Posts by Steve Parks
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Isn’t the real issue here the fact that there are sweets shaped like ... people??
I would have thought so, anyway. If someone developed a sweet that was based on Maori, and they called it "Maori", wouldn't that be weird?
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It's alright, Keir. I'm probably the one being too metaphysical.
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Yes. For example, Maori are all descendents from Polynesian settlers, yet "Maori" as a culture is indigenous because it has evolved here as a uniique response to the land and the generations of history that have passed since then.
Hmmm, good response. But then, haven't virtually all peoples inhabiting any nearly any place you care to name "evolved [t]here as a uniique response to the land and the generations of history that have passed...." to some degree or other? Your cultural interpretation of indigenous seems to vitiate the word somewhat.
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Regards the exchange between Paul L and Keir, this post from Dyan from another thread seems relevant:
Dyan, I'm intrigued. How did the Inuit get to do that for the Yupik, who are Eskimo but not Inuit and don't want to be called Inuit? Were the Yupik there?
I don't know how many attended, but they would certainly have had representation.The Central Alaskan Yup'ik are by far the most numerous group of Yupik. The Central Alaskan Yup'ik who live on Nunivak Island call themselves Cup'ig (plural Cup'it). Those who live in the village of Chevak call themselves Cup'ik (plural Cup'it).
Those apostrophes represent that pretty cracked consonant sound that is so common in North American languages. It's a nice sounding language.
Part of the problem with the word "Eskimo" or "Esquimaux" or however it is spelled, is that it is French in origin and is extremely offensive to the people that it is used to describe. Or so my Inuit friends tell me, anyway.
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Is anyone really indigenous, apart from Africans?
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there's spleen-a-plenty under the Sunrise story.
God those comments are hilarious. For weirdest counter example:
...If there was Kiwi Pie and all Kiwis had a sheep attached to their genitals would it cause a stir ...
For kiwi class:
Thanks for buying the lollies you dont like the name of so much, not a bad looker though, if your down my way in your holiday drop in and see me :)
For tolerance:
Is she still here? Please escort her to the nearest airport. No room in NZ for her.
and best of all:
I could understand is they were actually made from Eskimos but it`s an ice cream for crying out loud.
!!!
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...my last post was in response to Kyle's, by the way, and "After all, the defense could counter..." should read "...prosecution could counter..."
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Hmm, I suppose. Gets tricky, though. Is it six challenges each? If so, would the prosecution lawyer, in your Asia defendant example, want to use up 5 out of their six just to get rid of the 5 Asians?
Would the prosecution be that simplistic: 'we have an Asian on trial, get rid of the Asian's in the jury'? (That's not a rhetorical question; it really might be that crude.)
In the date rape case, a defense lawyer might want to exclude all or most women under 40, for example, but isn't that fair enough? If the barrister is representing the interests of the defendant, and the defendant thinks (or the lawyer believes on his behalf) that using all his challenges on young women will help his chances, then so be it. After all, the defense could counter the "thinking" implicit in that approach by challenging all the older men (on the basis they're likely more conservative).
Still, the more I think about it, the more I think that it's quite likely little is really gained by the' process. It seems like an aspect of the legal system we've held on to by tradition, which could do with an overhaul.
Graeme Edgeler may along soon and shoot down everything I just said. But I ask you: Can we trust a 'Graeme' who doesn't spell his name with an 'H'?
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The first two in particular were of relatively minor news value and none would have led, IMHO, without playing up the controversy angle. This in particular wound me up:
3 News searched for groups that use North Island in their title. We talked to the North Island Minisprint Club whose spokesman said they have no intention of becoming Te Ika A Maui Mini Sprint Club."
I agree overall, except I don't think that board's proposal about the names of the north and south islands is a minor news story. It's a legitimate story all right, but handled poorly. That part about N.I. Minisprint was just moronic, frankly.
My understanding of the proposal is just that the board will be making the names 'North Island' and 'South Island' official, and while doing so may add official Maori names as well. I don't see the concern.
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The other issue, though, is to what extent barristers use the challenge system to massage the makeup of juries.
My understanding is that both sides have the same number of challenges, so I don't see why it would necessarily affect the make up in favour of one side or the other.
My perhaps overly cynical impression is that prosecutors in particular don't want independent thinkers with trained minds assessing their arguments, and will try to weed these people out if they get beyond the ballotting phase. The ideal is a jury of, ahem, 'average Kiwis' who will be oblivious to the extent to which they're being intellectually bullied.
I don't see why the prosecution in particular would be inclined to "intellectually bully" the jury. As to who wants independent thinkers, that may depend on the nature of the case, and on which side is more confident about the evidence.