Gentlemen,

Can't we stop with the personal insults and have
a serious discussion - even if we may disagree?
Everyone's experience is surely worth hearing -
even though it may be different to ours.

There are valid arguments that all over the world,
and especially in the less developed societies,
the pressure of the human population and its
technologies are devastating natural ecosystems.
This pressure takes many forms - urbanisation and
highway construction, transformation of virgin land into
farmland, chemical pollution of fresh water, dredging and
landfill in coastal areas, uncontrolled hunting and
poaching, especially of African wildlife, deliberate
accidental poisoning of wildlife with pestides,
disruption of natural predator-prey relationships,
strangulation of millions of birds and fish with
discarded styrofoam pellets, plastic bags and other
synthetic flotsam, dam construction and irrigation, and
massive deforestation.

There are many practical reasons why human society should
protect other life forms - and education is part and parcel
of this process. The two go hand-in-hand. Today, the most
advanced industrialised societies having caused the
greatest destruction of planetary ecosystems in the past
are beginning to try and protect the threatened and
endangered species - of course there continues to be
economic interests that claim federal governments are
"locking up" land needed for oil exploration, logging,
mining, or housing and recreation facilities.
It's a constant battle. We're told that there are so many
Australian native species that are threatened with
extinction

Foxy, I couldn't agree more. Once more you have stated the truth far better than I every could. Today we live in a complex and interdependent world, no person or people are isolated from the 21st century. Regardless of what some of use regard as ideal, progress in a modern world is inevitable. As for the indigenous of the Pacific my partner who is Maori puts it this way; The important thing is our culture, language, traditions and protocols, respect for the past and the people. However she is very much aware of past history but is most forgiving for wrongs perpetrated against her personally, and her people, she has absolutely no animosity towards the Pakeha (white man) what so ever, some of those people were very well intentioned, she will say. These days she is on a quest to understand the history of the people of the Pacific, and she finds visiting the people and places we do most rewarding. One thing my partner is most proud of is that some of her young whanau (family)are embracing the modern world with study at university, good jobs etc, but still maintaining, and being proud of their Maori heritage. She sees this applying to all the people of the Pacific.

Dear Paul,

Thank You for your kind words and for sharing the
information about your partner. She sounds like
a wonderful lady. If only more people thought that
way the world would be a better place. My husband
and I are hoping to get to Sydney this Summer for
Yoko Ono's Art Exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary
Art (The Rocks), "War is Over! (If You Want it)."

Ono's Art covers the personal to the political including
themes such as loss, conflict, humanity, and of course
the desire for world peace. It's part of the Sydney
International Art Series.

I'm looking forward to it very much. It might be of
interest to quite a few posters - especially those
who live in Sydney. It's on from 15th November 2013
to 23 February 2014.

Can't we stop with the personal insults and have a serious discussion - even if we may disagree?
Foxy,
i couldn't agree more. Can you please ask the do-gooders to stop insulting those of us who know ? It'd be a good start to stop the insults. You see they're insulting us at every post with dismissing our actual experiences & knowledge.
The ball's in their court. Get out of that comfort zone that is idealism & spend time awakening in real life.

Dear Individual,

I'm not interested in deliberately creating
divisions. There's already too much effort
employed in partisan politics which could
be much better utilised in positive pursuits.

As for idealism?

There's no greater folly than the fear of idealism.

"Can you please ask the do-gooders to stop insulting those of us who know?" etc etc. Well thank you "God". What a conceited, pompous attitude if there ever was one. Indi, I recall many of your inane postings and you want us to bow down to your superior knowledge. FAT CHANCE!
"Paul is most likely one of those 17 year old radical students" etc etc. Methuselah, you wise old owl, how did you know I was 17? Does that mean in 2 years time I'll be conscripted to do national service in your Gomer Pyle Memorial Boot Camp, up there in Cape York, will you be my Drill Sargent? I can't wait.

Foxy, Yoko Ono's Art Exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary
Art (The Rocks), "War is Over! (If You Want it)." 5th November 2013
to 23 February 2014. We will certainly get in to see it. I consider Yoko Ono and John Lennon 2 of the outstanding human beings of the 20th Century.
We will be in Aotearoa over Xmas for a number of "Maori Unveilings" about 5 I think, and whanau reunion. But will have plenty of time after that for the exhibition.