The H bomb in Wanganui

**R6_kid:Me** · 18th September 2009, 08:59

I look forward to the racing at the Fonga-nui Cemetery Circuit this year.

**short-circuit** · 18th September 2009, 09:04

Originally Posted by imdying

we've managed to avoid adding to the apartheid in NZ by telling them to shove their super city seats, maybe Williamson will see sense here too.

I have always been under the impression that you would love apartheid. Seems like just your thing

**MSTRS:Me** · 18th September 2009, 09:11

As I said in that earlier thread, there is no collective agreement and 70+% are against changing the name. For the right reason. And nowhere has it been said that the other 30odd% are for the change...might be 1% for, and 29% don't care.
And to those that say 'Where's the harm?' ... what's going on in Wanganui is just a small part of the ultimate agenda of a militant minority. Like a war, this is merely one of the battles. And if they win this one, then they will move onto their next objective.

**FJRider** · 18th September 2009, 09:17

Originally Posted by MSTRS

And to those that say 'Where's the harm?' ... what's going on in Wanganui is just a small part of the ultimate agenda of a militant minority. Like a war, this is merely one of the battles. And if they win this one, then they will move onto their next objective.

Perhaps ... Maori being taught in schools as a compulsory subject...

**MisterD** · 18th September 2009, 09:19

Originally Posted by short-circuit

the correct spelling of a language

The point is, there is no "correct" spelling. Maori is still a very young language in written terms, all "grown up" languages go though this kind of thing as they develop their written forms.

Once upon a time there were something like 16 different English spellings of the word "church" (it was Henry V's chancery that started to impose a standardised spelling of English words)...one of my ancestors had our family name spelt three different ways when he was born, married and died.

Standardisation is important for words used for communication, for names not so much, that's down to the people that carry them, or live in the places concerned.

For my money Willie Jackson, Tariana or Ken Mair telling Michael Laws' constituents that they spell Wanganui wrong is like a "Smith" telling a "Smyth" that they spell their name wrong.

It's utter bollocks.

**short-circuit** · 18th September 2009, 09:33

Originally Posted by MisterD

The point is, there is no "correct" spelling. Maori is still a very young language in written terms, all "grown up" languages go though this kind of thing as they develop their written forms.

Once upon a time there were something like 16 different English spellings of the word "church" (it was Henry V's chancery that started to impose a standardised spelling of English words)...one of my ancestors had our family name spelt three different ways when he was born, married and died.

Standardisation is important for words used for communication, for names not so much, that's down to the people that carry them, or live in the places concerned.

For my money Willie Jackson, Tariana or Ken Mair telling Michael Laws' constituents that they spell Wanganui wrong is like a "Smith" telling a "Smyth" that they spell their name wrong.

It's utter bollocks.

What is utter bollocks is the Furore being manufactured (by Laws the Weasel) and the buy in of white covert racists.

The examples you just gave are utterly ridiculous (and a red herring):

Neither are cross-cultural examples.

AND, your second example unwittingly proves the point of Maori - they don't need to be told by someone else how their language works. It's up to them to define or refine that don'tcha think?

**Headbanger** · 18th September 2009, 09:40

Originally Posted by short-circuit

AND, your second example unwittingly proves the point of Maori - they don't need to be told by someone else how their language works. It's up to them to define or refine that don'tcha think?

Perhaps they should have written it down in the first place then?

**Clockwork** · 18th September 2009, 09:48

Dunno, it seems to me that if the supporting argument for change is that in Maori, whanga means port/harbour and nui means big then surely the correct spelling should be Whanga-nui or Whanga Nui

**Headbanger** · 18th September 2009, 09:52

Originally Posted by SixPackBack

Christ what a fuss over the letter 'H'

Yeah I agree with you to a certain extent headbanger, certainly having Maori only seats in the supercity scares the shit out me. But lets get a grip placing the 'H' into Wanganui hardly rates a mention, the folk that care the most are from the same group that [questionably] cause most of your gang problems!?....getting them onside by changing a few sign posts would seem to be a no brainer.

But the H isn't the point, Hell if that's what the people wanted then I'd be more then happy with it,The point is the will of the people is being ignored, Effectively the people of Wanganui have been told they have no say over the town they live in. None.

Its a Maori issue, New Zealanders can just shut the fuck up. Race based policy wins on the day.

Its a sad day for NZ.

**SixPackBack** · 18th September 2009, 09:58

Originally Posted by Headbanger

But the H isn't the point, Hell if that's what the people wanted then I'd be more then happy with it,The point is the will of the people is being ignored, Effectively the people of Wanganui have been told they have no say over the town they live in. None.

Its a Maori issue, New Zealanders can just shut the fuck up. Race based policy wins on the day.

Its a sad day for NZ.

Get a grip man.

**oldrider** · 18th September 2009, 10:08

Originally Posted by trustme

The day that maori leaders like Mair & Turia take a stand against the gangs & say it is not Ok to peddle drugs to our kids.
The day maori leaders start taking a real stand against domestic violence & the high rate of infant mortality [ murder ] amongst maori
The day the maori leaders start to develop programs to reduce the overrepresentaion of maori in our jails & on our dole queues.
The day that maori leadership starts to take real meaningful steps towards improving the lot of joe average maori & getting them better educated.

That is the day I will happily put an H in Wanganui, that is the day we will begin to make real progress.

So are you saying "respect" can only be "earned" not demanded?

Well, I will drink to that!

Lets see the Maori party "earn" a little respect!

**MisterD** · 18th September 2009, 10:23

Originally Posted by short-circuit

The examples you just gave are utterly ridiculous (and a red herring):

Neither are cross-cultural examples.

No, it's you that is wheeling out the fish. What's to say that Wanganui is the correct spelling and the others are wrong? Nothing, it's all completely arbitrary.

Cross-cultural has nothing to do with it, there are probably dozens of place names in the UK that derive from Celtic / Saxon / Danish / French sources that have similar meanings and varying spellings.

AND, your second example unwittingly proves the point of Maori - they don't need to be told by someone else how their language works. It's up to them to define or refine that don'tcha think?

Wrong wrong wrong. A language is unfortunately (speaking as a paid up member of BDOTGNZA) "owned" by everyone who speaks it and there's nothing any group can do to change that...the French have tried and are failing miserably...

This though, is about a name which is "owned" by those that live in the town that bears it. My personal feeling is that the story of how it got it's unusual spelling because of the way local Maori dialect sounded is an interesting historical quirk which makes the place stand out a bit...the rush by local Maori to be standardised will mean that eventually the pronunciation will change and that story will be lost and they will ultimately be the losers.

**imdying** · 18th September 2009, 10:27

Originally Posted by SixPackBack

Get a grip man.

Why? Cause he doesn't agree with your racist attitude? I can only guess that you're porking some fat Maori bitch these days, the result of which is clouded judgement