Wheelers Corner 36 1st Sept 2018 Stopping the Arms EXPO

36 1st September 2018

Wheeler's Corner
'Concerning citizens who care'
You can contact me by email at
wheeler@inspire.net.nz

Peter Grove

1.
Peter,
That's a very worthy aim, publicising the plight of conscientious objectors. I was in the Wellington Tech in my youth. One of our teachers was Ormond Burton, whom it seems, had a distinguished record in WWI. By the time WWII came along he had decided he had had enough and became a conscientious objector. He was a minister of religion at that stage. I was appalled at the sneering among one or two of my classmates who made great capital of the fact and would make pointed remarks about white feathers and the like. As if they knew anything about it, and were simply parroting what they had heard of their parent's views. I had a bit to do with him and I found he was well respected and had great forbearance about him in dealing with the odd trouble-maker among the bunch of teenage louts in the class. You could say I had a great deal of admiration for him as a teacher.
When you consider the waste of resources, lives and all the rest resulting from continuing wars it's High time world-wide diplomacy was brought to the fore.
You can see how the Yanks are trying still to make a big deal re Trump and Putin. They have little of any substance to go on and yet the manufactured stories are still coming to the fore. I notice reference to Russia is being made in TV sitcoms. 'Brainwashing of the gullible!'
Peter Grove'. 

A message from: Forrest and Lena Chambers: On the subject of conscientious objectors:
"Hello all,
If you could perhaps forward this through your networks, to any folk who may be interested?

Book Launch: Sunday Sept 2, 4pm at PN City Library. Includes music and refreshments!

The book is called Remember the Brave, created by my daughter and I (Forrest and Lena Chambers).  As we near the end of the WWI centenary commemorations, this book is about the conscientious objectors Archibald Baxter and Mark Briggs who were sent to France and refused to succumb to the Army's torture. It is told through the eyes of an 'ordinary' kiwi soldier.  It is a picture book, intended for young readers, and may be of interest to schools, as it has additional information and focus questions that teachers could use with students. 

The book was created to fill a 'gap'  in the WWI centenary material, especially children's books. In particular, children's war books have omitted the stories of the conscientious objectors, and in general, have ignored the horror and immoral nature of war. 

The narrative around how we commemorate WWI, and wars in general, could be described as becoming more sentimental, portraying war as 'noble', as we move further in time from the actual events.   The way we talk about war today has a direct bearing on how willing we are to go to war now or in the future.  This book was written to help us change the way we talk about war, to see it for the horror it is, with the hope that we will all be less willing to go to war, and find alternatives.

2. It would seem that my request to address a committee of council has been successful: This from the Mayor Grant Smith:

'Morning Peter,

Thank you for your email… and it is noted.

I have spoken to the CEO and Dep Mayor about your request, and we can open a spot for you to speak to Crs in our up-coming Planning Committee Meeting this coming Monday 3^rd Sept at 9am. It will be as ‘Public Comment’.

The Chair is Cr Duncan McCann, and he will brief you on timing etc. Please liaise direct with Duncan.

Regards Grant Smith.  

So Monday the 3rd of September it is... I would highly value your support when I make my presentation, I know that 9am on a Monday is a difficult time for many of you, but if you can make it I would greatly value you attendance. The committee can do little else other than accept my submission and put it on the agenda for a future council meeting to consider, when and if that occurs other members of the public may wish to speak on the subject. That in itself will be a great step forward in our democratic processes.

Obviously my goal is to get the so-called NZ Defence Industry Association Forum removed from the Central Energy Trust Arena 

3. The PN Library is also hosting a event that is of massive interest these days and I recommend if you can attend then please do so: 

   Well that's it for this week, it was good to see the sun, I even got the lawns cut, I hope you are all well and managing to make ends meet. Please don't forget that you are among the most important people in the world...why because all people are important. Oh and one last thing when you get your voting papers if you live in the Palmerston North Ward of Horizons don't forget to vote: My strong recommendation is Chris Teo-Sherrell...