Letters for Thursday October 21, 2021

Dear Editor,

I don’t understand how people complain that New Zealand vaccination lockdown policy will hurt Pacific Maori people the most, when they are the ones who are: a) least vaccinated or anti-vaccination, b) are the ones who are mainly catching and suffering from the Covid-19.

Of course, vaccination is not bullet proof, you may still catch it, but according to statistics only 3 per cent have and if you do catch it, you are less likely to be hospitalised or die from it. Looking at recent statistics, 97 per cent with Covid in NZ are unvaccinated and in hospital suffering.

Do you want to wait until someone you love or in your congregation gets sick and dies before you change your mind? If God is going to save you then why does he let so many die of cancer every day even little kids?

If you don’t like the no jab, no job policy, then you won’t mind if health gives priority for hospital treatment to vaccinated people before those who choose not to vaccinate. Just saying.

Your choice

(Name and address supplied)

Drink driving

News of alcohol being involved in a majority of traffic incidents is no surprise to anyone. Most confiscations occurred between 11pm and 7am is not unusual either. This (alcohol) has been the root cause of deaths on our roads especially when speed is added.

When will government make a stand on alcohol? Our drinking culture not only causes traffic accidents but also domestic violence.

When will the courts take a hard stand against drink drivers instead of letting them off their disqualification every time they say they need to drive to work?

Give tougher penalties, make them pay in cash by selling their bikes and real community work, where they have to wear bright orange overalls and pick up rubbish on the streets and beaches in the public view. 

Tea totaller

(Name and address supplied)

MIQ costs

People complain about paying for our people to come home when they were caught out in New Zealand but they were happy for the Government to pay nonessential seasonal workers to live here for a year on full time subsidies.

Get your priorities right. If Government had worked smarter, half these people could have been home sooner and cheaper if they flew them out of Christchurch when it all started. Another reason they should give their support for Mike Pero airlines.

Locals first

(Name and address supplied)

Waka training

This is the third part to ‘The colonisation of the Southern Cooks’ (Cook Islands News, Tuesday October 19). What Kupe really said to the young navigator was that if their waka breaks up in the ocean, they are all dead. Navigator training is of a high standard.

In the Maori world, the rank of a chief navigator is above that of a taunga and a Rangatira tutara, a warrior king. The training is tough, some die in the process.

When the news of the (waka) training reached Ngamaru and Rongomatane of Atiu, they dispatched three young warriors from the island for training immediately in Rarotonga at Kupe’s school in Takuvaine valley. Matapakia, Toki and Tauu were the three warriors.

On Kupe’s return from his training run around the southern Cooks, three more vainetoa passed the test and graduated as master navigators. They were:

1. Tiaranginui, the daughter of warrior king of Takitumu known as Vaikai Mataiapo

2. Te ue mea mea also from Takitumu (According to my grandfather, she was the daughter of another warrior king known as Manaaroa)

3. Tairiterangi, the daughter of a Rangatira of Te-au-o-tonga known as Apaipaikinukuhia. He was also a member of Rangatiratanga of Te-au-o-tonga, the highest authority of Te-au-tonga under Tepatuakino Makea and Rupe.

The three vainetoa were given the highest order of Te-au-o-tonga by the Rangatira on the advice of Kupe.

Puna Dyer

Muri, Ngatangiia