Contradictory Kiwis – some ideas should fly while others are squashed

A friend of a friend has been musing on plans to introduce an end-of-life bill, to decriminalise marijuana for both medicinal and recreational use, and to give prisoners the vote, no matter their crime.

These – he reckons – add to a bemusing array of contradictions within New Zealand in the 21^st century.

Fair to say, some of his observations are open to challenge.  One person’s contradiction – you might argue – is another’s common sense.

Thus readers may agree that some – or many – items on the list are contradictions but not necessarily all.  

One of those consulted about the list illustrated this by proposing another contradiction:

It is not OK to allow terminally ill animals to suffer but it is OK to deny terminally ill, fully conscious adults, judged to be of sound mind and after careful consideration by two independent doctors, the option of ending their suffering.  

This (the consulted person says) should give a big hint to his position on the End of Life Choice Bill

The fellow who drew up the list countered by saying he is not actually seeking any agreement on any of the issues identified – he is merely pointing out apparent contradictions.

He is confident Point of Order readers will be able to add to his list: 

 

1. It’s not okay …  to execute murderers and terrorists 

But it is okay … to terminate life before birth 

 

2. It’s not okay …  to condone youth suicide 

But it is okay … to promote elders’ suicide

 

3.  It’s not okay … to smoke tobacco

But it is okay … to smoke marijuana

 

4. It’s not okay … to manufacture “P” in state housing

But it is okay … to smoke marijuana in state housing

 

5. It’s not okay … to do drugs in rental housing

But it is okay … to require landlords to clean up

 

6.  It’s not okay … to allow anyone to migrate to NZ

But it is okay …  for NZ to sign the UN open migration agreement

 

7.  It’s not okay … to include religion in state affairs

But it is okay … to include karakia in state affairs

 

8. It’s not okay … to adopt children (not these days)

But it is okay … to force children into state care

 

9. It’s not okay … for prisoners to be allowed freedom of choice

But it is okay … for prisoners to vote

 

10.  It’s not okay … to approve enforced acculturation

But it is okay … to require participation in tikanga

 

11. It’s not okay … to discriminate between ethnic groups

But it is okay … to give some ethnic groups preference

 

12. It’s not okay … to deny NZ is multicultural

But it is okay … to claim NZ is bicultural

 

13.  It’s not okay … to steal and publish private emails

But it is okay … for the media to publish stolen emails

 

14.  It’s not okay … to steal private correspondence

But it is okay … to discuss private stolen correspondence in Parliament

 

15.  It’s not okay … to deny freedom of speech

But it is okay … to ban speakers at universities

 

16. It’s not okay … to parody other cultures

But it is okay … to mock European traditions

 

17.  It’s not okay … to have unemployment

But it is okay … to import 30,000 seasonal workers

 

18. It’s not okay … for certain countries to crush human rights

But it is okay … for those countries to sit on the UN Human Rights Council