As Mark Twain penned, "I may not agree with my fellow man but I defend to the death his right to say it."
We live in a democratic country and I am thankful to God for that. My heart goes out to the young mother and her child, but for legislation to be changed so people are unable to express their beliefs because it is distasteful to another would be seriously disturbing.
On my daily walk this morning I saw a parked campervan with the following words emblazoned in the back: "Follow all your dreams except the one where you are naked in church."
Unnecessary to me as a form of advertising but the company has the right to do it in this country we live in. Many of the young men and some women of my parents' generation went to war so we could enjoy the democratic freedom that gives the church and the young mother the right to both express their thoughts without fear - and that is what is wonderful about democracy.
Mary Woodford, Napier
Whanau sentence?
It's reported that Judge Cooper took a year off the sentence of Raurangi Marino for raping and seriously injuring the 5-year-old tourist because of his dysfunctional upbringing.
The judge is reported as saying: "... your whanau and extended whanau are responsible for your upbringing which has (resulted in) an appalling crime."
So, when do these responsible whanau start their year's prison term? (Abridged) Leo LeitchNapierInconsistenciesPerhaps one of your readers can explain to me why a building site owner must post warnings of every conceivable hazard while the public has no right to enter the site, but the local authorities can build pseudo-crossings (speed bumps) without warning pedestrians that they are not pedestrian crossings.
If a member of the public was to get hurt on a building site, the owner would face a considerable fine.
If a pedestrian blithely walks out in front of a car, thinking they are on a crossing, it will be the driver and not the local authority in court.Jeff AllanHastingsWhat's in food?Re The Fat List: I was hoping to learn how to increase my weight, being now almost at the danger zone. Instead, some of the "Blacklist" and "Alternative" foods are crazy. Examples: Margarine - just one molecule short of plastic. Cream - tasteless. Honey - bears like honey and so do I; it is a wonderful food and its sell-by date is at least 5000 years. Jam and marmalade - home-made for preference. Milk - well the stuff here has been so battered that it is tasteless, whilst the skimmed stuff is only coloured water. Artificial sweeteners - poison.
Dr Elmslie and his friends should talk to analytical chemists.
A B Stephenson, Hastings
Take punishment
What a lot of boo-hooing about Lucy Lawless, the TV and film star and now celebrity protester.
It appears she now faces trial, with her fellow protesters, for breaking into and illegally taking control of commercial property, in order to publicise their opposition to something or other.
But her lawyer sympathisers are now making a huge fuss about how simply being convicted and discharged - the likely response from our celebrity-grovelling judiciary - might seriously inconvenience Lucy's frequent flights by jumbo jet to and from the United States where, unlike in New Zealand, they take criminal convictions seriously.
Given the huge legal resources available gratis to Greenpeace, it certainly knew all this beforehand, and counted on any court proceedings to give it - and Lucy Lawless - even more free publicity.
Well tough biccies, Lucy Lawless. If you want to break the law, simply to gain publicity for one of your pet causes, then don't feign surprise and expect us to sympathise if there is a price to be paid.
Bill Sutton, Napier
