comment about Māori not a joke

If you have lived in this country long enough you hear every vile, disgusting comment made against Māori - every low and slimey slur and put-down and even though we have heard it all, it still hurts to hear another.

Palmerston North city councillor Bruce Wilson has just uttered a disgusting one

Stuff

Councillor Bruce Wilson was speaking at the community wellbeing committee this week about a proposed smokefree policy covering the central city around and including The Square.

He said if the aim was to stop adults role-modelling smoking behaviour, and given 41 per cent of Maori women smoked, perhaps they should be sterilised.

 But wait - his defenders say it was all an attempt at humour, you know a bit of a laugh

City mayor Jono Naylor said he was surprised and incredibly disappointed, and thought the comment uncharacteristic. "If it was an attempt at humour, it was a poor attempt." 

Committee chairman Lew Findlay said "I don't think he meant it the way it came out. He tried to make out it was a joke, but he did say it in front of a crowd."

National Council of Women Manawatu branch president Audrey Jarvis said that it was "the stupidest joke I ever heard".

You see, just a fucking joke but think about this - what type of person makes an attempted joke about that. 

The joke line is often used when someone says something very offensive, they think they can weasel out by pretending they weren't serious, just having a lark, trying to lighten things up a bit. He said it in public - what do you think he says in private?

Only problem with the joke defence is that Wilson doesn't say it was a joke he says

Wilson said he would apologise to people at the meeting, and deeply regretted not thinking much harder before speaking.

"I'm publicly apologising, to anybody, anywhere who is offended, and I'm totally prepared to retract in public if the mayor allows me that opportunity."

Yep he should have 'thought harder' - that means keeping his private thoughts to himself rather than spewing them in public and he confirms this with

He also said it was not something he would say to the media.

Well too late, you have been outed and in any sane world you would resign or be sacked but that won't happen, oh know he will say sorry and then carry on undermining Māori and being a racist representative of the people that voted for him.

We let these people off too lightly - and trying to get out of it by using the 'joke' defence is as bad as using the 'should have thought harder' defence - they are not a defence they are just useless excuses.