SENSE ON TO REO

Letter to the Editor @ Dominion Post 28/2/18 SENSE ON TO REO This is a plea for common sense on the wholesale promotion of the Maori language, as has been suggested for Wellington. Recently I received an unsolicited email setting out in brief the history of Maori people, their contributions and their grievances. I replied saying I objected to compulsory Maori language being taught in schools. I am also tired of the interpolation of random Maori phrases in radio and television. I received a reply from a third party, defending the first email, and adding that "most people in the debate about Maori use on Radio NZ were positive about its use". But I wonder where the "most people" are? Since I hear a groundswell of protest over our insidious brainwashing by way of political correctness. The "most people" I know are afraid of publicly voicing their opinion. Of being politically incorrect. What happened to free speech? Let's teach children to speak English correctly before we embark on a tangent away from skills they can actually use. JO MURPHY Waikanae