OPINION
Luke Tetley-Jones
Have Kiwis lost their voice?
The kiwi has always been a flightless bird, but is it now also mute?
We’ve seen an alarming increase in political tension over the past couple years with issues around covid, transgender issues and government etc. that it’s become a dangerous game to hold any differing opinion to the status quo. We’ve had a government crown themselves the ‘single source of truth’, tech giants censoring and removing content they disagree with and many educational and workplace institutions enforcing their occupants to fall in line with their views and values (even if they’re completely unrelated to the environment) and will subject non-conformers to ‘re-education’ or disciplinary action.
Not much room for free thought in that environment.
Have we run out of no.8 wire? Are we no longer the robust, problem-solving and creative-thinking people that New Zealand was established by? It seems to me that those values are on the way out, soon to be replaced with submissiveness, entitlement and mob justice. That is if we continue down the path that we are on.
When Posie Parker visited New Zealand on her ‘let woman speak’ tour, she was abused and assaulted for daring to speak a differing opinion. She had tomato juice thrown on her and was completely surrounded by a raging mob at one point. These acts of violence were unjustifiable and vile, yet many Kiwis celebrated this assault of a woman as some kind of victory. How twisted and sad.
In order to think, you have to run the risk of being wrong or offending someone, that is how we grow and develop ideas. Placing such a high value on ‘being correct’ and not being offensive, stunts the potential for growth for both parties. Going through life without ever being opposed or told you’re wrong is simply a path to destruction, yet this is the delusional idea that is being peddled by our institutions.
It’s a sad reality when telling the truth puts a target on your head, potentially putting your income, education or wellbeing in jeopardy, but the truth must be told. Honest Kiwis need to stand up to these bullying and overbearing corporations and let the truth be heard. There are certainly many voices in this nation standing up for truth and righteousness, but if we want to see any meaningful change in our society and institutions, we’re going to need many more.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”