You know what’s really worrying me right now - how those with strong opinions, who go against and question the prevailing and popular narrative, are shouted down and often abused.
It’s like this; people are ok with you having an opinion as long as it lines up the same as theirs.
The moment you step away and run your own race and let your own opinion be heard they come down on you like a sack of potatoes. They can't hack it.
They can't accept others might hold a different view. These people are entitled and arrogant and the more we speak out about them the better.
They think only they exist, they think they are the only ones entitled to be heard. They have sadly lost themselves up their own backside. Seriously, what gives them the right to shut down people with other opinions?
'Loser', 'embarrassment', 'joke', 'what would I know', 'treaty basher', 'how can you?', and 'arsehole' ..those are some of the ways people have described me this week.
It carried on actually to include: 'Oh you racist', 'Māori basher' - 'we can’t now be friends'.
I mean, get a f*cking grip - you are welcome to your thoughts and opinion but who gave you the right to tell me how I can think?
This is my opinion. I own it, it’s who I am .. too much of this is going on. We are forming into two groups in NZ: those for and those against, and all decorum has been lost and anger is starting to fill the room.
We need to listen to others' points of views and see if there is common ground. To think you are always right and how can anyone disagree with you is just arrogant and entitled and what triggered me was this email I got overnight.
It says:
I don’t always get to listen to your podcasts but I’ve seen some of the vile, nasty comments on your podcasts. That’s the thing I don’t get, people telling you how you should think, I have to keep my head down, I’m a middle aged, white, gay man, who’s partner is Māori. While I can “disclose” my thoughts to my partner I cannot have an opposing opinion in most environments I find myself, the LGBTQI+ community ostracises anyone who isn’t left leaning, the same with the Māori community. I have at times sat in social situations while other people make derogatory comments about middle aged white men, or anyone who doesn’t vote left. It simply isn’t possible in their minds to look at things policy by policy, it’s tribal, you must be aligned to a party no matter what. I am honestly so worried for what New Zealand is becoming, I am actually in a situation where I can’t access to free healthcare because I’m not Māori or Pasifika…it’s related to the LGBTQI+ community and no one in the community is worried about it…except non Māori and Pasifika..I’m genuinely scared for mine and my children’s futures here in NZ, I wonder if Australia is the answer. Sorry for the long rambling rant, but, keep up the good work, speaking for us that aren’t allowed to have a voice.
Well said and well pointed out and it’s worried me for some time too.
Suddenly David Seymour is a racist and a hate figure - he’s actually highly intelligent, argues his points well and has had success at getting controversial bills to become law… but guess what? You’ll see that comment as me supporting him.
Far from it.
Do I agree with Seymour? On some things, probably, on others no, I wouldn't.
It's not me taking sides. It’s just me observing and reporting for 30 years and seeing wombats, muppets, idiots and hard workers come and go and Seymour is a highly articulate and effective member who knows what it is like to make law but on this one, if he's honest he's wound up race relations past the point where it needed to go, and Luxon looks weak entertaining such a nonsense.
The Māori Party cleverly are using it to drive people onto the Māori roll and onto their data base. And at the end of the day it's going nowhere - not that many on the hikoi wanted to hear that - because it takes so much sting out of the tail.
People, we need to chill out.
We need to accept others and what they stand for and at least allow them a platform the same as you got.
Society is dangerous and boring when we all agree.
Give people the space to have their own opinion.
And if you have nothing nice to say... then pull your head in, let them peak and say nothing at all.
The entitlement and arrogance coming from those who wish to shut others down is appalling.
You need to get out more, find new friends and mix in wider circles… that is if we can find you, you may well be lost in your own backside.
But seriously, look in the mirror .. Other people live here too.
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