Sunday, July 13, 2008

Dear 'The Standard'

You do not write about women very often. You have hardly a post about equal pay, reproduction or violence against women. When it was revealed that Tony Veitch, the only thing you had to say was "John Key sucks". However limited your analysis, you must acknowledge that Labour is not the cure to violence against women, and National is not the cause.

If don't have anything to say about violence against women, then that's ok. We each have a different focus, and no-one can write about everything. But if you have nothing to say, then stay silent. Please stop using women's actual lives and pain to score obscure points.

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:48 pm

    To be fair
    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=2474

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  2. Anonymous10:48 pm

    and

    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=2450

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  3. Anonymous10:51 pm

    and

    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=2197

    so, four posts on domestic violence in a month. And our guest post on abortion was our most visited post yet.

    Yeah, the anti-Key angle is laid on a bit thick in a couple but that's because the writers are really concerned about the threat women, and men, face in a National government.

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  4. Anonymous8:30 am

    Blimey Cameron. You really are desperate these days aren't you?

    Perhaps you need to post some more links in comments?

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  5. Anonymous8:45 am

    Dang - Clinton, not cameron. It's so hard to keep all these standardistas identities straight!

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/07/why_is_labour_so_hypocritical_on_transparency.html

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  6. Anonymous8:52 am

    Good post Maia. "Steve" and the rest of that blog are only out to muck rake, and to pin everything on Key.

    I don't think "Steve" can keep a straight face when he said that "the writers are really concerned about the threat women, and men, face in a National government." What utter rot. He makes it sound like National is going door to door killing babies or something.

    Labour are just as bad as National.

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  7. Yeah, the anti-Key angle is laid on a bit thick in a couple but that's because the writers are really concerned about the threat women, and men, face in a National government.

    Steve: Please get a clue. Perhaps, for some of us there are some things so important, and some acts so vile, that sheer common decency compels people to lay down the party political cudgels? Just for a moment or two.

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  8. Anonymous11:13 am

    "The writers are really concerned about the threat women, and men, face in a National government."

    Steve you make it sound like every single domestic violence incident is the fault of the government at the time, not the offender. The problem with this mentality is that it is infectious and people start to get the idea that if they assult someone its not their fault, its the governments fault for not stopping them.

    If we could only abandon this mentality and hold violent people directly responsible for what they do then perhaps we would have less violence in New Zealand

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  9. Anonymous12:03 pm

    Dear Maia

    You do not write about the poor very often. You have hardly a post about employment issues, homelessness or access to healthcare. When it was revealed that poverty in New Zealand had increased since 2000 and was still increasing, the only thing you had to say was "patriarchy sucks". However limited your analysis, you must acknowledge that feminism is not the cure to violence against the working class, and patriarchy is not the cause.

    If don't have anything to say about the marginalisation of the poor, then that's ok. We each have a different focus, and no-one can write about everything. But if you have nothing to say, then stay silent. Please stop using the working class's actual lives and pain to score obscure points.

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  10. Anonymous12:12 pm

    Steve proves Maia's point - and I'd rather it wasn't proven, and that it was just a case of thoughtlessness. Their commentary on these issues, any issue really, is just a chance to attack the National Party and defend Labour.

    Anon - you know that Maia has a lot to say a lot about class politics and capitalism, and she actually goes out and does a hell of a lot to stand up for those beliefs. Your glib snark is as insulting as it is false.

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  11. Anon @ 12:03 PM:

    I disagree with Maia on, well... pretty much everything but I've got to agree with George Darroch. That was a cheap and unfair shot, and if you had an ounce of integrity you'd haul you butt back here and apologise. Won't hold my breath waiting, and I'm sure Maia isn't either.

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  12. Steve Pierson: You're not helping your case (for example I hadn't noticed that the 'It's Not Okay' post was tagged 'John Key' and 'news'). I'm also fairly sure (because I've done a search) that as well as being the four posts written this month, they'd be the posts written for the lifetime of the standard. And most of them are written at a time when domestic violence has dominated every news headline for a week. They don't show a deep interest or analysis in the subject.

    Anonymous - We've had a few backwards and forwards over at the Hand Mirror, but your statements are laughable. If you want to argue that I only write about poverty and class to further a feminist agenda, then you're going to have to demonstrate it rather than just state it. I know that I don't. I know that I've written about every major (and most minor) piece of industrial action since I've begun blogging. I know that I don't think that ending patriarchy will end capitalism, so I don't write as if I did (I don't even use the word patriarchy). So make an argument if you want, but stop throwing random words around as a substitute.

    (PS Craig - thanks. Although I don't think it's so much cheap as ridiculous. Do you think Clint Rickards is a rapist? Generally I find that's the place where I agree with the randomest people (John Banks was the most traumatic))

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