All life important, human and animal
Mark Story's editorial (February 20) was headed: Why do pets matter more than kids?
Most people would agree with him that "man's inhumanity to children surely warrants the lion's share of our resources".
New Zealand's appalling record of child abuse and murder is a national disgrace and each reported episode does elicit an outpouring of revulsion from the whole country.
Pets too are important, loved and a special part of many families.
Not only do they provide companionship and pleasure to their owners but they also teach qualities such as patience. Children who live with and learn to care for animals learn compassion.
The link between cruelty to animals and cruelty to children has been established. The apprehension of even one animal torturer might well save a child from a similar fate. To that end, the generous reward offered by a concerned citizen would surely be worthwhile.
In any case, it seems to me that it is not a case of either/or but the realisation that all life is important and inter-dependent.
We should be prepared to protect the most vulnerable members of society, whether they are human or animal.
JUDITH DRABBLE, Havelock North
Give way rule change
I am not sure, but I believe there is to be a change in our road rules to begin soon, some information states March 19 and other sources say March 25.
Due to a lack of definite information, I don't know if there is to be a change to the give way rule or not.
When we had to change our TV stuff, we were bombarded with information every couple of minutes on our TV screens. It really was not life threatening if we didn't change.
This proposed change to our road rules could have life-threatening implications unless every vehicle operator on our roads is made aware.
Not everybody will watch an advert on TV alerting them of a change. Some people don't get the newspaper which will tell them of a change and not every driver has a licence which enables them to legally operate a vehicle on our roads. So how is every driver on our roads going to be made aware of this important and life-threatening change to our road rules? (Abridged)
ALEX BRACEY, Hastings
Editor's note: To avoid confusion, authorities plan an education campaign one week prior to the March 25 change.
Fraudulent claims
Your correspondent Whati Rollo (Monday, February 20) needs to apply the word "oppression" to the appropriate side of New Zealand history.
I get increasingly upset when a minority x - who claim to be of part "Maori" origin - twist historical facts and perpetuate the myths and lies in order to deny the inconvenient and savage truth.
Just to put the record straight, prior to the Treaty, Maori slaughtered between 60,000 and 80,000 in inter-tribal warfare, enslaved women and children and ate a good number of them as a food source. Now that is oppression!
The British were extremely accommodating in allowing almost 100 years for the settlements of claims and it was not until 1947 that New Zealand adopted the Statute of Westminster, giving it full and final autonomy. Never before in the annals of history has a people been accorded such fairness and largess.
Frankly, the Treaty of Waitangi was a document for its time and has no part to play in modern society. It is time that New Zealand population's 15x per cent of severely watered down versions of "Maori" stopped living in the past and tried joining the human race. Particularly the other 85 per cent of non "Maori" who work and toil in this country to pay for the outrageous and fraudulent "Treaty" compensations of which they had no part in accruing and to whom they should be eternally grateful.
KEN R TAYLOR, Hastings
Marineland wasted
I wish to congratulate Russ Spiller on his letter to the editor (Wednesday, February 15) about the issue of the Maui dolphin in dire need of saving from certain extinction, and here we are with Marineland going to waste, along with a great investment for Napier and an education facility for young people.
BERYL KING, Bay View