F R HALPIN
Whanganui
Smith's sign
I would like to have the sign replaced at Smith's Rd, a side road to the left on State Highway 3 at Kai Iwi.
It was named that 100 or more years ago, but someone needed the signage more than the district so uplifted (stole) the road sign. I, being a descendant of the area, would like the historic signage replaced.
L WESTWOOD
Whanganui East
Women and research
May I share some earth shattering news with F R Halpin? Women have had 125 years of freely voting and — more radical— can even read and write (literacy being held exclusive by the clergy for centuries).
So, with our literacy, we can do our own research without being burdened with dictatorial religious dogma or guilt trips. My father taught me that it was a waste of time and intellect arguing with drunks and bigots.
ELIZABETH STILES-DAWE
Whanganui
Take a bow
Last Thursday evening Gonville School put on a production of The Rocky Monster Show to a full house of parents and supporters at the Whanganui Opera House — and what a performance. Congratulations to principal Greg Elgar, his staff and all the children — take a bow.
The main characters all knew their lines (no mean feat) and everything went without a hitch. The whole school was involved, even two children in wheelchairs. What an evening to remember.
JANICE HALL
Gonville
Evolution journey
Why are the religious getting so hung up on evolution — how we got here and how we have changed/evolved on that journey? That it happened can't be denied; we now know too much.
Surely religion is more about social behaviour than how we got here, so perhaps more of their thinking should revolve around how we can manage our social behaviour so that none of us feel left out of the human collective.
It gets very boring when when the religious spend their time arguing against the glaringly obvious. We have evolved.
G R SCOWN
Whanganui
Kavanaugh comments
Chester Borrows began his column by appearing to believe the accusations against US Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh are true, by saying the "alleged behaviour" is "coming back to bite him".
Mr Borrows follows through on that for his entire column, while failing to present any balance in the facts of the "case". Such as the fact that the accuser, Dr Christine Blasey Ford, has never made a complaint to the Maryland police, the responsible enforcement authority, so no investigation can be made by them. That Dr Ford never mentioned it to anybody until 30 years after the alleged attack, and that was to a therapist whose notes disagree with the testimony Dr Ford is making now. That Dr Ford is a professor of psychology and therefore knows the fallibility of memory, yet now claims to be 100 per cent sure that it was Judge Kavanaugh who attacked her 36 years ago, although it could have been 34 years ago, or maybe 37, at a party at a house she can't specify. Or that the four people Dr Ford named as "witnesses" either to the attack or to being at the party, have all sworn under oath that they don't remember any such party or attack, including her own lifelong friend.
This is the only accusation against Judge Kavanaugh that has any credibility, and it must be said it is rather short on that. What needs to be remembered is that Dr Ford can be quite sincere in her accusations and they can still be false.
If it is simply a case of one person's word against another's, such accusations cannot and should not lead to any conclusions, yet Mr Borrows has done exactly that. His entire column is based on the assumption of guilt, rather than the assumption of innocence our society is supposed to value, and specifically on assuming that the accusers are to be believed because they are women.
Assuming that a person must be believed or disbelieved based on whether they have XX or XY chromosomes is the most disgusting example of inequality and sexism possible.
K A BENFELL
Gonville
Send your letters to: The Editor, Whanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
