Posts Tagged ‘racism’
I love this: Jay Laga’aia as the Wizard of Oz
I love seeing ‘barriers’ like this ‘broken’. See NZ Herald report: Milestone on hold for the Wizard of Oz which tells us “Jay Laga’aia says the Wizard is a huge deal for him, and he is the first Polynesian to portray the iconic character.” Yeah. Go Jay. I’ll like it even more when the race […]
Sports mascots as racial stereotyping? (Or is that being ‘precious’?)
There’s a fascinating discussion — on Andrew Sullivan’s The Dish website — with input from all sides about the use of Native Americans and other groups as sports mascots. Have a read of it, if that subject interests you. I was struck by the National Congress of American Indians‘ effective use of substitution and juxtaposition to […]
The predictable unsavoury and racist kerfuffle that greets Waitangi Day
This, from local Twitter luminaries @ColeyTangerina and @Megapope, is a wonderfully world-weary and efficient summary of the tripe that’s scooped out of the racist bucket in New Zealand around Waitangi Day and spread around thick like the ugly goop that it is. In many cases these tired tropes are trotted out as ‘debate’ or ‘talking […]
US troops building bridges with Nazi symbolism …
I spotted this on the Mother Jones news website today, and words fail me. Why is this making news now? Several Marines who were concerned about the photos contacted Mikey Weinstein (no relation), president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit that watchdogs religious intolerance in the armed services. Their behavior, Weinstein told me, […]
The Treaty of Waitangi and its principles
In the late 1830s, there were approximately 125,000 Māori in New Zealand and about 2000 settlers. More immigrants were arriving all the time though, and Captain William Hobson was sent to act for the British Crown in the negotiation of a treaty between the Crown and Māori. The Colonial Secretary, Lord Normanby, instructed Hobson that: […]
Not THAT kind of PC
Another difference. Does else anyone remember the little scandal-ette (BBC report) that erupted when Microsoft was shown to have erased a black man from a photo (except for his HAND) before using the image in Poland? Well, here’s Apple (putting their best foot forward) channelling Michael Jackson’s Don’t Matter If You’re Black Or White … […]
Let’s be reasonable…
Here’s a sign from the San Francisco satellite rally of Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity, inspired, I think, by a line he delivered on The Daily Show. I think it’s just brilliant. In my dealings with those with whom I strongly disagree about things that are important to me, I make a real effort […]
Why do you think we call it a struggle?
I referred earlier this week in ‘Words that may not be spoken‘ to what I see as a subversive, long-running and concerted political campaign which aims to suppress Maori culture in Howick, Auckland, where I live. That’s how I see it. I’ll explain why. Along with the rest of New Zealand, we’ve just had local […]
Words that may not be spoken
Last week I wrote to the local Howick & Pakuranga Times about a long-running local issue of importance to me and my family. I was intrigued by some of the deletions and alterations in the resulting published Letter to the editor. See what you think: My family and I fully support the moves to rebuild the […]
