Letters, February 23: Lights work like 'magic'

Horse racing reporter Aidan Rodley and Ross Fisher think that flashing lights ("with different frequencies of coloured light used to treat different parts of the anatomy") cure horses and people of ailments (Waikato Times, February 15). Yeah, right.

This so-called treatment is sold by a man whose website says his lights are the answer to everything from "flu" to depression to hot flushes. "It works like magic," he tells the gullible. If Mr Fisher wants to make a fool of himself with flashing lights, then that is his business, but he would get the same results by waving a forked stick. A reporter with a basic education in science and critical thinking skills needs to probe the extent to which horses are subjected to light therapy, blistering, dowsing, chiropractic and other quackery instead of being given proper care.

RAYMOND RICHARDS

Hamilton

Editor's note: Nowhere did the story say our reporter believed the claims. He was faithfully reporting the beliefs of those involved. Your points are good ones, however.

Care confusion

My daughter, who has a severe hereditary disease, was admitted to hospital on December 31, and in the past weeks she has alternated (on paper) between the mental health unit and the main hospital. Everything between the two departments is confusing and conflicting. (But it is a funding issue.)

Recently she had to have a medical certificate signed by her GP for her disability allowance. It took five days to mentally prepare herself, she then had to travel 15 kilometres to get it signed and, $35 later, she had to find her way home. I learnt recently that people with long-standing disabilities don't need to have this done – this has been in place for the past eight years, and yet Winz still sends out these forms, and doctors are still signing them.

People with disabilities get paid very little (my daughter is on $253 per week) so $35 is a lot out of their weekly income. Recently we had a court hearing about my daughter's care and the judge ordered 24-hour compulsory care, but that changed when she was taken off the Mental Health Act order. The judge's order was then over-ruled.

They said there was no reason for her not to go home, "with a few things in place".

I was also told the "district health board would fight tooth and nail to keep her out of care – it's a funding issue". (Abridged)

SHIRLEY BROWN

Hamilton

Abridged letter

It is a pity my letter "Top teachers" in the Waikato Times (February 13) had to be abridged, as my major argument was that, contrary to David Grimmond's view that test results can rate teachers, this method is quite useless for that purpose. It would be rather like using the results of a colour spectrometer test to judge the worth of a Monet painting.

JOHN MILLS

Matamata

Editor's reply: This letter was abridged to come closer to the 200-word letter limit. Occasionally, at the editor's discretion, a longer letter does make it into print, but Mr Mills' letter was not one of those.

**** in print

Concerning swear words in print: to start with I believe swear words are just words and they can be used by people if they want.

I had a chuckle when I read something rather unusual in the Waikato Times of February 13. I have always been of the impression the word "wanker" was a lot less offensive than the word "shit".

Certainly this is what has been drummed into me by parents and other "figures of authority" over the years.

So I was reasonably surprised when I saw the word "wanker" bleeped out in print, when, at other times, I have seen the word "shit" printed in full. I know it is hardly the topic of discussion at the moment, but I thought it would be interesting to see which word readers found more offensive and if the Times had got it right.

SEAN JOHNSON

Hamilton

Booking fee

$15 to go to see Joe Bennett – fair enough. $6 for Ticketek booking fee at Hamilton i-site – outrageous.

DEREK TIMBS

Hamilton

Out of work

Nearly one in three young Maori and Pacific workers are unemployed and action is needed to address their plight, says Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres. It is vital these increased inequalities are reversed.

Damn right, I say.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says the low socio-economic status of Maori made them particularly vulnerable to gambling problems. I say use your spiritual beliefs and make gambling and drinking tapu.

Mrs Turia said the challenge was how to transform people's lives in ways that would enable them to take back more control.

"Innovation lies with both whanau themselves – to encourage them to become more self-determining". I'm liking what I hear – I'm on your side. Before the white man came with the dole and the benefit, Maori lived in large communities and the sea and the land provided your kai. You still have both – why aren't you using it? Does any marae exist that is accompanied by a large garden?

Bring your youth off the streets and out of the gangs and make them work for their own hapu and iwi.

It worked fine before – no reason it shouldn't now.

Use the billions from the Treaty settlements to buy some tractors instead of BMWs for the uncle toms.

PAUL EVANS-McLEOD

Hamilton

Dog control

I am sick of reading about people being attacked by dogs. I've heard all the stuff about owners being responsible for the behaviour of their dogs but evidence has shown any dog can get grumpy just like their human owners. A grumpy human can commit acts of violence as can a dog. My solution is: increase the annual licence fee to at least $1000 for all dogs; use the additional revenue to increase dog control services; allow dog control services to destroy, on the spot, any dog not bearing proof of licensing; prosecute any owner whose dog intimidates a person not on the dog's home territory.

With its majority, this Government can legislate on this issue to protect adults and children from this menace.

ROB JAMES

Raglan

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