31 January 2008

Joe Bennett in yesterdays Press presented a nice piece on Political Correctness. The latest tantrums from our elected officials in the Hurunui District Council over the traditional reading of a prayer before the monthly meeting brought that article to mind.

A complaint has been laid with the Human Rights Commission by a councillor because he was offended by the reading of the prayer. The fact that a prayer has been said before each meeting for the last 100 years held no sway with this person and the Council Human Resources manager has weighed in with dire warnings of potential legal implications of discrimination to do with religious beliefs.

Whatever happened to tolerance?.. and sitting through something which one might think is a load of mumbo jumbo, but might have significance to someone else or allowing history to continue so that whoever follows down the same path can make up their own minds as to its' importance? The reaction of the councillor mirrors the selfish "me me" society that prevails in this day which is all too quick to sweep aside tradition and scoff at pomp and ceremony when they themselves are being pompous.

Church weddings and funerals are attended by many non-believers, but the participants either choose to "switch-off" during the bits they do not subscribe to or they mumble along for the sake of the occasion and tradition. That councillor Russell Black from Amberley cannot find it within himself to do either says much about the man and his unsuitableness to hold the office he has been elected to. If he cannot sit through one minute of something he disagrees with then there is little hope he can contribute much to a diverse community.

TC