Speaking of hatred
Debate over 'free speech" is rearing its ugly head again. Personally, I don't think unfettered free speech has a place in a civilised democratic society.
Hate speech of any kind should not have a platform for public airing. Lies should not have a platform for
public airing. False conspiracy theories should not have a platform for public airing. I believe that social media platforms et al had potential for usefulness and general public good but have succumbed to the failings of human nature.
Just look at America to see how damaging to society this can be. I rest my case.
Paul Cheshire, Maraetai.
On no account
I don't agree that using the internet to say whatever one likes, quite possibly to deliberately mislead as many people as possible, should from now on be equated with "freedom of speech".
And I don't think discussion of this important question can entirely disregard the value of public communications from those in power continually aspiring to comply with the old-fashioned concept of "truth".
Ross Boswell's comments (NZ Herald, January 15) "Why I resist the sweet seduction of social media" seem to me spot on.
I too want to live and die without a Facebook account, and I consider the destructive potential of social media - for example, by spreading messages that falsely highlight non-existent or extremely rare dangers of vaccination - truly frightening.
Rose Lovell-Smith, Mt Roskill.
Vaccine unseen
I note that the rate of vaccination against Covid-19 in Britain has reached three and a half million people. This would be equivalent to two hundred and fifty thousand people in New Zealand now having been vaccinated. Many countries are now under way with vaccination programmes and India, in particular, has just embarked on the world's biggest vaccination programme.
Meantime, our Government seems to be asleep at the wheel in this respect. The Minister for Covid Recovery does not appear to have a defined timetable for a vaccine rollout. No timing, no quantity and no end to the current view of maintaining a moat around the country.
The 2020 election slogan of the Labour Party was "Let's keep moving". This seems to have run into vaccination inertia. Throughout 2020 we were the envy of the world but now we seem to be stalling rather than "moving forward".
We deserve better as a nation and the PM and the Minister of Covid Recovery should come clean and let us know when and how we will have a clearly articulated vaccination rollout.
With winter a few months away, an early start to Covid protection is surely the answer.
Ian Collinson, Remuera.
Yes, we scan
Come on, all you members of the team of 5 million. You seem to have quickly forgotten how important contact tracing is.
If (when) the virus escapes into the community again, it will be somewhat too late to then start using the code. You must remember that it is critically important to know your contacts from before the new cases appear.
Stop being so lazy with QR checks. You cannot expect the government or epidemiologists or vaccinators to achieve control on their own. We need to all know where we were before the outbreak, not just from when we all start to panic and face a new lockdown.
It's easy and useful, it's our contribution.
Judy Lawry, Golflands.
Student exemptions
I was amazed to hear Minister Chris Hipkins say he would allow 1000 international students to return to New Zealand this year - in groups of 100 or so.
Has the man taken leave of his senses? We are in a precarious situation here with - returnees at present bringing back some of the most dangerous strains of Covid-19.
The last thing our border workers or our long-suffering businesses need is to be exposed to more risk - time for a rethink, please.
Sandra Riggir, Tauranga.
