the simple truth

Sometimes the simplistic approach is valuable and other times it becomes a mockery. Newbold the so called 'academic' and 'top criminologist' says,

Stuff

there was a "direct association" between Maori and violent offending.

The more Maori you get in an area, the more violent crime you get - that's a fact of life.

A fact of life he says but of course his statement is so simplistic as to be meaningless.

We know that Māori get targeted by the police and apprehended more and we know they receive more prosecutions than other people. That actually means that any statistics around this area are biased to show Māori as worse - whether they are or not. If there is bias in who is apprehended by the police and in prosecutions then there is bias in the statistics and whatever those statistics are apparently saying.

But putting that to one side, there is no 'direct association' as Newbold claims, instead as weka eloquently says on The Standard, "There are correlations between poverty, colonisation, and institutional racism, and violent offending."

Māori have suffered more violence than any other group in this country because they are indigenous. That violence was state sanctioned, systematic and total. The tearing down of belief structures and the ridiculing of a people. The smashing apart of Māori social structures, the ripping of tangata whenua from their land via lies, deceit and Government supported destruction whether through just taking it or helping the rightful owners die early so the land was magically made available. And the murder, rape and killing of tangata whenua whenever they tried to stop the land stealing. 

This process of violence against Māori continues today in obvious and subtle ways, for instance a subtle version of violence against Māori is this statement from newbold

There are hardly any Maori in Dunedin and not many in Christchurch,

That statement, used in support of his other statements above, denigrates thousands of tangata whenua who live in these areas and is a violent statement against Māori . Why you may ask is that violent, wikipedia gives us the answer

Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against a person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.

Why do you think newbold believes there are "hardly any Māori down south? IMO it is based on skin colour - not brown enough = not Māori. Southern Māori have heard this stuff for a long time and we laugh at it as we discuss and remember our lands, our histories, and our ancestors. Some though, who are not connected, suffer psychological harm, maldevelopment and deprivation and that is what newbold's statement does as it furthers the colonisation agenda and deprives many tangata whenua from their rightful heritage.

police state obvious

Anyone who knows anything knows that Māori get targeted by the police. The release of the latest police statistics shows that, not only are Māori youth being apprehended more in most categories but, they also have more prosecutions against them. Think about that, what a terrible indictment upon a group of young people in our country and for no reason other than the way they look - because sure as hell they won't be checking whakapapa records will they.

JustSpeak have released the following excellent infographic where the picture tell a thousand stories of hardship and discrimination.

Good on them for putting the data out there in such an understandable way. The hard data is compelling too I recommend you go here to read the numbers of apprehensions which have alarming consequences for young Māori. In general more get apprehended and more definitely get prosecuted - that is a double whammy right there. The sickest thing is, guess who gets blamed for this - that's right young Māori do. And sometimes to spice it up they blame all Māori. 

The real blame is hardly ever attributed to the correct place, but as Anthony Robins points out in Poverty Watch on The Standard when describing the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCCC) 2012 report “Child Poverty in New Zealand evidence for action" - the truth doesn't pull any punches.

"OCC report pulls no punches at all.

Mäori poverty needs to be considered against the backdrop of colonisation. Recent research documenting the experiences of Mäori whänau living in financial hardship notes that any analysis of the financial and material deprivation of whänau is incomplete without understanding Mäori economic development pre-colonisation, and the impact of land confiscation and war (Baker K., et al., 2012). The alienation of land and resources saw the loss of a cultural, spiritual and economic base (Cram, 2011). It has had a long-reaching impact that continues to shape attitudes towards Mäori in New Zealand. The devastating effects of racism and discrimination in health and elsewhere have been well documented (Reid, 1999; Robson & Harris, 2007; Mills et al., 2012). The legacy of colonialism has been the ‘differential distribution of social, political, environmental and economic resources and well-being within this country with Mäori bearing the brunt of disparities in many areas’ (Cram, 2011, p156)."

No one is suggesting that we go back in time to right the wrongs that occurred there - we can't, but we can move forward and to do that requires a few changes. The big one is that Māori have to be trusted. The evidence is that we are a long way away from that today. The destruction caused by young Māori being targeted by the police by apprehension and then getting prosecuted more, is felt within all Māori communities and this country feels it too. It is too foolhardy to believe the police attitudes will change any time soon, they won't. They are a reflection of the Government attitudes to Māori. Will middle NZ change - I don't think so, they may adjust their cushion but that's about it from them. No, the change has to come from Māori and people who support the kaupapa through belief in equality, whānau, love or for whatever reason we support the kaupapa, that is where the change has to come. We must talk loudly about this injustice against these youth, the mana must be reestablished for our rangatahi.

power and racism

Professor Mutu is continuing to agitate some people with statements like this,

Stuff

She said Maori could not be racist against New Zealand European as Maori were not in a position of power.

