Joseph Los’e, the Herald’s Kaupapa Maori editor, had an article in Monday’s Herald featuring Paddy Gower and his thoughts on matters of race. Evidently the problems concerning race are, by and large, caused by old white men. There are a number of points Gower made that I, as an old white man, and no doubt others, take issue with. It’s this sort of idiotic comment and analysis that wind old white men up. And not only men and not only Pakeha.
The article opens with Gower saying that the rapidly changing demographics of New Zealand are scaring the baby boomers of the 50s and 60s. Gower might like to know it takes a lot more than that to scare the baby boomers. While not involved in World War Two, we certainly felt the effects of it and learning about it was far more scary than anything he is talking about. We are not at all scared by the changing demographics. Rather we are irritated and frustrated by the antics of a racist few.
These few represent one race and one race only: Maori. What we are irritated by is the recent years of undue pandering to a minority group by the last Labour Government. This group would have us believe they represent an entire race of people. They do not: who they do represent is themselves. Everything they want is for their own benefit, not that of all Maori. Gower says New Zealand faced a “huge division over race relations”. I say rubbish to that.
If there is a huge division, it’s nothing to do with old white men, baby boomers or the majority of Maori. One of the negatives the country suffers from is a lack of suitably trained people in areas like health and education. If expanding demographics, be it Asian, Maori or Pasifika, helps to solve this problem that is a good thing. It is certainly not something we are scared of.
Gower says he’s hoping “good average New Zealanders won’t get sucked into the political rhetoric”. I can assure Mr Gower we are not getting sucked into anything. We are concerned that a certain few have been able to exercise undue influence on matters of race in a way the majority of the population is unhappy about, including Maori. That is precisely why Labour lost the election.
Race relations has been a part of his 47 years on this earth says Gower. “It appears to be more divided than ever in terms of the disparity on the Pakeha and Maori sides. The gap between the two is quite distant.” Is he trying to say that we, as he appears to have done, buy into the rhetoric of the racist minority? Once again Gower displays the problem with left-wing journalists. They play to the racist few because it suits their narrative – a narrative that is the major cause of the problems he is talking about.
Gower said political agendas were being pushed by the right via the ACT party (he forgot to mention NZ First) and equally from the left “radical” pushback from Te Pati Maori. The fact is both ACT and NZ First want to bring some sensibility back into matters of race while the agenda of the Maori Party is quite the opposite. They are the ones, along with the likes of Willie Jackson, stirring the pot hopefully to their own advantage. It is them, along with the left-wing media, and not old white men, baby boomers or anybody else causing the problems.
Gower says we are the ones who hold a lot of power and we are the ones who go out and vote so we are afraid of what is coming. He’s right on the first two points but wrong on the third. He says we’re having debates we don’t need to have around race relations because it’s so divided and in his opinion it’s holding New Zealand back. Well, here’s an idea Paddy: how about putting your journalistic influence to good use for once and tell those Maori politicians on the left to shut up.
Gower said the solution is to not “get goaded into these political rows. It’s not going to get us anywhere.” Again, for Mr Gower’s benefit, we are not goaded into anything but we are certainly not going to sit idly by while the minority are intent on ruling the majority. That is not how democracy works and neither old white men, baby boomers nor hard working Maori are going to put up with it.
Oh dear. It appears Paddy Gower has issues…again!
