The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
Voluntary euthanasia fully supported
Re: Voluntary euthanasia, we read with great interest the articles regarding voluntary euthanasia in your article on the April 14 .
I personally lost my father, my sister and my brother with cancer and hated to see the pain they were enduring.
They all wished they could just die with dignity.
My wife and I have great desire to die with dignity when we feel the time is right.
We fully support voluntary euthanasia.
JOHN McGOWAN MBE & NADINE McGOWMAN, Mount Maunganui
Fatigue a factor
When I was master of a small container ship running first to Antwerp and then on to Rotterdam I was on a radar set for 30 hours.
On arriving in thick fog at Rotterdam I found my brain simply refused to work and I couldn't berth the ship - something I'd done easily many times.
They eventually lowered a crane to take my mooring ropes ashore.
I tell this story because I think that the Rena's captain was probably suffering from fatigue and so made the errors he did.
He is NOT a criminal in the true sense of the word, but some bureaucrat in the Immigration Department, who allows wives of robbers and murderers to visit them, bans the captain and officers' wives from visiting.
It appears that most of New Zealand were disgusted by this action.
I think it behoves this individual to front up, and reverse this decision before more damage is done to the image of NZ as a democratic and fair land.
R B WYLD, Tauranga
Magic missing
Re: Magic vs Fever netball, I took a carload to support the local game.
At the end of the game we were asked to queue in the foyer if we wanted autographs and they would be signed once the players had "warmed down".
Our group were keen so we lined up behind the door marked "autographs". There were probably about 60 people in the line.
Finally, the foyer door opened and the excited fans slowly entered. Our group (four) got to the open door to be told that the "players" were tired and would not be signing any more autographs. This was at 9.15pm.
We and the 10 or so people left in the queue were grossly disappointed and a few very pointed comments were made.
I can also tell you that my granddaughter and I will not be bothering to attend either of the remaining two local games as a result.
She was really upset and I couldn't believe the "selfishness" of the Magic players.
In my opinion, great venue, great game, but extremely disappointing PR!
(Abridged)
RUSSELL BLACKLER, Ohauiti
English important
In reply to Paora Howe under the heading of biculturalism, I would think it up to the individual entirely when it comes to taking part in, or learning the spectral protocol, pronunciation, language, etc of the Maori cultural theatricalisms.
English might be a language brought into the country from a distant culture, but it has served a purpose by first forming the written script of the Maori language.
Also this distant culture brought with it the civil organisation that amalgamated the islands of New Zealand into a national whole.
Being a part of a world empire it also brought trading advantages.
To denigrate the ulterior motives of the-then settlers and their laws they brought with them of many centuries ago, then try to recuperate a monetary value from indiscretions done in those far off days, are an inaccuracy and an illusion in its misinterpretation.
ROY SMITH, Tauranga
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A second person trapped on the cliff was rescued by emergency services.