Recently, Keep New Zealand Beautiful announced that Whanganui was crowned the Most Beautiful City in the country.
Well, the tatty, muddy space on Maria Place adjacent to the Farmers' carpark must have slipped their eye.
In an area of town that most visitors would see, this so-called green space needsa decision to be made about it. Is it a lawn with vehicles prevented from parking on it, or — alternatively — a properly constructed parking area?
Either option would be a better result than what we have now.
Dani Lebo tells us Halloween is so much fun she can't face Christmas, then Jay Kuten promotes Thanksgiving (a truly worthwhile celebration of the life, breath and other blessings we all receive from God).
Both writers being of American origin, I suppose it is natural that they would choose to promote American celebrations (though I fail to see the fun in ghouls, goblins and other ghastly creatures).
I totally agree with both that Christmas has taken on a temporary commercial glitz in place of the peaceful, reverent anticipation of the past.
Photo / File
The answer, perhaps, is for those whom this offends to opt out of the rush, rush, buy, buy pressure and re-establish connection with the celebration of the birth of Christ among the least and the lowest, without proper clothing or shelter. A mysterious miracle of the most high choosing to identify with the most low.
This year, give to the food banks, prisoners aid, birthright and others. Go and spend time with the lonely, or invite them to share a meal with you. Sing carols at the hospital and retirement homes. Discover how much more joy there is in giving of your time, energy and love than in receiving material things. A joyous Christmas to all.
M Donne-Lee Aramoho
Bucketloads of plastic product
It's been said before and I endorse it, that as I unpack my groceries from a local supermarket, I am struck by the bucketloads of plastic product accompanying just about every item in my purchases.
Is it not time for government and industries to adopt an ethical stance and seriously address this practice.
Not sufficient for government to think it's ticked its feelgood boxes by eliminating plastic bags.
That barely touches the wider problem. We are told by reputable science that in addition to serious climate issues, there is a plastics crisis on our land and in our rivers and oceans.
What part of that does government and industry not understand? To make it illegal to randomly dispose of waste is one thing. Still providing the plastic means for many to inevitably ignore those laws is just plain incongruous.
I liken it to the legal sale of radar detectors for drivers to defeat speed enforcement measures put in place to protect lives. It's that baffling and incongruous. It's clear that the only measures that speak the language of big business in this profit-driven world are those that hit their pockets.
We see successive governments happy to hit the pockets of smokers, in that case furthering the struggles of the most vulnerable.
Where is the leadership in government to have the balls to more importantly and urgently hit the pockets of big business by imposing significant tax penalties on plastic used by these industries so that such harmful practices become uneconomic.
Regulation debarring the increased costs being passed on to the consumer is justified as this would defeat the purpose of the measures.
Big business speaks the language of the dollar. Governments speak the language of the popular vote.
Let's engage them in that sort of lingo as consumers/voters and assert our power as such by being finally listened to where the powers that be, feel their own interests threatened.
It's rather shameful that these entities need to consider their own interests rather than taking an ethical stand as the only necessary incentive. That's capitalist democracies, I guess.
Paul Baber Aramoho
Send your letters to: Letters, Whanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Whanganui 4500 or email letters@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
