Whanganui letters: Doing justice to New Zealand aviation

From left, pilot Sam Lamb, flight nurse Christine Lynch and pilot Tom Hall pose with Amelia Bearheart, Air Whanganui's new mascot.

It is heartening to see that Air Whanganui has a mascot for children on its ambulance flights.

But the name "Amelia Bearheart" does not do justice to New Zealand aviation.

It is derived from a famous American aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, who had never set foot in New Zealand.

In contrast, Jean Batten, New Zealand's famous aviatrix, was the first woman to fly solo from Africa to Brazil and from England to New Zealand.

On a New Zealand tour, Batten flew into Whanganui escorted by Jane Winstone, Whanganui's famous aviatrix (after whom Jane Winstone Retirement Village is named).

To honour our famous women aviators I suggest the bear be renamed "Jean Bearten", or to combine the two to "Winny Bearten".

JOHN GRAY
Victoria BC, Canada

(I grew up in Whanganui and was the head prefect in 1958 at the Wanganui Technical College but now live in Canada. I still have lots of relatives and friends in Whanganui. And I read the Chronicle).

Protecting the not yet vaccinated

Among all the complaints and confusion about the Covid restrictions, very little thought (or reporting) is given to WHY we have these restrictions.

Very simple deduction reveals that the restrictions protect the unvaccinated.

These are people who won't be vaccinated, but also those who can't be vaccinated - mostly our children.

The simple deduction is that when everyone is vaccinated there is no point in having any restrictions!

Maybe just simple hygiene such as masks, distancing and sanitising hands - these
work for colds and flu as well.

We hear that these are just the "Government's" rules and it's all Jacinda's fault. But if we are all vaccinated, there would be no need for rules!

No levels, no traffic light system, no vaccination passes, very few people in hospital, almost no one dying.

So until our tamariki and mokopuna can be protected as well, please stop complaining, please stop blaming. Let's all make it work, and do what is needed to keep our little ones safe.

COLIN GATES
Castlecliff

Freedom to choose

I made an important life choice this year. I am content about it. Perhaps you made a different choice. Are you content with it? Why, or why not?

This letter is about choices in general - and one in particular.

If the particular choice I made was thought of like an election, I would be in the group of the biggest of all "landslide" choices for health since the 1950s.

I am writing, of course, of today's Covid choice. Vaccination or not?

By the way, in contrast to a hoarding recently seen in Northland (seen online on RNZ), nobody has ever been forced to take an epidemic vaccine (smallpox, polio, Covid) in this country. Check our government archives.

For what it's worth, I'm with the huge group of the vaccinated - my free choice after good research.

To those not vaccinated, I also support your choice. Presumably, you also did good research. I respect that.

It's what democracy means. Freedom to choose, and respect others' choices.

So let's all respectfully enjoy our rights to peaceful co-existence in this, one of the safest, more envied democracies on earth. [abridged]

STAN HOOD
Aramoho