Against gun culture
I'm in favour of the ban on semi-automatic weapons, for reasons that are obvious in the current climate.
I also think some exceptions are justified, eg, high country farmers in the South Island battling a serious rabbit problem.
However, I just don't like "gun culture" and I think — until I'm persuaded otherwise — that to protest against the ban on sporting grounds smacks of the vile NRA in the US.
I don't see why competition shooting can't be limited to single-shot rifles.
It would be nice if the sporting body said something like, "although we use semi-automatic rifles and don't want them banned, we recognise that public opinion on this issue is such that from now on they will no longer form a part of competition shooting".
I like to think I'm pretty open-minded, and I'm genuinely interested to see if someone like Raymond O'Brien ("Gun owner says ban unfair"Whanganui Chronicle, March 26) can change my mind.
COLIN MCKINNEY
Whanganui
Myth about Aborigines
Gwynne Dyer writes that Australia's Aborigines "lived in small hunter-gathering groups that never developed agriculture despite 65,000 years in the country" ("Racism deeply-rooted Oz tradition", Friday, March 22).
This description of Australia's First people was born from the Terra Nullius myth that the High Court of Australia overturned in June 1992.
The truth, uncovered by scientific research and subject to peer reviews, forms the history now taught in Australian schools.
Aborigines used regenerative agricultural practices to grow and harvest food so plants were not damaged and could be harvested in the future. The practice is used today by some farmers on the south west slopes of New South Wales.
On March 10 this year one such farmer reported that by using regenerative agricultural practices "he currently has plenty of water and grass for his livestock even as the drought in NSW intensifies".
Aborigines harvested and stored food for future times. Such stores in some places were pilfered by explorers and were the reason for their survival on several occasions.
The agricultural practices initially imported, and in many cases still in use, have been shown not to work in Australia's harsh environment.
During one of his expeditions, Thomas Mitchell, surveyor and explorer in South East Australia, counted the huts in a "village" he had come upon and estimated a population of over 1000 people.
Official reports tell of settlers destroying huts near food sources such as a 35 kilometre eel farm constructed by natives.
Aborigines conducted guerrilla warfare as their food sources were destroyed. Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1816 issued military orders to take prisoners of war or kill them if they tried to escape. Other examples of warfare and massacres have been recorded.
The regurgitation of factually incorrect history does highlight the veracity of Mark Twain's statement that "The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice". On a far more sinister level, however, it also drip-feeds into the white supremacy mentality.
MAX WARBURTON
Brunswick
Election campaign mode
Well, I never. Not even three months have passed this year and we are into election campaign mode (letters, March 26).
Steve Baron is again trying to educate the public that his scheme of voting is fairer than any other, and Heather Marion Smith is flogging the Social Credit dead horse yet again.
Surely there is a time limitation prior to the date of elections that is set in concrete? (Edited)
D PARTNER
Eastown
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