In response to letters from Dey/Parish (September 7) and Paterson (August 31).

Historically, pre-1800s New Zealand, various pockets of ex-islanders with various dialects existed, battle-victor determined. It's difficult to pretend ‘a universal language' then existed. Later, spoken dialects were scribed. In recent decades, past dialects/historic meanings have changed such that genuine historical scribes likely wouldn't recognise the current evolved meanings currently attributed.

Despite history, somehow opposing views exist on historic backgrounds for te reo. No one wants to admit recent language evolution has been merely consequential of a need to support current aspirations, derived from the unsigned English (ironic indeed!) draft of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. There is a need to 'bridge' an ever-widening gap of past and current desires.

Hence the necessity to enlarge, embellish and reincarnate significant aspirations of so few to attain that owed to so many.

Self-determination consequences are seen. There is a strong correlation of handouts via the prolific array of government-funded settlements and consequential jail occupancy/health issues/crime/social behaviour issues. All have seriously deteriorated, yet demands for more escalate.

The path to date has seen significant deterioration, not an improvement. Self-determination means self-reliance, not dependence. The mindset precludes learning independence.

Tua imi poremi hohonu rere kararo!

I Stevenson, Tauranga (Abridged).

Correspondence on this thread is now closed.