The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
TODAY'S LETTERS:
Heartbreak of hearing suicide talk harrowing
For those who care for and love young people who express a desire to end their lives [listening to it] is itself a source of grief.
It is a grief poorly understood by those fortunate enough not to know what it's like to hear a treasured member of the family contemplate suicide.
I have been through this sort of grief with my own daughter but I was fortunate to be saved from the worse grief of permanent loss.
I also know the battle with mental health services at Tauranga Hospital which makes Kayla Wright's tragic story hard for me to bear. I feel anguished to think of the grief imposed on Kayla Wright's family particularly when my own daughter was registered under the same DHB in 2008.
Considering the battles I fought to finally achieve hospitalisation for my daughter, I am not at all surprised to learn that the mental health system has allowed young people to slip through the cracks.
The theme I continue to encounter as I speak with others in the same situation is the tendency for mental health services to diminish the opinion of family.
The family's opinion should never be subservient to patient rights in the context of suicide risk.
Rynae Butler, Brookfield
Smacks of truth
I refer to the letter from A Wakefield (Monday Forum, May 23). How true is this. There must be thousands of New Zealanders out there with the same beliefs on this subject. How is it that we have no voice out there?
A couple of years ago I had a letter published in BOP Times on the same subject of corporal punishment (although I was a bit heavier in my feelings to "bring back the birch" and capital punishment for premeditated killing) and, yes, the bullies are the cowards and if they were hurt in return for their acts of violence and intimidation there would definitely be less violence in our society.
My kids (all eight of them) were given a good smack when they deserved it, and they are all great kids (actually all adults with their own kids now) and have never had any problems related to their upbringing. Stop listening to the "do-gooders" (so-called) and stand up and be counted, New Zealanders.
One more thing while I'm on a roll, come on, Wellington, don't let some jumped-up CEO dictate to you. You'd be the laughing stock of the Western world. "WELLYWOOD" pathetic.
AJ Ashe, Mount Maunganui
Unborn ignored
Recently the media have given a good airing to the story of the pregnant schoolgirl passed on from her school to an abortion clinic without the parents being aware of the situation until after the event.
I happen to be one of the 80 per cent reported by Family First's poll to favour repeal of the law enabling this situation to exist. What is appalling about this debate is that virtually all opinions expressed have one thing in common: they give no consideration to the unborn child. They speak of the girl's rights, the parents' rights, even the right of school counsellors to apparently override all other rights with influence that will mean life or death for the unborn child. Who knows how subjective that influence might be?
With no voice to speak up for the real but unborn human being who is at the heart of the equation who can possibly say that justice was done or that right judgment prevailed? As a rule, and not withstanding dysfunctional parents or families, the parents have the right to be involved in a decision of such lasting consequences for the girl, the parents, grandparents - and the unborn child. (Abridged)
Don Brebner, Chairman, Voice for Life Bay of Plenty Charitable Trust
Tick for schools
I wonder where Avon Carpenter in your guest editorial (May 11) gets the idea that schools have a very narrow focus and are only interested in the technical side of learning.
He goes on to say schools have a responsibility to turn out fully rounded people so they will contribute to society in a positive way and not be a burden by bad law and order choices. Schools are doing the very best they can now to treat each child as an individual and see they move on with a balance of educational as well as social skills. In any case, while schools will have some influence on a child for the small number of hours they attend the greatest influence will always come from home and society in general.
Lawrence Woods, Katikati
Text Views
* love the article on massage vouchers -marama bodywork & balance. I too had a terrible time with this business and in the end got refund directly.
* I think parents should be told as a parent who has just recently found out that her 15 year old daughter was taken for an abortion i should have been told not hear that a tauranga school teacher took my daughter What if something had of gone wrong to her i wouldn't of had a clue its wrong of them to do this behind your back as her legal guardian till she's 18 the school had no right to do this
* I strongly convinced parents have rights 2 know so they can help their children cause thats what they r by law , just children
* Rural schools dnt need bldy'world class broadband'. The public education sector is crap with or without broadband. End of story.
* If this govt wants to save dollars get rid of the. E. T. S system. And acc.
* Why do we ratepayers have to pay for any rugby. I have a friend playing hockey for nz and she has to pay the lot her self.
* So there is so much financial FAT in the Council Budget that they can fund $150,000+ for the rugby world cup without ratepayers having 2 pay anymore! Yeah right
* I 2 gt honked at by idiot bhind me!He wantd 2 turn left on gren arow bt i waitng 2 go ahead on green lite!Lane hd road arows 4 bth!Nt good xample 2 yr kid n car
* y hav a red zone round chch if da burgars r havn a steal, n spree stupid idea
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