Michael Laws accused of bullying children

[Mully]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...ullying-pupils

Sorry, is this actually news to anybody?

Mr Laws replied to the children that he would take their views seriously "when your class starts addressing the real issues affecting Maoridom particularly the appalling rate of child abuse and child murder within Maori society, then I will take the rest of your views seriously".

He added: "Perhaps sacking your teacher for allowing such misapprehension to flourish?"

[Forest]

Ngarui Waahitia-Manukau, 12, and her year 7 and 8 classmates at Otaki School's kura kaupapa unit wrote letters in Maori to Mr Laws at the beginning of August, saying they thought the spelling of Wanganui should have an "h".

I'm impressed that they even got a reply.

I wonder who paid for the translation services...

[Beemer]

I get sick of kids being involved in protest action of any kind - letters, signs, etc as they invariably would have no clue what they are actually protesting about. They may have been told "it's correct to have an H in Wanganui" and be thinking "yes, it should have an H" but to be honest, as Laws said, kids of that age wouldn't really give a shit either way and as they don't even bloody well live in Wanganui, what's it got to do with them anyway?

[Mully]

I get sick of kids being involved in protest action of any kind - letters, signs, etc as they invariably would have no clue what they are actually protesting about. They may have been told "it's correct to have an H in Wanganui" and be thinking "yes, it should have an H" but to be honest, as Laws said, kids of that age wouldn't really give a shit either way and as they don't even bloody well live in Wanganui, what's it got to do with them anyway?

I actually agree with you - I doubt the kids gave a monkeys about the 'H' in particular. My issue is with the way Laws comes across when he replies to people.

Seems to me that getting kids "involved" in democratic society at an early age can only be positive.

Whether or not they were "set-up" by the teacher to do so in this case, at least they are making their views heard.

Your views and opinions are based on what you are told at that age - if they were told (rightly or wrongly) that Wanganui should have an "h", then why can't they write to Laws to express their views?

All he had to do was write back "Thanks for your letters. We had a referendum (didn't they??) and the people of Wanganui voted for no h".

[short-circuit]

He coulda make you all real happy and just given them a right old smacking

[Mully]

He coulda make you all real happy and just given them a right old smacking

As long as they aren't his children.....

[MisterD]

Michael Laws: providing free life-lessons since ages ago....

[short-circuit]

Up there with the likes of Christine Rankin and Paul Holmes

[oldrider]

I get sick of kids being involved in protest action of any kind - letters, signs, etc as they invariably would have no clue what they are actually protesting about. They may have been told "it's correct to have an H in Wanganui" and be thinking "yes, it should have an H" but to be honest, as Laws said, kids of that age wouldn't really give a shit either way and as they don't even bloody well live in Wanganui, what's it got to do with them anyway?

But they (the children) will be the taxpayers or elected officials governing his (Laws) quality of care when he is old age pensioner!

They may well ask him to sit up and beg for his supper!

Simply by demanding he write and pronounce Wanganui with an "H"

How suddenly the hunter becomes the hunted!

[ManDownUnder]

I'd accuse Michael Laws of being an intelligent man that speaks his mind.

Love him or loathe him - you have to respect someone willing to stand up for he thinks. The fact he's not exactly PC helps too!

[short-circuit]

The fact he's not exactly PC helps too!

Change the record - at least adopt a new cliché

He's a biggot and a pervert

[MisterD]

He's a biggot and a pervert

He's a professional controversialist...and a very good one as you demonstrate...

[short-circuit]

He's a professional controversialist...and a very good one as you demonstrate...

This I will accept - it's a long way from having intellect though

[marty]

I'm impressed that they even got a reply.

I wonder who paid for the translation services...

I hope he wrote back to them in english telling them the S comes AFTER the K in 'ask'

[peasea]

I hope he wrote back to them in english telling them the S comes AFTER the K in 'ask'

Too true. I also wonder why it is that words like Whangarei are pronounced Fonga-ray, when the maori had no written language of their own. Along comes Mister Euro, who gives them one, and the wh in words like 'what' and 'where' becomes the sound of an 'f'.

Fot the?