Talk Back Radio - Interesting listening
It is funny from time to time that you catch youself being sucked into a talk back radio channel with some interesting topic of the moment. Listening to Radio Live during my travels today brought up some interesting ones.
1. Children doing adult crimes
Take the kid who killed the pizza guy. Why is it that kids who apparently know what they are doing, and the severity of their actions cannot be tried as adults? Why is it that a 9 year old kid could potentially take out a car, kill someone and because of their age, not be found as guilty as a teenager or anyone above the age of 18?
Some would blame this on the video games that the kids of today play. I kinda squirm at listening to the Radio Networks playing an ad for a game. The ad goes something like, "play the latest R18 game... and get a free demo of Halo 3"...
Even kids, must admit that it was the same in my kid days, we played wrestling like our hero's Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, now there is XXX, Vince McMahon. Do they comprehend what they are seening is carefully scripted shows? What about the damage that could be done in the imitation of these actions they see on TV?
What about the wrestlers who have been killed in the action. Owen Hart and many others.
2. Maori as environmental guardians.
CRAP!!! I'm almost tempted to leave it at that. Tariana Turia claiming Maori are the environmental guardians of this country. Since when? Ask the Moa. Oh...thats right...we can't.
It seems now that claims are being made on the water being a customary right. Why? Next its the oxygen we breath. I just dont get it. Its the grass we clip, the trees we chop and the fish I fish.
Personally, there are very few maori organisations I trust with money. I have seen tribe after tribe squabble over the spoils of successful Waitangi Tribunal claims and spend decades trying to decide what to do with the money. But then there comes infighting and lawyers are called in. In fact, I believe that the law profession has made a mint off of maori who cant sort out their own issues. Then there are the others. Donna Awatere-Huata. The first attempt at Maori TV some years ago.
But Turia's claims about Maori being the environmental guardians. The term from the TV show home improvement kinda is coming out..."I dont think so Turia." Even today, some of the biggest wreckers of our environment come from Maori who pick, eat and drop their rubbish on the beaches when digging for kai moana. Maori fisheries over fishing and not being overly environmentally friendly with their fishing trawlers and wanting more. How is that being a kaitiaki of the environment?
3. The Anti-Smacking bill debate
So...rushing the bill through parliament under the pretence of urgency next wednesday is not railroading the process according to the bills proponent Sue Bradford. CRAP!!! I might send this blog to the National Party as well as the others who are opposing this move. My challenge would be this. We will support the move under urgency if the ability to vote as a block is removed and it becomes a conscience vote for all MP's and let the vote fall as it will.
This is a bill of intense public interest and concern and the voting as a block (meaning MP's have to follow party lines) is wrong. On balance, the Prostitution reform bill, which basically legalised prostitution within a business premesis was a conscience vote. The Marriage Reform bill, which legalised civil unions was a conscience vote. So now, the ability or removal of the right for a parent to smack their children in their own homes is not a conscience issue?
I for some reason, was under the impression that the 121 members of that house represented the views and wishes of the people. For some reason, I thought we were in some form of a democracy. Where the views and wishes of the people were represented! I think I might have been mistaken. In reality, this is to keep the Greens on the side of the minority government until the next election.
But I wonder what would happen if the freedom to vote was given to MP's what would happen to the bill in this final stage.
Well, thats me for another week. Lets see what comes up next week.
1. Children doing adult crimes
Take the kid who killed the pizza guy. Why is it that kids who apparently know what they are doing, and the severity of their actions cannot be tried as adults? Why is it that a 9 year old kid could potentially take out a car, kill someone and because of their age, not be found as guilty as a teenager or anyone above the age of 18?
Some would blame this on the video games that the kids of today play. I kinda squirm at listening to the Radio Networks playing an ad for a game. The ad goes something like, "play the latest R18 game... and get a free demo of Halo 3"...
Even kids, must admit that it was the same in my kid days, we played wrestling like our hero's Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, now there is XXX, Vince McMahon. Do they comprehend what they are seening is carefully scripted shows? What about the damage that could be done in the imitation of these actions they see on TV?
What about the wrestlers who have been killed in the action. Owen Hart and many others.
2. Maori as environmental guardians.
CRAP!!! I'm almost tempted to leave it at that. Tariana Turia claiming Maori are the environmental guardians of this country. Since when? Ask the Moa. Oh...thats right...we can't.
It seems now that claims are being made on the water being a customary right. Why? Next its the oxygen we breath. I just dont get it. Its the grass we clip, the trees we chop and the fish I fish.
Personally, there are very few maori organisations I trust with money. I have seen tribe after tribe squabble over the spoils of successful Waitangi Tribunal claims and spend decades trying to decide what to do with the money. But then there comes infighting and lawyers are called in. In fact, I believe that the law profession has made a mint off of maori who cant sort out their own issues. Then there are the others. Donna Awatere-Huata. The first attempt at Maori TV some years ago.
But Turia's claims about Maori being the environmental guardians. The term from the TV show home improvement kinda is coming out..."I dont think so Turia." Even today, some of the biggest wreckers of our environment come from Maori who pick, eat and drop their rubbish on the beaches when digging for kai moana. Maori fisheries over fishing and not being overly environmentally friendly with their fishing trawlers and wanting more. How is that being a kaitiaki of the environment?
3. The Anti-Smacking bill debate
So...rushing the bill through parliament under the pretence of urgency next wednesday is not railroading the process according to the bills proponent Sue Bradford. CRAP!!! I might send this blog to the National Party as well as the others who are opposing this move. My challenge would be this. We will support the move under urgency if the ability to vote as a block is removed and it becomes a conscience vote for all MP's and let the vote fall as it will.
This is a bill of intense public interest and concern and the voting as a block (meaning MP's have to follow party lines) is wrong. On balance, the Prostitution reform bill, which basically legalised prostitution within a business premesis was a conscience vote. The Marriage Reform bill, which legalised civil unions was a conscience vote. So now, the ability or removal of the right for a parent to smack their children in their own homes is not a conscience issue?
I for some reason, was under the impression that the 121 members of that house represented the views and wishes of the people. For some reason, I thought we were in some form of a democracy. Where the views and wishes of the people were represented! I think I might have been mistaken. In reality, this is to keep the Greens on the side of the minority government until the next election.
But I wonder what would happen if the freedom to vote was given to MP's what would happen to the bill in this final stage.
Well, thats me for another week. Lets see what comes up next week.
posted by Wiremu Bayliss at
3:52 pm
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