand's unemployment benefit is one of the lowest among OECD countries, at a little over half the OECD average.
An unemployment insurance scheme similar to ACC funded by employer/employee of 1 per cent each to supplement the current government contribution can double the current benefit and bring us into line with at least the OECD average. It's the right time to do this, now that Covid-19 has shown that it can happen to any of us.
We need to stop thinking of them as dole bludgers; these are people who want to and are actively looking for work, and we spend only 7 per cent of our welfare budget on the unemployment benefit. Their life is not an easy one with high mental and other health problems, poverty, high suicide rates—impacts on healthcare costs that we can reduce if we take better care of them.
Kushlan Sugathapala, Epsom.
Typical of the Greens' limited understanding of economic reality, they push for a Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to fix rising house prices. Just check out Sydney - high prices alongside CGT.
While NZ has insufficient houses, prices will rise (rentals or owned).
National instigated a two-year bright line test to sensibly clarify that "flipping" properties was taxable. Subsequently, Labour, misunderstanding a good idea, extended it to five years – effectively reducing the normal free flow of properties for sale.
People have many fair reasons for selling an investment property, including; reorganising affairs, swapping investments, divesting from property, retiring, relocating and so on.
But exorbitant tax at high marginal rates locks up properties, exacerbating the market shortage.
Perhaps the Greens should visit their greengrocer to witness out-of-season price-rises (demand exceeding supply) to see tax can't fix that either.
What Government must do (quickly) is redesign the RMA process and force councils to rezone and free up land to facilitate a quantum change in the build rate - including Kiwibuild as promised.
The Covid honeymoon won't last forever.
Don Frampton, Waikanae.
Once again we're heading into the "Season of Slaughter" on our roads. This time it will undoubtedly be worse than ever as holidaymakers can no longer travel overseas to wreak their mayhem in other countries.
Once again, we'll see the usual platitudes from the Government but little action, either because it has no idea how to address the carnage on our roads or because it sees it as an acceptable price for us to pay as an alternative for implementing effective preventive measures.
We need to follow other jurisdictions such as New South Wales. That is, from the start through to the end of any holiday period, the doubling of penalty points and doubling of the existing trivial fines for all motoring offences.
This may offend some but they take no notice of the regular pleas, ignore the penalties and continue to cause avoidable tragedy and distress on our roads.
Put simply, education without significant consequences for breaking the law has proved to be ineffective and we all suffer as a result.
Rod Lyons, Muriwai.
Whilst not entirely buying into the simplified fact that global warming is purely caused by human activity, I still value Michael Barnett's column (NZ Herald, December 8). Regardless of whether global warming is largely caused by a cyclical planetary occurrence or mainly by human plundering and pollution of the earth, little room for debate is left, when it comes to us, humans, having created a large part of the earth as a tip-face and a plundered crust.
It is high-time to be part of inspirational collective global action. Our tiny nation has such a massively positive reputation and is looked up to, since our clean geothermal energy generation and our steady revegetation process has already gained momentum.
We should use our leverage smartly, to help save the entire planet from choking within its own layer of toxic waste and wake up the currently sleepy nations. Brazil and Indonesia spring to mind and they are truly gigantic in what they have ruined, both in loss of species - and their habitats - as well as a seemingly unwilling attitude to halt any further plundering.
Thank you Michael for reminding us of our duty, if only for the existence of future generations of currently still existing species.
René Blezer, Taupō.
While we spend millions of dollars on conservation and breeding programmes, on "bringing birds back into the city", on creating pest-free corridors, on trapping initiatives, on massive poison drops, all designed to protect our precious native birds unique to this country, we also chop any established trees down that get in the way of human expansion.
Motorways, subdivisions, shopping malls, and now school classrooms, will always take precedence. Since the Key Government gutted the tree protection laws the devastation of bird habitats has been disastrous. It is not enough to say we are planting other trees to make up for the loss. Mature trees take decades to reach their size. And meanwhile the birds suffer.
There must be an end to this madness. It is hypocrisy, it is vandalism, it is criminal.
Paul Judge, Hamilton.
I just got a traffic ticket for going against a red arrow turning left, at midnight, on a motorbike. Fine is $150. Fine for using a phone while driving is still $80. Bit of a dichotomy. Chris Blenkinsopp, Beach Haven.
On breakdancing
Razor Robertson, your Olympic dream may not be over yet. John Christiansen, Mt Albert.
On benefits
Hylton Le Grice is on the money with adopting Australia's cashless debit card for beneficiaries to buy essentials. This way, taxpayers get a guarantee the money goes to feed children and removing social ills. Nishi Fahmy, Avondale.
On lights
Hooray. Another set of traffic lights on Hobsonville Rd. We won't even get to the speed limit before the next one. Perhaps there'll be no more speeding fines? Karola Wheeler, West Harbour.
On cricket
New Zealand Cricket forgot one thing when they opted for Spark to become their
new partner - and that is their fan base. Reg Dempster, Albany.
On toilets
Goff may be able to close public toilets but he can't stop the urge to go to one. Please use some common sense. Richard Carey, Manly.
On cyclists
It would be interesting to know how many cyclists use their bikes to commute, and to work out the cost per cyclist of providing cycle lanes (plus the proposed cycle crossing on the Bridge). I see hardly any cyclists on weekdays, but come weekends the same road has dozens of cyclists, nearly all wearing Lycra. Roger Hall, Takapuna.
Herald sports reporters Alex Powell and Cam McMillan run Ryan Bridge through the weekend of sport, including the Crusaders Super Rugby title.