Letters, July 16: Disgust at TV coverage

At a time when there is public outcry against the spate of violent crime, our flagship TV broadcaster, at prime time on Wednesday, through Close Up, focused on a person who severely assaulted his partner.

It seems he arranged a payment to her and so secured silence in the matter. He avoided the consequences of the law. He was allowed time, via a press conference statement, to give his reasons for the assault.

Michelle Boag, a public relations expert, explained why we should have sympathy with the person. Another smooth speaker thought critics should be careful not to be too saintly.

I am more broadminded than the majority, but I am disgusted the subject was ever considered, let alone broadcast. What should we look forward to? A rapist who had his reasons? A murderer to tell us he had a bad day? A child molester who loved the victim?

Although this person clearly has the money to pay for the charade, there is no reason why society should allow the person to avoid the punishment he richly deserves.

J SIMPSON

Hamilton

Private matter

Should Tony Veitch lose his job? No he should not.

This is a private matter and the public should keep their noses out of it.

In any case, the woman plays a great part in keeping peace in the home, by not provoking a tired man with counter arguments (especially one in a state of chronic depression), by keeping quiet and removing herself from the environment.

This was not carried out and it was a factor in the private arrangement entered into.

JANET FRANKS

Hamilton

 

Historic Christianity?

I have been keeping abreast, at a distance, of the feature article on Russell Armitage, the manager of the Anglican Diocese of Waikato, and the correspondence that followed. Now I have read Peter Collier's letter (Waikato Times, July 9). The rugby image could be played in various ways.

If I understand Rev Collier correctly, he would exclude gay people from the Church altogether. That doesn't strike me as "historic Christianity" or indeed of the religion of Jesus.

PETER LINEHAM

Auckland

Joy of belief

To P J Murphy and his fellow atheists who wish to debate the existence of Jesus Christ, the Bible says simply "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." I did just that as a young person many years ago and immediately, to my great surprise, was overwhelmed with joy.

I currently know hundreds of persons who have had a similar experience.

Throughout my lifetime I guess such acquaintances would number in the thousands.

C S Lewis, who early in his academic career was an agnostic, later described his change of belief in a book entitled Surprised By Joy.

John Newton, a former slave trader, expressed his change of heart in the well-known hymn Amazing Grace "How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed."

We all have free choice. If our atheist friends choose not to believe, they are welcome to their gloom and doom.

I am so glad neither they nor anyone else can rob me of the joy and peace I continue to have, and which was granted to me by simple belief.

B M L AMNER

Hamilton

Riff Raff move

Further to P J Murphy's letter (Waikato Times, July 9) suggesting a move of the Riff Raff statue closer to the Anglican cathedral:

Perhaps the first step could be to Hood St where it seems the Riff Raff attitude was very much part of the redevelopment programme.

It's halfway to the cathedral from where it is now.

Hopefully by the time Riff Raff has found itself at home in Hood St, the Anglican community might have passed its navel gazing phase and moved on to something more useful than trying to alienate the majority of its supporters.

BARRY BOURKE

Hamilton

Upgrade the airport

It's a pity the millions spent on upgrading the paving of Hood St weren't spent on more paving at Hamilton airport. With the massive increase of air traffic over the past few years it has been entirely predictable the grass runways and taxiways would not stand up to the increased use.

Winter has turned the field into a muddy shambles. Takeoffs and landings are confined to just two runways. There is only one useable sealed taxiway to access the 18/36 runway on the western side and only one on the eastern side.

Hamilton is now one of the busiest airfields in New Zealand and it cannot cope with this lack of basic all-weather infrastructure. The waste of aviation fuel, time and money is unacceptable.

Air traffic control is doing a commendable job in an extremely frustrating situation and likewise the pilots.

It's long past time the shareholding councils got their act together and delivered an acceptable functional airfield.

M F HOMES

Arapuni

Accused's rights

I applaud Judge J Blackett's findings totally clearing members of the English rugby team of anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct and rape. See http://www.rfu.com/PDFs/discipline/nz-allegations-web.pdf.

Judge Blackett criticises the manner in which the allegations were played out in the news media. This placed the sportsmen in the "intolerable position" of not being able to properly challenge the allegations while at the same time suffering public "vilification".

The complainant remained anonymous while incalculable damage has been done to the reputations and family life of those accused.

Protection of a complainant identity should only go so far. It has been a long-standing right of any accused to be able to face their accuser. The complainant in this case voluntarily instructed her lawyers to enter into a news media contest yet refused to lay a formal complaint.

Natural justice demands that she now be publicly named.

RICHARD CHRISTIE

Hamilton

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