Letters: Politicians absent for homeless march

Thank you for your coverage of the march to raise awareness for the homeless (March 20). I joined the march, which included a diverse range of Rotorua people. Where, however, were our politicians? Where were our councillors?

At a time of an unprecedented housing shortage in this city, coupled with a shocking rate of homelessness (including working people and families living in cars), this was surely a golden opportunity for politicians and councillors to deliver their views at the City Focus, where the leaders of Love Soup spoke.

They were, however, conspicuous by their absence. Thank you to Gina and Elmer Peiffer, organisers of the march, and voted Rotorua Persons of the Year. Sadly, this experience serves to reinforce the widely held stereotype of politicians in this country.
JACKIE EVANS
Pukehangi

Terrorism strikes chord

A terribly sinister aspect of international terrorism is the focusing on places immediately recognisable to people all over the world, chords are struck.

Westminster Bridge stands at the heart of English culture, tradition and belief. An abhorrent ''victory'' for those who prosper on a diet of hatred.
BRIAN GILLESPIE
Rotorua

Football news spurs nostalgia

Reading about the return of Northern League Football to our steamy city (March 23) brought fantastic memories flooding back of my own playing days in the Northern League back in the '80s and '90s. These were some of the best days of my life playing the game I love the most with some of my best mates.

Every second weekend we would jump on a bus and head to places around the country, normally Auckland. Two or three times we even got as far as Whangarei and I remember playing against ex-All White Keith ''Buzzer'' Mackay playing against FC Northland which was a great experience, such was the calibre of the competitions.

Then there were the home games where the sidelines would have our loyal supporters giving their all for our team's success. Good times for sure.

I still have newspaper articles written by Norm Bremner of some of our clashes he attended, these make for great reading and even now bring goosebumps as I travel down memory lane of the club that I loved.

That was Rotorua Suburbs, ''the Reptiles'' as we were affectionately known as by our across town rivals, Ngongotaha and Rotorua City who also played in the Northern League competitions. Rotorua City during this period even made the Chatham Cup final where they come up against a very strong Christchurch United, and although beaten made all of Rotorua very proud!

I know that I speak for all of us in the past and present of Rotorua football circles that we wish The Villagers all the very best of luck for this up coming season, we will be watching with much interest and enjoying having the higher level of the game brought back to town. Good luck boys.
KEVIN THORNBOROUGH
Hannah's Bay

Abortion akin to child sacrifice

In response to Ryan Gray (letters, March 18). There are good choices and poor choices. The time for a woman to choose is before the sexual act that forms the child, as after that act there are at least three people involved, mother, father and baby. Ryan Gray is thankful abhorrent days are behind us, but I would say 10,000 or more abortions per year in New Zealand is abhorrent.

At school I remember being taught how the unborn child is just a blob of cells, since then science has shown us that at eight weeks the child is formed and organs are formed much earlier than this. Because we can't see this happening doesn't mean we can deny this is a life and our laws should treat it as this.

We look back in history at child sacrifice and think we have come so far but when people in the future look back at abortion l wonder what will they think?
GABRIELLE KILKELLY
Rotorua