Letters: When we forget the past, we are doomed to repeat it

Your letters

When we forget the past, we are doomed to repeat it
How is it that our government could not bring itself to send a representative to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau?

Heads of state of many nations gathered in Israel to remember the horrors of the Nazi attempts to eradicate Jewish people from the world, but no one from NZ was present. This concerns me greatly. When we forget the past, we are doomed to repeat it.

The fact that today swastikas were painted outside the Jewish synagogue, says something about the underbelly of racism and hate in our nation.

I am for the Jewish people and the land of Israel, I am for the Maori people and Aotearoa, I am for the human race whatever colour or size, or shape.

We need one another. Every nation, every tribe, every person.

Let's remember the pain of others rather than deliberately forget the horrors of hate for our own convenience, popularity or political expediency.

M DONNE-LEE
Aramoho

Iran's actions
Alan Davidson tells us that the problems with Iran are all because of other nations and their policies over the years, especially Britain and the US. It is funny how often that argument is used to excuse dysfunctional nations or governments, not to mention power-hungry and homicidal thugs.

No, Mr Davidson, the explanation you suggest does not justify Iran's bad actions, nor those of General Soleimani. It certainly does not justify the General and other Iranian governmental leaders ordering the killing of Iranian citizens who dare to protest their own government. Many of those protesters would welcome the support of Western nations in regaining their human rights.

K A BENFELL
Gonville

Possum bounty
That article by Rob Rattenbury about the possums was quite entertaining. He obviously has a sense of humour which is shown by his tongue in cheek method of getting his message across. Very good.

Now, if this government was actually serious about getting rid these pests they could eliminate them to 100 yards of every 4x4 track in the country. How? A $20 per head bounty, tax-free. They could change how they spent that $110 million if they put a little thought into it. There is a place for 1080 but it's not the be-all and end-all way to get rid of possums.

Yeah I know the bleeding hearts go on about by-kill, so what? Get them to go up to the hightops to shoot a few possums. Yeah, right!

There is a place for 1080, it's where the lazy hunters won't go. Oh yeah! The farming industry could save around $35m a year too.

The Government and other bodies need to wake up and take another look at what could be done.

Fur trade and whole body disposal setups would provide jobs and the $20 bounty would get spent as easily as it was gotten. Come on government, there's more than one way to "skin a cat" or should I say possum.

ROD PETTERSON
Rotorua

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