Friday, November 06, 2009

Reacting to Hone: Grin and bear it

Have just been listening to Willie and JT talking about Hone's latest outburst. Willie maintains his remarks do not pertain to people today but the colonists. JT disagrees. I'm with JT.

Hone says that white men (he used another word) have been "...raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries." It is very hard to believe he isn't talking about a miscarriage of justice that is ongoing.

It doesn't surprise me coming from Hone. But what really bothers me is that lots of people - myself included - who make comment about Maori problems get labelled racists and have nasty prejudices attributed to us that don't exist. Hone comes out with this mouthful and ... well... who knows what will happen. But I am certain that all hell won't break loose in the manner it would if a Pakeha politician expressed similar sentiments about Maori. White guilt requires that we collectively grin and bear it.

12 comments:

Adolf Fiinkensein said...

I don't think so.

MAori will deal with their own and I think a very large number are less than impressed. Remember, he skived off while on the job, he lied to the boss about it (that's huge), he boasted about it and now he has insulted all New Zealanders and the mana of many Maori.

I suspect the well heeled MAori businessmen and women of various iwi and incorporations will be talking very hard to the party hierarchy and demand that Mr Harawira is delivers a significant reprimand. He has damaged their ability to do business in the pakeha world and they won't forgive him easily for that.

Remember also he is Ngapuhi, the buggers who first got muskets and wend down and shot up the ancestors of all those weathy business people.

You make a mistake if you judge this through your blinkered Pakeha eyes.

Anonymous said...

Hone knows his constituents well. He will suffer no consequences for his actions as long as he delivers the vote for the Maori party.

I suspect he has more credibility with his people, than Rodney hide has with his. Hone aint going anywhere soon, other than another trip at our expense.

Dirk

KG said...

"You make a mistake if you judge this through your blinkered Pakeha eyes."

That's be those white**fu**er eyes, would it?
Most of us are judging it from the perspective of people who have just been insulted and abused Adolf and we'll judge as it was intended--as an expression of contempt for us based on our race.
High-profile Maori have something of a history of this and a history of getting away with it.
Your spineless hero Key needs to speak up on behalf of ALL Kiwis and demand the coalition party (that none of us were told would have a part in governing us ) request the creep's resignation.

Manolo said...

Harawira is a savage. Plain and simple.

Anonymous said...

Your spineless hero Key needs to speak up on behalf of ALL Kiwis and demand the coalition party (that none of us were told would have a part in governing us ) request the creep's resignation.


Which is just what Key's done - or else the entire Maori party are out of cabinet and out of the government.

Frankly I hope the Maori Party "hangs tuff" - with a real ACT/National coalition, we might finally get some action!

Wouldn't it just be great - Rodney could get a real reform - say immediate termination of the DBP forever - to keep Key in government for the next couple of years! So this might be the best thing to happen to NZ since 1991 - stranger things have happened.

ZenTiger said...

Good comment KG.

Adolf, you may be correct that Maori will deal with him. Your other point may also be correct: You make a mistake if you judge this through your blinkered Pakeha eyes.

Except that both statements are in essence racist. Surely, we should be striving for one law, one standard for all? At the very least -- respect? Instead, Hone disrespects his fellow New Zealanders of any skin colour, talks as if "white man's" oppression continues even today.

Such an attitude will only reinforce division in our society.

Anonymous said...

Well now this makes a lot of difference to freedom of speech. I can take it if Hone can take what I might send back. No problem there.
In fact hilarious watching all the hand wringers come out to say.

Sunday will be interesting. M Laws now has a mandate to get stuck into the hand wringers and RACISTS AT THE RACE RELATIONS OFFICE. THEY OF COURSE HAVE BEEN CONSPICUOUS BY THE SILENCE.
I expect that Joris of the Breeze will turn up at Hone's with some nice certificate for Hone.
That's what the girls got for being racist.

Oswald Bastable said...

Slap on the hand with a wet bus ticket, I'm betting.

barry said...

Lindsay - whatever makes you think that I suffer from white guilt and that I must "grin and bear it".
Bull shit - Hone is a racist from a racist party and after his outburst i feel totaly free now to be a complete racist myself.

From now on If I go onto a shop and finmd a maori behind the counter - then Ill demand to be served by a non-maori - lets see what happens.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Barry, Taking you at your word, that is exactly what I feared would happen. He will unleash latent racism among Pakeha. Why would you treat all Maori badly because of him? Think about it.

I am prepared to grin and bear it not because of white guilt but because to retaliate with like words or actions would be despicable. Direct your anger at him - not the collective he belongs to.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely example of humanity.

His comments are unworthy of a descendant of Maori who has had the benefit of an education, who has profited from the resources of New Zealand along with other New Zealand citizens, and who has profited from the legacy of white New Zealanders.

His comment is deeply contemptuous towards all white New Zealanders. Obviously the millions paid in land settlements and the apologies given mean nothing to him.

Gloria

Anonymous said...

Does nobody remember Hone's mother who spent time in prison for sadisticaly abusing innocent mental patients who were given to her by a previous Labour government to work her Maori magic and turn water into wine?

Hone is honouring his mothers madness.

Dirk