Bizarre is all I can call this.
The group of school pupils have been honoured by Mr de Bres for acting with dignity in dealing with criticism from Mr Laws.
The pupils, aged 11 to 13, at Otaki School’s kura kaupapa unit, were upset with an angry reply from Mr Laws, whom they wrote to in August urging him to insert the letter “h” in Wanganui.
Mr de Bres presented the girls with certificates yesterday to honour their stance.
“Your message to stand up for yourself is clear. You acted with real dignity and calm and quietly stood up for what you thought when dealing with such rubbish from Wanganui’s mayor.
Rubbish like…
Mr Laws later asked the students to afternoon tea in his mayoral office saying, “If the impression was … I was somehow ‘bullying’ in my reply, I want to assure you it was the last thing from my mind.”
The girls declined the offer.
…snubbing an offer of an apology? How exactly is that dignified? On one hand they’re all upset about the city’s name, but they can’t even take the time to go visit at the personal invitation of the mayor.
These girls recieved fawning media coverage, which I don’t object to. Laws was a prick in his reply.
But giving them an award? That smacks of using the situation to push an agenda. That’s something that runs completely against what his office should be doing.
Hm, actually come to think of it, I’ve never actually read the letters the children sent. So what did those girls say?
My name is Rautini Thompson from Otaki School and the Te Korowai Whakamana class.
I am very angry with you all, put the H back in Whanganui, e.g this name is the name of the land first. I know it is only a name, but to disallow the letter H being put back now is condescending to everyone and the Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty is a gift that guides New Zealand in the maori language, the aim in which your decisions are based within your discussions.
So be it
—
To Michael Laws
This is Ngarui writing to you and I am a girl who is 11 years of age. I attend Otaki School and I am in Te Korowai Whakamana class.
The subject of my discussion is to change the name Wanganui to Whanganui.
I am very angry with you, and do not support your actions on not changing the name. I also do not support the discussion that money is no the issue as the name is the only topic.
…The name of Whanganui needs to be returned and clarified. The translation of “whanga” means “Harbour”, and “nui” means “big.” Therefore the translation of Whanganui is “Big Harbour.” What is the explanation for “wanga?”
So be it
—
Narui Waahitia-Manukau
Greetings to the Mayor of Whanganui
I am writing to you about the topic of the letter H in the name of Wanganui.
My name is Maria and I am a child from the Otaki school, whom is very angry with what you are saying about the above matter. As you are the mayor of Whanganui you need to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi by ensuring the change is made to the name.
1 Explain, clarify the meaning of the name Whanganui.
2 Take the lead from the Whanganui tribe.
So be it “Listen to the explanation”
—
Hm, put in it’s proper context, Law’s response actually starts to look like the dignified one, and his reaction much more understandable.
Laws said he had been “shocked” by the tone of the letters he received, which he says were “demanding” and “angry” from children who “live nowhere near Wanganui.”
“I think it’s wrong for kids to be angry about something inanimate, don’t you?”
“They were demanding letters by 11 and 12-year-old and all stated their personal anger. They were written in Maori and we had them translated into English and we thought ‘holy moly’.”
“Needless to day I wrote back to them and said this is a bit off and isn’t there other things you should get angry about…”
Written by scrubone
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