Free range speech by Trevor Plumbly

Nutter mutter An English sports presenter’s been hauled over the coals for offering an opinion, as has the chair of Health NZ. It might be an age thing, but I’m beginning to believe that the freedom to say what you think is taking a dive; between racial sensitivity, gender identity and cultural protection, plus minority ‘add-ons’, it’s getting to be a bit of a minefield. Time was that, within reason, we were left to sort the harmless eccentrics from the dangerous loonies for ourselves, but these days social media aggrandises all misfits… Read More

Future present by Susan Grimsdell

The warnings we get about global warming always talk about the future – “by 2030 there will be….”  or “in 5 years’ time sea level will….”   But humans are not good at preparing for the future.  We are a here and now kind of species.  For example, most of us find it impossible to say no to a delicious slice of pizza or piece of cake, even when the old saying fills our mind – “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips”.  Oh what the hell, we say and… Read More

Dead End Road by Susan Grimsdell

‘Road to zero’ campaign Even the name is ridiculous.  There will never ever be zero deaths on the roads.  Considering that a PR company here in NZ was paid big dollars to come up with that meaningless and unreal slogan, it doesn’t bode well for what those doing the spending will choose to throw money at next.  Sure enough, just as stupidly, what they’re spending hugely on is urging us to stop being normal human beings, and for all of us to be perfect.  Zero, right?  No margin of error.  As normal… Read More

Free speech and hate speech by Susan Grimsdell

Absence of respect It’s interesting that those who clamour for the right to say anything they want are almost always people who want to say cruel hateful things about other people.  They demand the “freedom” to spew out whatever racist, sexist, anti-semitic, anti-gay messages they want, whether in person or on social media.  I’ve never heard anyone shout out for the right to express kind, generous, tolerant, respectful messages.  We should remember how damaging hate speech is, and if anyone doesn’t know how to identify hate speech, the simple test is –… Read More

A helping hand for the rich by Susan Grimsdell

We all pay taxes and I’m only too happy to do so.  As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Tax is the rent we pay to live in a civilised society”.  Our accumulated money pays for schools, health care, and thousands of other amenities, as well as providing us with money when we are unemployed, sick or old.  Share the pot fairly My taxes go into a huge pile of money we call “government” money.  Of course we know it’s actually ours, that we’ve handed it over in order to meet the needs of… Read More