FIONA DONNE
Aramoho
End of life bill
Ian McKelvie notes that a lot of submissions have come in about this bill but fails to mention that the bulk of them are opposed to a law change. Many submissions, much interest, most of it opposed.
MANDY DONNE-LEE
Aramoho
Conservative view
Dear Simon Bridges,
In answering the question about assisted dying ("Nats leader Bridges talks to residents as part of nationwide tour," July 10), I am asking you in future, simply to rest your argument with your quoted statement: "I have always been relatively socially conservative on these issues."
From that we will understand this means you will vote NO for assisted dying, irrespective of the need for it.
Don't bother to elaborate with your reasons, all of which are quotations from the religious scaremongering brigade. For example: "You see young people, people with depression being able to go through the euthanasia process, and I don't agree with that".
Clearly, you haven't actually read the proposed End of Life Choice Bill and you most definitely have not exercised your moral conscience to consider the actual horrors of having to live and die with suffering that cannot be palliated except by death.
This happens, even with the best of palliative care.
Your father was a Baptist pastor and your upbringing has been that of a religious fundamentalist. Say so. Have that courage, at least.
ANN DAVID
Waikanae
Name change
Re your article on a name change for Queen's Park.
I believe we should leave the name as it is. If we have to bow to pressure of the minority of the 25 per cent as is shown in the past, accept the name as: Queen's Park/Pukenamu.
To satisfy a minority, the costs of name changes, signs, letterheads etc are mind-boggling — for what?
As one of the quiet majority who normally remain silent, I am fed up with this and must reply.
DAVE OCKEY
Castlecliff
Ignoring facts
Recently there has been a lot of rhetoric from those who do not like US President Donald Trump, ranging from the farcical to the disgusting. When someone sinks so low as to minimise the Holocaust by comparing the US Immigration holding centres to Auschwitz or President Trump and immigration officers to Nazis, you realise they have lost touch with reality.
The Chronicle has hosted some of this rhetoric in the Opinion section, which, the editor informs us, is just the writers' opinions, and then failed to provide any balancing opinions, or to inform readers of any of the inconvenient facts these opinion writers ignore.
Now we have the ludicrous column from Jay Kuten under the headline "Border crossing no crime." Mr Kuten calls President Trump and his administration criminals, while fudging, twisting or ignoring facts relevant to the issues. After accusing President Trump of breaking the law, Mr Kuten derides a decision of the US Supreme Court that upheld a lawful action of Trump's.
While ignoring inconvenient facts, like President Barack Obama's splitting of children from the accompanying adults or detention of children in those same holding centres, Mr Kuten tries to claim that people illegally entering the US are refugees and should be treated as such. As Mr Kuten knows, Mexico is also a signatory to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol. Any refugees should be claiming their refugee status in Mexico, while applying legally for another country to take them if they don't want to stay in Mexico, and Mexico should be looking after them. Instead, Mexico allows or even assists these people to illegally enter the US.
One of the many reasons that President Trump and his administration are working so hard to deter illegal entry into the US across the southern border is to stop the deaths, rapes, kidnappings, child sex trafficking etc that are part and parcel of the present state of affairs.
Yes, that's right; the Trump Administration is trying to protect children and innocent adults, but you won't hear that from Mr Kuten or those who put their personal animus ahead of the truth. (abridged)
K A BENFELL
Gonville
Passing on costs
I enjoy a laugh at those who believe that renters and tourists do not pay rates.
Do they truly believe that landlords, hotels, motels, B&Bs and camping grounds do not pay rates, or do they believe those owners freely donate from their pockets without passing on costs to those using their services?
Can I reside in their rates-free fantasy paradise even if I find their imaginations delusional?
ELIZABETH STILES-DAWE
Whanganui
Send your letters to: The Editor, Wanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
