Letters: Artist feels the spirit of love in Rotorua

PEACE: A Jessica Newman-Murphy design. PHOTO/FILE

For the past few weeks I've had the pleasure of painting four Unison power boxes in the CBD as one of the artists contracting to Rotorua Lakes Council.

It has been a great opportunity to add my designs to the local cityscape but the best thing about it has been the beautiful people that I have met. The encouragement, the compliments, and the conversations I have had with locals and visitors alike, has left my heart full to overflowing with warmth and aroha.

The spirit of love itself, te wairua tapu is alive and well In Rotorua. I feel as a city we are ascending to a new level.

JESSICA NEWMAN-MURPHY
Rotorua

Safer roads
Firstly I'd like to thank the council for the Koutu Rd improvements. This means a lot to the locals and visitors to this increasingly popular lakeside suburb.

I now ask for consideration to be given to the increasingly built-up section of Highway 33 just after the 30 intersection turnoff and before Mourea. In particular near the homes.

We must pull back the speed limit to 80km/h. There have been multiple incidents along here including fatalities. Let's make this safer for those in vehicles and those who live along here.

JOHN HENRY
Rotorua

Free speech
I'd like to extend my sincere congratulations to columnist Rachel Stewart, whose work I have long admired. In a recent column, Ms Stewart focused light on the danger of the careless and unfettered misuse of the "right" of free speech without the attendant "responsibility" of respect for the commonly understood social standard of civility.

While she certainly does not require my defence or approval of her views, I do want to support and applaud her stance that news editors and columnists have the binding responsibility, by virtue of their unique leadership positions, to help safeguard the flow of ideology and common decency that must guide a civilised society. There is more than enough discord in our world which does not warrant further incentive.

It is neither appropriate nor acceptable that we adopt an "anything goes because it's my right" attitude toward everyday life. It is not my "right" to take something simply because I want it; it is not my "right" to destroy property because I don't like the owner; and it is no one's "right" to spew harmful invective that fuels legal, moral, ethical or personal hatred or harm.

Every "right" has an attendant "responsibility of care" — thank you for speaking out, Rachel.

MARY WRIGHT
Rotorua