This is a very interesting point - the power aspect and on The Standard dave brown from redave made this comment which sums up my view beautifully.

A pretty dim post actually. Just because Mutu makes over-sweeping generalisations that actually have historic truth on her side, dimpost comes along with a more crude set of generalisations and lowers the level of debate which others accept with alacrity, except for uke.

You cannot be a racist unless you impose your views by means of power. Thinking that other people, tribes or family members are different and inferior is not racism unless you can define the ‘other’ in such as way as to gain by it long term. Historically racism as we know it was invented by European colonisers to classify non-Euros as subhuman to justify ripping off their riches and impose white supremacist rule. The Catholic church had a huge upheaval before it recognised Native Americans as humans capable of ‘salvation’. It took a couple of centuries for black Africans to achieve this select status.

When this colonial rule was overturned lots of white racists retreated to countries where they attitudes where not challenged. The British in India went ‘home’. NZ was already colonised by a majority of racists who while professing equal citizenship took away the land and self-rule. In the 20th century NZ copped a big flow of ‘kith and kin’ from Africa and Britain and here their attitudes were not usually challenged because they were accepted as normal. So there is some truth to what Mutu says. In many cases racists don’t recognise they are racists because racism has been ‘institutionalised’ and made respectable as ‘bicultural’ or ‘multicultural’ by the dominant ‘culture’. As RWC says lets haka as one people.

On the other hand, reverse racism, or reciprocal racism is not really racism since it can’t be imposed. If it could be then Maori would be running the country and whites would be complaining about being at the bottom of the heap. So-called reverse racism is no more than the expression of historic grievance of the colonial past being reproduced today as Maori marginalised off their land in the underclass. White racists hide their racism by trying to claim that this reverse resentment is equally pervasive and potent as Euro racism. Historic amnesia.

Some Maori gains have been made, especially by iwi middle class, but only by begging the state to redress past wrongs and playing by the rules of capitalism – that even Brash can agree with. Begging is hardly the action of racists. But if the begging begins to look like ‘special treatment’ then the racists come rushing out to cry ‘one law for all’.

In the final analysis NZ remains a racist country and the evidence for that is the majority support for the NACT regime that continues to plunder NZ’s land and resources and deny any possibility of Maori emerging from marginalisation into economic self-sufficiency.

And I cannot see any good arguments against that. I realise that dave's analysis is broad but we must understand the big picture to really see what is before us. There are many subtle aspects of racism, bigotry and discrimination and these absurd worldviews didn't arrive out of thin air - they were created and they can be uncreated - by us.

Meanwhile on Kiwipolitico Pablo has vented his spleen at his former workmate Professor Mutu.

seeing shadows

Hone has posted his reasons for visiting Destiny Church. 

Mana Party

Kia ora koutou katoa
I understand that my going to Destiny Church last week has offended some members of MANA, and that my attendance and speech have been seen as an endorsement of Destiny’s stance on homosexuality.
That is not so.
I value the broad support that MANA has attracted from all sectors of our society, and I owe it to everyone to explain things from my own point of view.
You see … like everyone else I have gay people in my whanau, and like everyone else I also have straight people in my whanau, and like everyone else I love them all.
I would sincerely hope that my attendance at the Destiny hui is not seen as an endorsement by either myself or MANA of the views held by Bishop Brian Tamaki and the Destiny Church, in the same way that I hope my attendance at the Mormon Stake Conference on Saturday is not seen as an endorsement of their more unsavoury racial practices of the recent past, or my attendance at an Anglican church service seen as an endorsement of their practice of stealing Maori land over the centuries.
But the fact is that, like all of you, I have whanau in these as well as other churches, and I don’t think we do ourselves any justice by saying we will talk to these ones but we won’t talk to those ones, and neither do I think it wise to reject your own whanau simply because of their faith.
My brother for example, has chosen one of the newer style religions which preaches an end to your past (including your Maori history), which really sucks as far as I’m concerned, but I still love my brother (and keep my fingers crossed that he will see the light some day!). But when his pastor asked me to help out at a function, I did so gladly because that was where my brother was at.
I can even recall my girl Te Whenua happily trotting off to Mormon services with her cousins every Sunday when she was little. In the end she stopped going of her own choice but if she’d chosen to become a Mormon I would have loved her just the same.
And at the risk of offending somebody else, let me say just quietly, that I enjoyed the speakers at the Mormon hui on Saturday night, because the values and the principles they talked about there were the same as those my grandparents raised us on.
So life is not black and white, but let’s get back to Destiny …
Destiny can be criticised for discriminating against people on the grounds of sexual orientation and often is by the mainstream media, but when was the last time you saw a programme on mainstream TV that congratulated Destiny for the work they do with guys the world wants to forget, or for families that social services are too scared to deal with?
I was asked to go and speak and I agreed because Destiny is where many of my people choose to meet and to share their faith. It is not my faith, but they are most certainly my people, and while I don’t subscribe to their philosophies, neither will I berate them in their own house for holding to them.
I didn’t go to Destiny to point out the rights and wrongs of their religion, or to question the rationale for their beliefs. I went to talk about values and principles, to talk about the potential of MANA, to talk about the importance of Maori standing up and speaking up for themselves, and to talk about the need for unity.
MANA is a new movement, and we owe it to everyone who wants to join, to present our kaupapa and to see whether or not there is common ground, and to date we have done so – students, kaumatua and kuia, socialists, marae, churches, iwi, unions, whanau and hapu, gangs, and kura kaupapa.
There will be those who want to leap in and go hard, those who can be encouraged to join, those who hang on the fringes and only commit when things are going well, and those who say yes to your face and vote for somebody else when you’re not looking. And there will be those with such deep political convictions that they won’t work with certain groups, and those with religious beliefs who won’t associate with others as well.
But MANA is still an emerging force, and nowhere near being so well-defined that we should be slamming doors on anyone at the moment. All I ask, from everyone, is a bit of lateral thinking while we search for an equilibrium that most of us can live with.
And don’t forget – the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves are our greatest priority, not who can and who can’t be in MANA. If we are to become a movement big enough and powerful enough to wrest control from the super rich so that our people might flourish, then we need to put our immediate focus on building the movement, not tearing it down.
Folks – I don’t know if this allays any fears that you may have about MANA and Destiny, but I hope it helps you understand where I am coming from, and where I hope MANA is heading in terms of building the movement.
Thank you for your concern, thank you for your understanding and thank you for your love.
“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari takimano…”
Mine is not the strength of one alone, but the strength of many…
Hone

