Over the six years I’ve been writing this Blog, I’ve never reported a more unbelievably ludicrous story than that I’m about to recount.
Doubtless, it will be greeted with scepticism, fully understandable, but before you put pen to paper, Google all I’ve written and see for yourself.
It concerns a chap called Dr Ruakere Hond. Readers will assume he’s a maori with that monicker. He’s not. His dad was a Pom migrant and his mother part maori. Thus no surprise that photo shows a plainly European bloke.
Now pour yourself a drink then read on.
In recent weeks, Hond has been harassing the New Plymouth mayor Neil Holden. Neil must have been bloody evil in a previous life to cop this crap.
Specifically, Hond is demanding the mayor jointly issue on behalf of something called Parihaka Pa and the Council, a call for an immediate cease fire in Gaza.
Disgracefully the mayor is refusing to do this, thus the daily slaughter of Gaza innocents, substantially mothers and children, continues. Presumably in Hond’s eyes Neil has blood on his hands for his failure to act.
Hond seemingly believes that if the Council was only to do as he wishes, the Israelis would immediately cease the daily slaughter.
He justifies this faith by asserting that “New Plymouth trades on its international reputation for peace and given this, is obliged to act”.
There are 8 billion people in the world. I would readily give generous odds to Hond that less than 0.001% of them have even heard of New Plymouth, let alone be aware of the city’s alleged international reputation for peace.
Indeed I’d go further and suggest that of our circa five million population, no other New Zealander is aware of this claimed New Plymouth international reputation for peace. Anyway, Hond has beavered away and put together a petition demanding the Council order an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the Israeli remaining hostages in Gaza.
Doubtless readers are aware that currently the mass murdering ratbag Netanyahu is preoccupied with a long overdue trial in Israel on corruption charges. That said, the judges have allowed him two days, a week time off to deal with his Prime Ministerial tasks. Ultimately he’s destined for a life prison sentence but that’s another story.
Of course, if the New Plymouth mayor would only co-operate and issue a cease-fire demand, then such time-off could be scrubbed as presumably, at least in Hond’s view, all hostilities would immediately cease.
Readers will doubtless assume Hond is a nutter.
In fairness, Google him and you will find he comes across as not a bad bloke, albeit unhealthy obsessed with maori issues and an astonishing naive view of the world.
His degree is in Maori Studies and his doctorate is in public health. He cites his mentor as the justifiably highly regarded Sir Mason Durie whose tolerance is obviously massive.
All of that said, Hond is wasting his time with this activism when his obvious career lies as an entertainer.