On 2 November you published an article titled 'Shared Values Unite Our Cultures” in which local kaumatua Colin Bidois extended the hand of friendship and reconciliation and urged us all to focus on what we share in common rather than on our differences.
It was therefore sad and disappointing to read in your issue of 16 November a mean-spirited attack on Mr. Bidois implying that his comments were not sincere and that he had a totally different agenda.
Those allegations are completely false. Mr Bidois is a man of the highest personal integrity with a lifetime of service to the community. His wisdom and insight and mana are widely respected throughout Tauranga Moana and beyond.
There have been many tragic occurrences in our history between Maori and Pakeha. It is an encouraging sign of our developing maturity as a nation that we are facing up to these challenges and that we are attempting to rectify them.
It is not always an easy road to travel but it is the right road to be on.
So let us focus on the many important values that Mr Bidois reminded us that we share and move forward together in a spirit of mutual goodwill to build a better future for the generations to come.
Tony Noble, Mount Maunganui.
2 comments
THE RIGHT ROAD?
Posted on 23-11-2012 16:17 | By TERMITE
Well perhaps the letters tot eh editor over the last few months generally indicate that there is a lack of 'heading in teh same direction' due to teh dispartities that are now emerging, the wild and fanciful re-write of history for the self created purpose of attempting to provide justication of ones own claims to an inheritance via the taxpayer at large and without the payers prior knowledge ... that all sounds fair!
Hello Tony
Posted on 24-11-2012 20:47 | By Mike Kuipers von Lande
I was not aware that speaking the truth was now referred to as 'being mean spirited. Mr. Bidois has made many contradictory statements through this paper. Sometimes he takes a view of all peoples being equal as he did in the article. I applaud those sentiments. Other times however he has stated that Maori deserve special privilege and that 'redress' must be made for 'wrongs'. With these statements he supports the fraudulent 'Treaty settlements' gravy train that has lead to such racial and racist injustice in our country, injustices that continue to grow and multiply. Hardly the stuff of all races 'being equal' Incidently to whom is Mr. Bidois 'extending the hand of friendship'from and to? Mr. Bidois has a partly white and partly Maori ancestory - is he extending it to Maori from his white side or to White's from his Maori side or from himself to himself? You are deluded Tony if you believe that we are on the right road. Legalising and encouraging fraud can never be the right road to be on. I encourage you to open your eyes and get on the side of truth.
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