These paragraphs jump out at me.

Destiny can be criticised for discriminating against people on the grounds of sexual orientation and often is by the mainstream media, but when was the last time you saw a programme on mainstream TV that congratulated Destiny for the work they do with guys the world wants to forget, or for families that social services are too scared to deal with?

I was asked to go and speak and I agreed because Destiny is where many of my people choose to meet and to share their faith. It is not my faith, but they are most certainly my people, and while I don’t subscribe to their philosophies, neither will I berate them in their own house for holding to them.

Umm you could berate them afterwards or before - priorities i suppose - those who are discriminated against because of gender and sexuality just have to stick up for themselves. Destiny discrimination is REPORTED by the MSM but PRACTICED by Destiny Church members - I see a difference in that.

I went to talk about values and principles, to talk about the potential of MANA, to talk about the importance of Maori standing up and speaking up for themselves, and to talk about the need for unity.

Have you listened to their rants Hone - do you know what they say? It is not about being Māori or speaking for yourself - it is about allegiance - to the christian god via the Bishop - the only unity is unity for the Bishop and he has declared that he and his kind want to run this country - how will they do that I wonder. If he gets his minions to vote for Mana will Mana give Destiny high list placings? stealth takeover? Can't happen? Look at the Māori Women's Welfare League - what is happening there? 

At a candidate's meeting in Auckland, Destiny Church ordered its members out when a past league president, Christine Panapa, questioned what Destiny was up to. "I could have cut the air with a knife; it was them and us, there was no unification at all," Panapa said. Destiny was a sect and the league's constitution explicitly said it was to be a non-sectarian organisation, she said.

Be very wary, be very alert.


That is my moan.


Hone reiterates many strong themes in his post and I congratulate him for addressing the issue. Sure I am not fully satisfied but I don't expect to be. Mana is a movement that takes different people with a common kaupapa - we will all have to work out how to work together to reach our goals - and we will all be challenged by that process.

you should listen to this nobody

There is some disquiet with the Mana party and Hone in the Maori blogosphere. I also share it because i cannot stand injustice and discrimination. Abusing and dehumanising people because of their sexuality or gender is sick and wrong. Speaking at a conference to get votes is supporting them and what they believe. The bigotry of Destiny Church should be denounced not supported for fucking votes. Let me be quite plain Hone - this is just off mate, this is the sort of thing that will drop Mana before it even gets going. You can't have it both ways - you can't be for equality when you support inequality. It is still possible to step back from this (hopefully) and it will take a statement from you Hone saying you were wrong and declaring not to do it again. I know, I know - who the hell am I to be saying all that - well I'm a nobody, just a blogger, like these bloggers

Ana at Whenua Fenua Enua Vanua who has published Dr Leonie Pihama's statement (below) and made many true comments on the blogs below

The scenes of Pita Sharples, Hone Harawira, Tau Henare and Shane Jones lining up to be ‘blessed’ and to hear their platitudes of thanks to a homophobic and misogynist institution is not merely disturbing it is sickening. We should never forget the ‘enough is enough’ hate marches instigated by Destiny Church. We should never forget the kinds of hate speeches that Māori gay and lesbian whānau were bombarded with during the Civil Union debate, and the ongoing homophobia that Destiny Church leaders and members continue to openly express with both fervor and hatred.

