Letters: Conspiracies, Gresham Marsh, professionals, James Bond, and Mandy Rice-Davies

Supporters of President Donald Trump protest the 2020 Nevada vote in front of the Clark County Election Department in Las Vegas. Photo / John Locher, AP, File

Letter of the week: Anthony Browne, Birkdale
I completely agree with Simon Wilson's belief (Weekend Herald, November 13) of the insidious nature of the American brand of conspiracy garbage.
I think Simon and I are of similar age and find this invasion of mistruths abhorrent. He is correct in needing to gently talk to those people (friends and/or strangers) who have slipped away into the rabbit holes of dangerous theories.
I too am really disappointed to see people of apparently sound and sane mind being dragged into that sea of stupidity.
I don't like using the sea in a negative way, being a long time yachtsman but, in this case, it is necessary.
With constant reason and sense we all may be able to "adjust our sets" to the greater good.

Killer's photo
On the face of it, the decision by the Chief Ombudsman ordering the Department of Corrections to show two members of a bereaved family a recent photo of a man who murdered their parents, (Weekend Herald, November 13) seems fair.
But the fact that only they can view the picture makes it woefully short of being useful.
For it to be of any practical use, the picture of what the murderer looks like now should also be shown to members of their family, their friends, and staff where they fuel up their car, buy their groceries, use the library, and - if they are churchgoers - worship.
To argue that Gresham Kirsten Leith Marsh or David Jones, as he now wishes to be referred to, has any right to privacy is nonsense.
He lost that right on the night of June 1, 1994.
Tony Potter, Remuera.

Departing from science
As a professor of public health, Grant Schofield (Weekend Herald, November 13) should take responsibility not to undermine public health measures.
He lists several professions of "real" people whom he alleges will lose their jobs because of mandates. No, it is not the mandate that loses them their jobs, it is their pig-headed anti-vaxxing attitudes.
No one should represent these professions who cannot follow the science. He says that they were not "lunatic fringe anti-vaxxers" but "people often making their own rational decision." Their vaccination resistance is not rational, and it is harmful. He says that he is fully vaccinated; does that mean that he (in the context of his line of reasoning) is irrational? I believe that the answer is yes.
Hugh Webb, Huntington

Double oh, yes
Goodness me, Greg Bruce (Canvas, November 13), give me a break regarding James Bond. Some of us enjoy it because of the rare lack of offensive language and no explicit sex scenes.
We enjoy the expansive and often breathtaking sceneries, fast action and good over evil. It's entertainment and I say bring Bond back, whether white, black or brown - but it's got to be a guy.
If you want a woman Bond give her a different 00 number
R Cluley, Mt Roskill.

Current thinking
Marc England, the chief executive of Genesis Energy, claiming that the electricity market is not broken, is rather rich, considering we pay about three times what Chinese and Indian customers pay.
He absolutely fails the Mandy Rice-Davies veracity test: "Well, he would say that, wouldn't he!"
Neville Cameron, Coromandel.

The man who would make a terrific Finance Minister now, one Stephen Joyce, writes (Weekend Herald, November 13): "The bank has been consistently under-forecasting increases in inflation and house prices, and over-forecasting unemployment."
That's it, in a nutshell. Forget the misguided and glowing alternative "truth" being peddled by Adrian Orr of the Reserve Bank and Minister of Finance Grant Robertson.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Fourth founder
There was one omission in the story on the sale of Weta Digital (Weekend Herald, November 13). Alongside Sir Peter and Sir Richard and Jamie Selkirk, a fourth co-founder was my son George Port - in fact he and Richard were joint winners at our film awards for their fantastic special effects work on "Heavenly Creatures".
Vanya Lowry, Glenfield.

Lesson from the Blitz
During WWII, I lived in a vulnerable part of southeast England. Gran carefully closed the blackout curtains every evening. We didn't know anything about rights and being told what to do.
All we knew was that, if we showed a light, a plane might drop a bloomin' great bomb on us.
Anne Martin, Helensville.

A quick word

As a source of information, social media is little more than the cyber equivalent of gossip and about as reliable. Lloyd McIntosh, West Harbour.

I cannot understand why people are confused about the traffic light system. It is quite simple; if you are not vaccinated, stay at home. Donald Anderson, Papatoetoe.

Did "the Clerk" (Weekend Herald, November 13) hire a NAATI Level 3 translator from Chinese to English? A list of such qualified translators is available at www.naati.com.au. Rose Law, Otahuhu.

The PM deserves a heckling - but not from this man (Weekend Herald, November 13). Can we send him back to America? Andrew Montgomery, Remuera.

There could be a great business in transporting people by sea to their holiday homes. This would avoid all the roadblocks and traffic jams. Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.

Claire Trevett reports machinations suggest Simon Bridges will take down Judith Collins (Weekend Herald, November 13). Is that the best National can do; ousting a leader with a previously ousted leader? Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.

Some say vaccine mandates will create two classes of New Zealanders. Recently, it has become very clear that there have long been two classes, the sensible and the stupid. Geoff Greenbrook, Unsworth Heights.

When will the Government admit that MIQ is now being operated as a de facto quota system to limit entry to New Zealand? Josephine Ellis, Meadowbank.

We Aucklanders should thank the Lord that baby Jesus' birthday is celebrated in December and not March or April - else we would've been in lockdown until then. Hugh Chapman, Hingaia.

Reading of Sir Peter Jackson's "Get Back" documentary about The Beatles, am I the only one who remembers the 1995 mockumentary "Forgotten Silver"? Andrea Lowe, Hillcrest.

Aucklanders are held prisoner because other regions can't get their vaccination levels up. Why would they bother? They have all their freedoms, hairdressers and hospo open. Maybe we should all stay in Auckland and spend our money where we are safe from the unvaccinated? Lynn Hughes, Greenlane.

Our experience with the Vaccine Pass site was simple, smooth and easy. We logged on at 6am and two minutes later, two passports created. Clare Loudon, Waterview.

Why don't students sit all their NCEA exams, with the final result taken from the best of their grades? The self-discipline of preparation and taking exams are life lessons in themselves and shouldn't be avoided. C. M. Thompson, Rothesay Bay.

Dear Santa, any chance on a bundle of Pfizer shares for this Christmas please? Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.