tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post1368550981722220224..comments2023-12-21T23:44:40.324+13:00Comments on Maui Street: Native Affairs on the Urewera "terrorists"Morgan Godferyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-87589051027953082322012-06-02T23:31:30.802+12:002012-06-02T23:31:30.802+12:00kia ora nga whanau katoa o te motu o aotearoa,my o...kia ora nga whanau katoa o te motu o aotearoa,my opinion on what was hapening in the urewera forest, i think that if the new zealand government can have an army in our country and the crown can do what they did to our people over the last 200 years, then what tame and his people were doing, is good for our people, we are not the terrorist in our country, we are the ones who have been terrorised for 200 years, and as soon as we want to start having military style army camps, the government fear that we myt try take our country back and call us terrorist, we are the real victims in this country, its only alright for the pakeha to do what eva they want in our country but its not alright for uswayne savagenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-60804856868593014942012-05-24T23:08:50.505+12:002012-05-24T23:08:50.505+12:00While these 'terrorists' did not actually ...While these 'terrorists' did not actually do any physical harm to anyone, there is good argument to suggest that they threatened the legitimacy of the New Zealand state (by flouting its laws, and declaring utmost contempt for it).<br /><br />In recognizing a threat to the legitimacy of the state, police were correct to bring these people to account before the courts. <br /><br />The issue I have, is that in doing this, the police invoked irreparable damage to other citizens - who were not involved - through their gross mismanagement of the situation. For the people of Ruatoki, particularly the children to whom a formative impression of our state apparatus will now be of the police waving guns at them and their families.<br /><br />Now the question I ask, is that where is the sense in arresting those who undermine the legitimacy of the state, if in doing so, the state undermines itself ten-fold? <br /><br />The harm caused by the New Zealand Police to the people of Ruatoki demonstrably outweighs any harm done by those who've today been sentenced. It is a abhorrent miscalculation of a police force that had, in recent years, been improving its relationship with the citizens of this country; particularly Maori - with whom there has been poor relations from the outset.Heminoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-9105213482165849822012-05-18T13:33:04.416+12:002012-05-18T13:33:04.416+12:00Kia ora anon, thanks for your comment. The communi...Kia ora anon, thanks for your comment. The community of Ruatoki deserve, at the very least, an apology from the Police. In my opinion, an apology and compensation, perhaps through the Tuhoe treaty settlement, is called for.Morgan Godferyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-40451239008604282392012-05-18T13:07:41.648+12:002012-05-18T13:07:41.648+12:00Kiaora Godfrey
I agree - Native was excellent! N...Kiaora Godfrey<br /><br />I agree - Native was excellent! Nice post.<br /><br />I remain troubled by what Tame and co were up to in the Urewera. But a point that wasn't made on Monday was this: Tame and co are entitled to their silence; They are entitled to a presumption of innocence; They are entitled to due process. They do not owe New Zealand an explanation at all.<br /><br />Stephen Franks and Greg O'Connor's responses were more troubling to me than what may or may not have been going on up in the Urewera. They were basically proposing a suspension of those mainstays of our Justice system to convict by Mob process and not Due process. <br /><br />I continue to believe this was a training exercise for the Police. I am troubled that cameras were able to follow the police on their various raids against Maori. This is a concerning 'americanisation' of police operations (and don't get me wrong - I like America for the most part - just not this part - and their horrendus tort system).<br /><br />If I was Tuhoe I'd be looking at this whole sorry episode as yet another breach of their Tino Rangatiratanga and would be seeking remedies via the Tribunal and or Courts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-73251645716317430172012-05-16T20:27:29.543+12:002012-05-16T20:27:29.543+12:00Hi Hamish,
Thanks for your comment.
In my opin...Hi Hamish, <br /><br />Thanks for your comment. <br /><br />In my opinion, the Urewera four, having been convicted on minor firearms charges only rather than terrorism and criminal group charges, have already been exonerated to a large degree by the justice system.Morgan Godferyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-38555365639878364072012-05-16T19:34:27.248+12:002012-05-16T19:34:27.248+12:00Hey Morgan,
This is an excellent post. I enjoyed r...Hey Morgan,<br />This is an excellent post. I enjoyed reliving good TV through reading it.<br />I think that you might be revealing a bit of a bias by capitalizing the word police though.<br />And I think that Mr Wilcox looked flustered when his conversation went off script with Mr O'Connor. The cameras did try to zoom in on the photo he held up, but nobody on camera was doing TV at that point. It felt, as a viewer, that the conversation had a personal edge to it.<br />I think that's why I enjoyed the show as much as I did.<br />Perhaps that's why I found your post so compelling.<br />I haven't been in New Zealand long enough to know the history here, and if it weren't for this show's comprehensive coverage I never would have felt like I had a chance to understand what people were talking about on this issue.<br />I finished watching thinking that those who'd stood trial were being publicly exonerated to some degree.<br />Reading your post doesn't change my mind.<br />I still disagree with the idea that "pub talk" or people just being dickheads excuses them from being guilty of a crime.<br />But thank you for the analysis and for further contextualizing the issue. <br />Much appreciated.<br />HamishAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com