Your views: Readers' letters

Thanks, hospital

Referring to a letter to the Chronicle on September 21, I too found myself an unexpected guest at our WDHB hospital.

As an ex-health professional I also feel qualified to make comment on the long hours that our health practitioners may experience and only hope that this is a minimal occurrence and in contrast to times past.

If or when staff do find themselves experiencing fatigue/stress, the safety of their patients and themselves is a high priority.

I empathise they may be reluctant/hesitant to report this (could this be misconstrued as a weakness or letting the team down?).

I am sure these staff work in a supportive environment with open dialogue encouraged between team members/coordinators/managers.

In regard to my recent hospitalisation, on behalf of myself and my family, a sincere thank you to those who saved my life and those who treated me during my recovery. I received outstanding treatment and care from the staff of the ED department, my surgeons, registrars, RMOs, CCU, surgical ward, radiology and Spotless.

JOANNE DONGHI
Marton

Easter Sunday

Steve Baron devotes an article to proclaiming again his right to please himself.

Well, yes, we can all decide for ourselves what we do and don't do. And theoretically employees who didn't want to work on any given public holiday could simply not arrive at work.

However, employers like their employees to do as they're told and might take a dim view of this. Claiming that anything we may choose to do is entirely independent of others (whether we can perceive its impacts on them or not) is socially reclusive, perhaps even narcissistic.

We live in a world of other people; all our actions impact someone else in one way or another.

If you choose to drop that litter, others will have to pick it up. If you decide to end your life, others will be left with the clean-up and emotional pain.

If you make it legal to shop on Easter Sunday, your Christian neighbour may be required to work.

Just because that is insignificant to you does not mean no harm is done.

MANDY DONNE-LEE
Aramoho

Don't mock us

Nowhere in Steve Baron's article (Chronicle, October 2) does he say he heads "Whanganui's Advertising Specialists". He therefore has a vested interest in combating the law that stops shops opening on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.

Before the 1980s shops in NZ were closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Sundays (or the Sabbath) used to be days of rest for Jews, Muslims and Christians. They were days of freedom from slavery, freedom fought for, won and kept for over 2500 years. In this country people can now choose their day or days of rest, and that's a blessing.

We Christians won the battle for a day of rest, and our secular society then adapted it. Fair enough. Many Christians - though not all - welcome all the help we can get to improve society. That's our job. Our beliefs are not set in stone. We adapt. We grow up.

But Steve's tone of mockery for religion, and Christianity in particular, goes beyond his brief. Only a tiny number of Christians would use thee and thou these days, and only in a particular context. Only a tiny number of Christians know or care about the symbol of 666 for the Roman emperor Nero.

My view is that, by and large, Christianity has won (or is at least winning) the battle for a fair and just society, and I agree that, in that sense, we are becoming a post-Christian society.

But please, Steve, don't mock us. Because when the next important battle comes up, Christians will be there, ready to die for their faith, fighting for a fair and just society.

Arguing for three more shop opening days might just mean a return to slavery for some people. Debate the subject, Steve. Don't mock Christianity.

RICHARD PEIRCE
Marton

Cellphone alert

It was pleasing to see the Emergency Alert on cellphones worked effectively, albeit accidentally, the other night. Other places have similar emergency measures, but for a more sinister reason.

While living near Amsterdam a few months ago we saw a huge three-piece TV screen being erected in a park the day before the Ajax Amsterdam v Manchester United football match which was to be played in Stockholm. Large numbers of fans were expected to fill the park to watch the match.

An hour before kick-off we were having dinner at home with our son and daughter-in-law when their phones suddenly went off with the terrorist alert signal. It was the first time this had been used since it was set up so they were anxious to see what had happened.

The message read, "Amsterdam is full - do not come into town." The authorities had used the terrorist alert to stop more people flooding into the park to watch the football.

Two thoughts sprang to mind - what a brilliant idea to use cellphones to alert locals to critical events, and, secondly, what must the atmosphere have been like at the park when 20,000 cellphones went off simultaneously with the terrorist alert message?

NEVILLE HOPKINS
Whanganui