What is happening in the world right now? There is are a number of wars going on, there is a global recession; there have been bombings, famine, Fiji is practically at a stand still and bits and pieces of the states are up in flames, but there one hot topic to trump them all in New Zealand: Is it Wanganui or Whanganui?
Honestly, who really cares? What it is about New Zealand that gives us an inability to asses the importance of local topics verses global topics? Or on a smaller scale local irrelevant topics verses local relevant topics. In comparison to the rest of the world we are less than a pin prick and the trivial details of a spelling mistake made over 150years ago doesn’t even make a blip on the radar of news worthy importance when Lithuania are on the verge of having their first female president. Even when our own police officers were being gunned down, remnants of this minor story were still being heard in the headlines of the 6 o’clock news.
The debate of this west coast town’s name is somewhat inconsequential to the greater good of the world, New Zealand and even the town itself. However, to change the name would mean that everything that uses the word would need to be changed. So, buildings, books, maps, website and so on will need an abrupt change, which would no doubt cause more confusion than anything else.
The issue lies in that “the Geographic Board said Wanganui was incorrectly spelled and was not an official place name” as well as Tangata Whenua feel the correct spelling should be respected. A basic outline of the story can be found at http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/central-north-island/2303067/Laws-to-fight-putting-an-h-in-Wanganui. Can someone how this will impact on the world? Have lives been endangered, are basic human rights being violated? Will this spark a war? I highly doubt it. The way the New Zealand media has made it out you would think president Obama had shot a small Afghani child because of his religious persuasion.
This comment came from the blog @ my wits end; The great ‘h’ debate at http://mywitsend.co.nz/wanganui/580
WHanganui:
Im student at Wanganui high school and i think that the conflict between the’H’ being put back in the name is stupid and mind-less, there are an equal amount of points made and all are well thought of. HOWEVER, the name change should not be separating the Maoris and Pakehas.
1 April 2009, 8:56 am
(sic)
My thoughts exactly: mindless. This blogs go on to say that the ‘h’ debate is a huge race relations issues that has distorted the democratic process. Sorry, but when there is an 80% push for a referendum, I hardly see how that can be called a distortion of the democratic process. What is more “stupid” is the media hype. The hype suggests that the ‘h’ debate has affected the lives of everyone involved… in this case all of New Zealand. I asked around and as it turns out not many people care about this issue. One person from the 25 asked felt affected by this, let alone even cared about the issue. This suggest that 4 percent of people are affected by this; now gage that against the world. The total number of people affected by this is rather minute.
So in comparison to the rest of the world, we have a slightly warped view of importance and relevance in New Zealand. This could be partly due to our level of isolation to the rest of the world, or to our level of ignorance and over developed sense of self importance, who knows. Either way this has made its way into my pick of one of the “great” dilemma of the 21st century.
Honestly, who really cares? What it is about New Zealand that gives us an inability to asses the importance of local topics verses global topics? Or on a smaller scale local irrelevant topics verses local relevant topics. In comparison to the rest of the world we are less than a pin prick and the trivial details of a spelling mistake made over 150years ago doesn’t even make a blip on the radar of news worthy importance when Lithuania are on the verge of having their first female president. Even when our own police officers were being gunned down, remnants of this minor story were still being heard in the headlines of the 6 o’clock news.
The debate of this west coast town’s name is somewhat inconsequential to the greater good of the world, New Zealand and even the town itself. However, to change the name would mean that everything that uses the word would need to be changed. So, buildings, books, maps, website and so on will need an abrupt change, which would no doubt cause more confusion than anything else.
The issue lies in that “the Geographic Board said Wanganui was incorrectly spelled and was not an official place name” as well as Tangata Whenua feel the correct spelling should be respected. A basic outline of the story can be found at http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/central-north-island/2303067/Laws-to-fight-putting-an-h-in-Wanganui. Can someone how this will impact on the world? Have lives been endangered, are basic human rights being violated? Will this spark a war? I highly doubt it. The way the New Zealand media has made it out you would think president Obama had shot a small Afghani child because of his religious persuasion.
This comment came from the blog @ my wits end; The great ‘h’ debate at http://mywitsend.co.nz/wanganui/580
WHanganui:
Im student at Wanganui high school and i think that the conflict between the’H’ being put back in the name is stupid and mind-less, there are an equal amount of points made and all are well thought of. HOWEVER, the name change should not be separating the Maoris and Pakehas.
1 April 2009, 8:56 am
(sic)
My thoughts exactly: mindless. This blogs go on to say that the ‘h’ debate is a huge race relations issues that has distorted the democratic process. Sorry, but when there is an 80% push for a referendum, I hardly see how that can be called a distortion of the democratic process. What is more “stupid” is the media hype. The hype suggests that the ‘h’ debate has affected the lives of everyone involved… in this case all of New Zealand. I asked around and as it turns out not many people care about this issue. One person from the 25 asked felt affected by this, let alone even cared about the issue. This suggest that 4 percent of people are affected by this; now gage that against the world. The total number of people affected by this is rather minute.
So in comparison to the rest of the world, we have a slightly warped view of importance and relevance in New Zealand. This could be partly due to our level of isolation to the rest of the world, or to our level of ignorance and over developed sense of self importance, who knows. Either way this has made its way into my pick of one of the “great” dilemma of the 21st century.
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