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Did Julie Anne Genter just state that Maori are the main New Zealanders who illegally grow and sell cannabis? Why yes she did and even worse she thinks that is a good reason why we should make it legal because most criminals who commit this particular crime are Maori!
If you believe in racial justice, please vote yes to regulating cannabis.
— Julie Anne Genter (@JulieAnneGenter) September 28, 2020
It’s a commonly used plant. Keeping its cultivation and trade in the shadows is not good for anyone, and disproportionately hurts Maori. #nzpol
Imagine if she said, ‘if you believe in racial justice, please vote yes to regulating white-collar crime. White-collar crime is a common crime and keeping that kind of theft in the shadows is not good for anyone and disproportionately hurts Pakeha’.
Her statement about Maori and Cannabis is incredibly tone-deaf and racist. It is the racism of lower expectations. It reminds me of teachers who I worked with who never expected their Pasifika students to go on to university or any kind of higher education. They would instead guide them towards the kinds of subjects and low paid jobs that they considered them suitable for.
