Having read Lizzie Marvelly’s article in a weekend newspaper I am left shaking my head, or should that be nodding my head, in thinking that her piece illustrates exactly why her race is still in the unfortunate position it is.
You see, it is after all these years evidently STILL all the Pakeha’s fault. Lizzie is done with engaging with uneducated, ignorant commentators who exploit the customs, lives and experiences of tangata whenua in order to bolster their ratings and revenue. As usual with people who spray accusations around, no names are given. She will no longer give them her attention or her emotional energy. That’s good to know as it means she won’t be coming near me.
Poor Lizzie. She finds being the token Maori is exhausting. I, the individual, she says, am suddenly expected (impossibly) to speak for we, all Maori. Note the intolerable burden the wee wahine is under. She says Maori don’t need to apologise for their righteous anger or be told how to be, least of all the contorted, blanched, palatable Maori-lite version some people want us to be.
She goes on to say that Maori don’t need to be reminded for the umpteenth time, the numerous ways in which they should fix themselves. Maori don’t need to seek permission to perform the rituals of the good COLONISED native. She says “we” don’t owe anyone anything at all.
Maybe not Lizzie, but we, the “uninformed Pakeha” as you describe us in your piece, seem to be forever owing you and your race.
She rather reminds me of Abbas and the Palestinians in that they have got themselves mentally in a place from which they either can’t or don’t want to extract themselves.
So Lizzie, how about a dose of reality? You say Maori have to cross into the Pakeha world daily and it’s time more Pakeha did so in the opposite direction. I don’t know what rock you have been living under for the last fifteen years or more dearie, but Pakeha have been crossing over to the Maori world in terms of offering help, support and monetary assistance so often it rather resembles the Southern Motorway at morning and afternoon peak.
Lizzie, there are certain questions you need to ask of your own people. Why are there so many in poverty, in prison, and in perpetual petulance? There is a one word answer to all three – education. Your young people were starting to achieve massively with the implementation of charter schools. They were starting to believe in themselves, to like study and above all, enjoy the belief and satisfaction of achieving. Who took all that away? Yes, your very close comrade Jacinda at the behest of her Union masters. Shame on her and shame on them.
Lizzie, like the Palestinians, until you can move on with your thought processes, you will, unfortunately, continue to write articles like last weekend.
Nobody is stopping Maori achieving to the best of their ability, except this Government, nor preventing them from celebrating their tangata whenua or their rangatiratanga. The best way to get on in this country is for everyone to live as one people regardless of race, colour, or creed.
Writing articles of a divisive nature such as yours doesn’t help achieve that one iota.
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