Joshua at Maori Law and Politics

The Destiny Church should not be supported by Maori politicians, it should be criticised and ostracised from the Maori political debate.  We, as Maori men, need to realise that just as it is not ok to hit our partners or our children, nor is it ok to hate others because of their sexual orientation.  Sadly, our political leaders did not live up to that ideal over the weekend.

Kim at He Hōaka

Seven years ago, parliament removed some legal discrimination against same-sex relationships. Thousands of Destinites marched to parliament in protest. I will not forget the righteous arrogance of those Destinites who threatened, pushed, hit, spat at, and generally abused those few who dared to stand for queer solidarity that day. Naively, I had hoped Mana would take the opportunity to stand with us last night.

And Morgan at Maui St

I am disappointed with Hone Harawira. He should not, as a matter of principle, be appearing before these fundamentalists. After all Hone perpetuates the notion that he is a principled politician. I guess it is a matter of definition. I read Destiny Church as a toxic ideological cult that actively encourages discrimination against Takatapui and, through a bigoted patriarchal system, encourages discrimination against Wahine.

 Strong comments from all of these bloggers. Listen to them Mana Party, listen to these voices.

what's wrong?

What issues would children and young adults say are the problems facing this country? Just remember there is no agenda from them - they aren't political or trying to score points - they are just telling it as they see it - and their insights are valuable. From the children from the country which ranks as second lowest for child safety among 30 developed countries.

From Stuff

In a report commissioned by Save the Children, 199 children nationwide were asked to speak up about what they thought was wrong with their country.

The kids, aged six to 17, identified youth gangs, bullying, child abuse, discrimination against Maori and ethnic minorities, as well as drugs as areas of concern.

"We are human but they treat us as rats," one child spoken to for the report said, referring to racism in the community.

At the root of all of those issues is the exploitation of people by other people. It is the same root cause identifyed here. It is related to incidences like dying while running away from the police and bashing seals heads in. They all stem from the same alienation built into the system. Sticking plasters are not going to work on this stuff - we need to get to the core of the problem - the basic inequity that is there and work from that point up.

derailing resource

Of recent times I've been in a couple of debates on the net. This resource can be used to identify tactics of oppression and it is worth considering how we use these techniques in our interactions with others.

Derailing for Dummies

"You know how it is. You’re enjoying yourself, kicking back and relaxing at the pub or maybe at the library; or maybe you’re in class or just casually surfing the internet, indulging in a little conversation. The topic of the conversation is about a pertinent contemporary issue, probably something to do with a group of people who fall outside your realm of experience and identity. They’re also probably fairly heavily discriminated against - or so they claim.

The thing is, you’re having a good time, sharing your knowledge about these people and their issues. This knowledge is incontrovertible - it’s been backed up in media representation, books, research and lots and lots of historical events, also your own unassailable sense of being right.

Yet all of a sudden something happens to put a dampener on your sharing of your enviable intellect and incomparable capacity to fully perceive and understand All Things. It’s someone who belongs to the group of people you’re discussing and they’re Not Very Happy with you. Apparently, they claim, you’ve got it all wrong and they’re offended about that. They might be a person of colour, or a queer person. Maybe they’re a woman, or a person with disability. They could even be a trans person or a sex worker. The point is they’re trying to tell you they know better than you about their issues and you know that’s just plain wrong. How could you be wrong?

Don’t worry though! There IS something you can do to nip this potentially awkward and embarrassing situation in the bud. By simply derailing the conversation, dismissing their opinion as false and ridiculing their experience you can be sure that they continue to be marginalised and unheard and you can continue to look like the expert you know you really are, deep down inside!

The deadly accurate points are made with humour - if you 'debate' on the net then this is essential reading.

bennett the hypocrite

This from paula bennett, around the discrimination identified by findlayson, in the beneficiary bashing measures introduced this week.

"I think that is a discrimination that most New Zealanders will see as being fair and reasonable."

What's the bet if she was discriminated against she would be the first to jump up and down. bennett is an ex solo mum, of maori descent, who dragged herself up through the system, on a benefit, and when she reaches a place where she can help other with her experiences what does she do? She puts the boot in. She says it was good enough for me but not for you - the saddest aspect of this is that bennett is just being used anyway and she can't even see it. The worse sort of hypocrite is someone like bennett who takes off the system and denies others the same opportunity.