“Saying Maori are to blame for ending up in prisons is like saying chickens are to blame for ending up as our Christmas Dinner” said MANA Leader about the Sensible Sentencing Trusts statement that Maori criminal offending is a Maori problem.
“Mr Garth McVicar is adding a twist of racism to get a headline out of the crime statistics” said Mr Harawira “but the facts say otherwise, and here’s one of those little Maori/Pakeha stories to prove it”
“A Maori and a Pakeha are walking down the street, having just committed a crime together. Which one is more likely to get stopped? The Maori. Which one is more likely to be taken in for questioning? The Maori. Which one is more likely to be searched? The Maori. Which one is more likely to be arrested? The Maori. Which one is more likely to be charged with anything? The Maori. Which one is more likely to end up in court? The Maori. Which one is more likely to get convicted of anything? The Maori. Which one is more likely to go to jail? The Maori. Which one is more likely to get the longer jail term? The Maori.”
“Those are the facts Mr McVicar. Don’t let them get in the way of your good story, but those are the facts”
“Yes, Maori are involved in too much crime but the facts also tell us that Maori are involved in too much poverty, too much homelessness, too much drug abuse, too much suicide and too much unemployment” said Harawira. “If Mr McVicar wants Maori to be like everybody else, then I suggest he do something to help eliminate the poverty that keeps Maori sitting squarely in the crime zone, do something to help eliminate the institutional racism that sees Maori unfairly targeted by the police and the justice system, and do something to help bring Maori up to zero, so we stand a fighting chance of survival”
“That’s what MANA is focusing on” said Harawira “trying to eliminate poverty, reduce the harm caused to Maori communities by drugs like meth, and fight the racism that fuels the inequality in our world”
Go Hone! I hope you win Te Tai Tokerau hands down.
Everything Mr. Harawira says is correct. Nevertheless I have known sincere and non racist school teachers who have struggled with the apparent disinclination of Maori pupils to succeed even when they could clearly do so.
There may indeed be a deep seated suspicion about joining the Western programme for success. Not so surprising when you look at a good many of the successful products of the so called education system.
The justice system, the education system, the environment, all these and so many other issues need lots of open, fair and full discussion leading to improvements and information exchange.
Sadly, the actuality of the present day is that this is no longer possible.
Excellent perspective and I think you touch on the key points to this issue. In order to truly understand the Maori situaton we must first take of our western ‘glasses’ and attempt to adopt an indigenous worldview. I believe many of New Zealand’s systemic problems can be remedied by attempting to visualise our society as if Europeans had assimilated rather than colonised NZ.
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