Posts by Steve Parks
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"sorry? what scientific study was that jackie was referring too.
We can only comment following scientific studies?
I've heard a lot more than just a couple of people on the net voicing concerns over racism in Christchurch. I've only got anecdotes, but there have been a lot of them. And hardly any relating to any other major NZ city. I'm not saying I haven't heard of racism or of specific racist incidents in other cities – of course I have. But I've not heard any general anecdotes about how such-and-such a city is especially bad for racism. Only for good old CHCH, I'm afraid. I've certainly never had any Asian friends or acquaintances express any concerns about the overall levels of anti-Asian sentiment in Wellington. This isn't the same as a scientific study, and yes, we want evidence for our arguments - but the testimony of people who have lived in an area would count as evidence.
Again, I doubt Jackie was intending to say all Cantabrians are racist, or that there aren't problems with racism elsewhere. But as Deborah says in the post above, perhaps it's best to wait for Jackie to elaborate before commenting much further.
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(when in doubt, pass the buck)
Yeah, I blame Timaru for most things, too.
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Sorry, Emma, I was thinking of the sort of specific racial abuse that had been discussed earlier and comparing that to your concern over generalisations about a province.
Sorry, obviously unclear, I was likening 'Cantabrians are racist' to 'Asians are bad drivers'. A generalised assertion, which people feel they can back up with anecdotal evidence.
Fair enough to a point. Sure, both 'Cantabrians are racist' and 'Asians are bad drivers' are bad generalisations that are understandably offensive. But I don't think Jackie's comment was intended to say all Cantabrians are racist. Perhaps she could have chosen her words more carefully, but in the context of the discussions here I took her to be saying that Tamsin's concerns over disproportionately high levels of racism were more an issue in Canterbury than NZ in general. Whether or not you agree with that particular sentiment, I don't think that that kind of observation is necessarily unjustified or offensive per se. If I said there were a lot more irrational creationists in the USA than in Sweden, I would be stating the obvious. It would still count as a generalisation about an area, but I'd have no problem with anyone saying such a thing.
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I would suggest that's a Cantabrian thing (the racism).
Is it just me, or can someone else detect irony in this statement? It's okay to make offensive generalisations about a province, but not a race?
Is yelling offensive comments at someone because of their race worse than making qualified, obviously generalised observations about a broad area?
Yes, obviously.
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Are you saying that you can't come home because it's so racist here? I would suggest that's a Cantabrian thing (the racism). Not to mention, you know you're living in London, and that that's in the UK, right? Cos if racism is one of the indicators you use to determine where you live............
As a generalisation, I suspect you're probably right about the racism issue in regards to Canterbury. I'm not sure about your second point, though. I bet Tamsin6 has had far fewer experiences of racism in London than the Japanese-American woman linked to earlier has in Christchurch. And it doesn't seem to me that London is especially racist, by comparison with NZ cities in general.
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Tze Ming Mok, to echo the people who echo the other people, you are a talented and insightful writer who brought so much to your contributions to PA. Someone's already mentioned your excellent commentary on the 'Asian Angst' article, but a personal favourite of mine was your comments on the ethnicity/census matter. I'd been arguing against the sort of dopey reactionariness of the "I'm a New Zealander, Damn It! We're all New Zealanders!" position, held by many friends and acquaintances. I read your views and felt better just noting that someone else agreed how misguided the attitude was, and had articulated the argument so well I could use what they said to expand my own argument.
That's not to say I agreed with everything you wrote, but that doesn't matter. What makes an opinion writer worthwhile:
1)That you encounter opinion that, even though you disagree, enlightens you as to why another rational person would think that way. And,
2) That when you read comment that you agree with, it still enriches your own argument - and yes, sometimes just makes you feel a little more confidant about your own ideas.You did all that with Yellow Peril. Oh, and you were funny, too. And you had some of the best headlines: "Less math, more kidnapping", and opening lines: "…Must you people be such cunts?"
It's a shame you feel too isolated from PA System and/or New Zealand to continue, though I understand how you feel. In a funny kind of way, I almost find it reassuring that being on the other side of the world can still cause that kind of disconnect in this 'global village'.
Anyway, best wishes for the future, Tze Ming.
Regards,
Yet Another White Boy Named Stephen Who Doesn't Mind Being Called a White Boy -
...further to my post above...
And not if you realise words generally have narrow and a wider meanings. You can tell which is intended through judging the afformentioned context. Minto appears to struggle with that last part.
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It's always your fault Russell.
But is the curriculum, through the solitary inclusion of the E-word, teaching our children to become exploiters? Not unless you think they shouldn't ever aspire to having and pursuing their own ideas;
And not unless you think the education system won't teach kids about reading things in context. -
Oh poos. I would have gone to the Wellington Burma gathering had I read this blog (or otherwise heard about it) sooner. Sorry.
Anyone go to the Wellington one? How'd t go?
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Doh!
Comparisons. Reasonable comparisons could be made...