The country has been shocked and surprised at the grace of the Waitangi Marae by inviting Dr Don Brash to speak at the Waitangi Forum Tent on Tuesday.
Brash of course infamously incited hateful Māori bashing with his awful Orewa Speech by claiming Māori somehow had ‘privilege’ and was recently banned from appearing at Massey University in a move widely criticised as being anti free speech.
By inviting him to speak, the Waitangi Marae have shown how to open dialogue with those who they not only disagree with, but with those who are wilfully malicious towards them.
It takes grace and compassion to offer platform to your enemies, and by extending this offer, the Waitangi Marae is opening doors rather than burning bridges. In a world of social media lynch mobs and perpetual outrage, the humbleness required to actually speak to one another is genuinely courageous.
By making this offer, the Waitangi Marae are showing New Zealanders how to live up to the promise of being New Zealanders.
Let’s hope the protest at his appearance, while passionate, is also civil.
First published on WaateaNews.com
