The fact that Europeans had settled here almost 200 years ago, bringing their beast of burden to work and help cultivate this land for growing crops, and cattle and sheep were introduced here to breed so as to feed and clothe all the people of this island seems not to mean anything today.
The Europeans with their technological advancement came here and built homes, roads, and later engineered dams for the benefit of all so we would have cheap electricity for everyone's comfort. From those harsh days and into the 20th Century, with blood, sweat and tears of wars and tribulations, with so much arduous work, we became a prosperous country supplying the world with foodstuff. Our social standing, our healthy and well educated children, freedom for our women, comfort for the old; New Zealand became the envy of less fortunate states
Now the descendants of those earlier pioneers are confronted with the plunder of resources their forefathers worked so hard to utilise for the good of the country, and find where once beaches were free for everyone are gained by licence of Maori because of their dubious genealogical backgrounds say they have a right to own. What we have gathered over recent months it is questionable whether there is free access to beaches, we read of unauthorised car clamping for one thing, and other contravening actions taking place by Maori, but chances are we may not hear about it yet.
Today it is hard to believe that so much greed has overcome us; sad to see that the government of today pitching Maori and Europeans against each other by giving in to Maori insatiable demands just so John Key and his ilk can sell our resources hopefully unnoticed while the European and Maori argue with each other. (abridged)

Ray Jones, Otumoetai.