Proud to be a Kiwi?.... It's a good question and the answer is something I have delved in an out of... I was ashamed of NZ throughout the Springbok tour, ashamed to have to choose between Sport (innocent enough subject) and Politics (always full of shit)... and I went with the former! Go equality! Proud of the protests though!
But then we became the FIRST COUNTRY to become Anti-Nuclear and man, was that a moment to be proud of... I remember seeing Joe Bloggs on a flutter-board, paddling like shit in front of an American Nuclear Ship and others on boats, arm floaties, freestyle... whatever it took to stop that ship heading off to rape and pillage the Antarctic.... ah, yes, a proud Kiwi moment....Did we win? Damn straight we did!
So yeah, that was then... National economics took over and sure, we fucked up a few times trying to fit into mainstream (secret backhanded anti-anti nuclear policies) and then came the Millennium... all these wonderful Kiwi orientated advertisements promoting our wonderful diverse cultural diversity and growth as a Nation... I actually bought into that shit.
Now?
Now I see TIME AND TIME AGAIN... the shame of New Zealand being tarnished by the hideous crimes against those same kids the represented the new Millennium. In truth, we don't give a shit for our kids. Our Laws are designed to protect those that rape and molest our upcoming Generation, our future Leaders, and as as result of our complacency - our new, incoming prison population...
You see, in New Zealand.. we like to promote niceties. We like the world to regard us as greener than green. We like all of you (out there) to view us as culturally intertwined, like we've done something uniquely different that you could ever have imagined... (we're super clever like that)... we will even win the Rugby World Cup in the vain hope that you will look past who we, as a Nation, really are...
We're you fooled?
Oh I'm sorry... did you think winning the World Cup (a hideously expense blow to the average Kiwi) wouldn't affect the likes of kids who are abused, beaten, murdered, or raped.. yes, here in the land of the long white cloud?
Did you not know we have thee most highest rate of child abuse in the world or the most lenient penalties known to mankind? Did I distract you from your ever wonderful tinted rose glasses of what New Zealand is like in REALITY?
I loved New Zealand before she was raped by the mainstream of bullshit - when Land meant standing on history overflowing with sincerity, and honour was something that oozed through your toes like mud - a given. A time when life was sacred and children were like seeds - planted into a fertile soil full of self esteem and courage and watered daily by the wisdom of those in a time gone by. We trusted our history, our people that had gone before...
Now our history is a legacy of those who took advantage... those who blamed anything else other than themselves for what THEY have done. A history of neglect, shame, abuse, and no accountability.
I feel utterly fucking ashamed.
Excellent Jax, except I really don't know if there ever was a time when it was safe for kids, in this country or any other? Like so many others, I have come to the conclusion that, in previous generations, sexually interfering with kids was considered a man's "right" and few men would question the reasons "why" he felt the need/desire to do this. Women were historically so dependent on men that they would even go as far as to act as accomplice. (Not to mention those who seemingly acted alone.)
ReplyDeleteWhile politically, women today have more freedom, the psychological dependency is probably the hardest to break, especially inter-generational dependencies.
I am quite despondent. I don't really see anything getting better, except perhaps, it is now ok to talk about it. Still, many people will probably carry their secrets to the grave.
On a more positive note ... perhaps it's like lancing a nasty boil ... the crap has gotta come out ... a bandaid just won't do it any more. This whole mess will get worse before it gets better.
God bless those children who never made it to tell their stories.