Letters: Christchurch shootings, Captain Cook and ISAF file

Flower tributes at Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Photo / Michael Craig

The outpouring of national grief after the Christchurch shootings was noticed worldwide and rightly so. Donations were made to help the victims and their families get back to whatever normality they could muster. The health system responded magnificently considering the scale of the medical issues thrown at it.

Then came the dark clouds of bureaucracy. First, payments were held up while they developed a formula and determined how each family could benefit and by how much. The victims were a kaleidoscope of varied circumstances and some were left with effectively nothing.

Since then New Zealand seems to have staggered from crisis to crisis as the victims have been thrown on to the sticky web of the rules and regulations of Winz, ACC and Immigration that seemed to have been designed to have a negative effect wherever possible. Instead of proclaiming that standard rules do not apply because the situation was not "normal" we have been dished up a steady stream of issues to obstruct victims whenever the rules will allow it.

Until each and every one of those victims is back on their feet we should be making every effort to help. Who cares if that means that Immigration has to give residency to a relative or two, ACC has to cough up some dosh or Shane Jones has to give up some of this year's billions. We can easily swallow that under the circumstances. I truly despair when I read that because box 10b in section D has a cross in it we cannot help. What BS.

Geoff Orchard, Ohaupo

Christchurch Call applauded

Simon Bridge's questioning of Jacinda Ardern's Christchurch Call initiative to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content on the internet would be laughable if it wasn't so sad and provincial.

Here we have a leader acting on the world stage with the respect of her contemporaries, trying to enact change and ensure we are not trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Ardern acted swiftly on guns. Imagine if that had been the case in America many decades ago.

Bob McLean, Blenheim

Why no Christian example?

It's true, "many of us marvelled" at the forgiveness expressed by Farid Ahmed for the Christchurch shooter (Editorial, September 15).

Observing "Most religions profess the principle of forgiveness", the editorial gave examples from Islam and Hinduism but didn't mention Jesus' crucifixion: it has become a principle of modern journalism not to make any positive observation about Christianity, no matter how pertinent.

New Zealand's secularism is also not mentioned — for good reason, as New Zealand's new moral elite are conspicuously merciless and unforgiving.

Gavan O'Farrell, Lower Hutt

Cook part of our history

I see no reason why we shouldn't commemorate Captain Cook's visit to these islands. I lived for many years in England and have no recollection of the citizens bristling at mention of the Romans. Nor at mention of the Vikings, Normans or Saxons.

Although I do remember one upset chap once asking: "Apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

Jerry Hill, Hamilton

Fate of ISAF file

The Operation Burnham inquiry and the missing ISAF file make interesting reading, suggesting less than competence at some levels. I was a junior officer in the now Defence Ministry 1963-65 and I doubt that their filing system has altered greatly. All files were received and distributed from the central Records. Any file sent to a senior officer which was either displeasing or too difficult, could disappear into his personal office safe. This allowed whole issues to vanish from the agenda, burying an officer's culpability with them, if that was his aim. This seems to be what we might be hearing at Operation Burnham about that ISAF file. Very hard for it to disappear into a safe, accidentally and unread.

Richard Leary, Browns Bay