Fighting for the right to not learn Maori - really?

Fighting for the right to not learn Maori? Shame on all of those involved in this story!

This news story appalls me on several levels. First that John Campbell even gave it air time. This did not need to be on our airwaves, and especially not during Maori Language week. This story is about ratings and pandering to the red neck community.

Secondly, Te Reo Maori is an official language of this country. It gives expression to the culture of the indigenous people, whose culture the rest of us are willing to trade off when it suits us, like doing hakas at sports events, using Maori design to highlight our uniqueness for trade expos, and for young kiwis overseas on their big OE. Te Reo Maori is part of who we are, and we should embrace it proudly and with enthusiasm.

In other countries people learn the official languages without too much bother. But not here. Here we have mono cultural people of European descent (I am not even sure I would call these people pakeha -  a name I apply to myself with pride) who want their children to have nothing to do with the indigenous people or their culture, or their language, unless of course it suits them and they get something out of it.

Now lets be clear, the issue is that their 2 year old was having the Maori words for one to ten used around her, and the  Maori words for various colours. She is not being forced to become fluent in this language, or even conversational. The parents seem to have lost all perspective on this.

And they live in Gisborne, with one of the highest percentages of Maori in the country. They meet Maori every day. They will have to use Maori names everyday, which they will mispronounce with pride. In the end they are very rude people who need to learn some basic courtesies about how to treat the people they live among and their language with a little more care. And here they are on national television complaining. It sickened me to hear their bigotry. It sickened me that John Campbell even aired it. Shame on both of you.

As New Zealanders of  European we should embrace all the official languages of this land, and not be afraid of teaching our children at least how to count. If you are unwilling to learn even that, then please, by all means, think about moving to Australia. I think you will fit in really well there.