We believe our people — ordinary New Zealanders — deserve the truth, deserve fair shares, and deserve to be treated with decency. KIN Mission Statement
“A forward thinking pro-Maori paper”
By Roger Childs
Many readers will know that Alan Tristram, Editor of Kapiti Independent News (KIN), has decided that the paper will take a different approach to the treatment of Maori/Pakeha issues. That is his right as founder and owner of KIN.
He says that KIN is committed to the Treaty, to supporting Maori and to promoting Te Reo.
To back this up, he has decided not to publish articles and comments from certain historians and other readers who support their views.
As Alan has told me, on the treatment of Maori/Pakeha issues … our views completely differ …
My position
I can’t in all conscience live with the new strategy. In our discussions I had hoped we could reach a compromise where KIN could continue to present a range of views.
Alan has often called KIN a broad church, which I’ve interpreted as accepting various opinions provided writers are not insulting or focused on attacking other individuals or groups without evidence.
I have often said that if there are readers out there opposed to particular articles on ethnic issues, why don’t they write counter-viewpoints, based on sound argument and evidence?
My philosophy
First let me say I have appreciated the opportunity Alan has given me to write and edit for KIN. Over the last six years I have either written, or formatted, over 2200 articles and only about 3% have related to ethnic issues.
It all started with my great hero Roger Federer beating Andy Murray in the 2012 Wimbledon final, so you will understand that I am devastated that he has been bundled out in the fourth round of the current US Open!
As regards my philosophy, I am unashamedly a socialist and believer in free speech; fiercely opposed to poisoning our land; and a seeker after the truth.
I have always been a great believer in equality – gender, age, ethnicity – and in teaching thousands of students over 40 years, treated everyone the same, in line with the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
I strongly resent the favouritism and separatism in present day New Zealand, and, like Alan, am committed to honouring the Treaty of Waitangi – the 1840 one.
Grateful thanks to you folk
To all of you out there who have contributed to making KIN a success, with a nationwide reputation for being forthright and fearless – the Independent in KIN – many thanks. Sadly, some like staunch supporters John Murray and Bill Benfield, have passed on, but they leave a rich legacy.
Many of you have sent in articles which I have enjoyed reading and formatting. I may not have always agreed with your views, but that has never been the point.
I have also appreciated the feedback you have sent in as Comments – some have been so good I’ve turned them into articles!
One might say that in my case a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as I have written on every subject under the sun!
I’ve tried to produce articles which would be of interest and, in many cases, encourage debate on issues of the time. I’ve also enjoyed promoting local groups and businesses which do good things in the community.
So it is now time to move on. Thanks for your support.
Very sorry to read that Roger Childs is no longer writing for KIN; although I did not agree with many of his opinions, or at least, I could provide some counter arguments, the articles were always fair and written clearly and with justification for his point of view. I wonder if the new KIN will continue to provide excellent sports news and opinions and articles on walks also – another speciality of Rogers. I hope KIN does not focus on single mission articles as suggested nor censor comments or articles which are of value to discuss. It is difficult enough to get fair, balanced and open discussion – especially with news papers and media concentrating on celebrity and superficial news.
To be really frank, I am not surprised at all at this outcome and decision by the editor to state his position. Noting the topics and writings that the editor has allowed on K.I.N. over the past six months or more I had wondered how long they would continue, and how long it would be before he is threatened. I do not make this statement lightly. I make it as a person who after 5 years working as a tour guide locally, was told not to speak or teach about our history anymore as my skin is the wrong colour and I have no right to speak about New Zealand’s history. Interesting, NZ in 2018.
Really quite sad to read this news. Not only is it the end of an era of Rogers interesting, varied and always newsworthy articles, but it is also the end of K.I.N. sticking to the precious objectives of being our only truly Independent news source.
If you will permit me one last note? I’d like to report in defense of Alan Tristram’s position.As owner CEO of KIN, we must support his right to guide his business direction.But for painting himself into the ultimate dichotomy corner, his latest direction would take some beating! Alan has been described elsewhere as a thoroughly decent person.I do believe he has packaged me up with the the great MIT PHD, historian/statistician scientist Dr John Robinson, as a banned writer,as Alan penned a blistering name– calling attack on me for one of my articles. And withheld at least one other pending it passing his threshold of tolerance. It remains to be seen as he puts on his training wheels of total media racism whether his idea will fly and he can escape the painted in dichotomy corner.For this, one must spare a kind thought, but not so fast! Remember he buttered his bread using us as his smoke screen of open exchange of ideas and discourse media. Then an about face on the public to a rag as total vehicle of maoridom propaganda!!Oh well,as the saying goes in the South Counties,”There’s nout so queer as folk”
Terrible news. KIN without Roger Childs and the contributions of John Robinson and others who have provided well researched and scholarly material will hold no future interest for me.
I have long been a great admirer of Mandy Hager’s writing and speaking. She is an articulate and highly intelligent woman and I agree with most of her political views. But I wonder how much of our country’s 19th century history, and I mean the undisputed, factual record, she has read? She uses the tired and often misused phrase “victims of colonisation”, which slips easily off the pen. Maori were great beneficiaries of colonisation especially women. In the Treaty of Waitangi they along with their menfolk were given the full rights of British citizens, and later in 1893 they gained the vote, along with most non-Maori. But the huge pluses were that as a result of the Treaty they were freed from an almost constant life of insecurity which they had endured during the 40 years of inter-tribal war. 1000s had been slaughtered and eaten, and many had been raped, abducted and enslaved. Is Mandy aware of the hundreds of breaches of the Treaty by Maori involving murdering each other; slaughtering innocent men, women and children often in the most horrific manner; killing two missionaries who were working hard for Maori; robbing homes and destroying property? Balance is needed in understanding our history, and there must always be acknowledgement of the indisputable facts.
Roger Childs
I too want to express my support for the stand Alan has taken.
What a revealing comment from Kapiti Independent Reporter, Roger Childs! Despite having consistently presented himself as an advocate for free speech and the open debate of ideas, he slips effortlessly from a compliment into what amounts to a demeaning insult. His unequivocal assertion that historical facts reveal ‘Māori were great beneficiaries of colonisation’ is a generalisation that reduces the debate to a zero-sum game of winners and losers. Personally, I think the jury is still out on the overall benefits of colonisation. It’s certainly been beneficial to me as a Pākehā. The world view I inherited from my parents has been reflected back to me every single day of my life, crucially by the education system, but also by almost every other institution and aspect of society I’ve had to deal with. That’s white privilege, accrued effortlessly from my membership of the settler majority. It’s so pervasive that most of us are unaware of it. But awareness of this privilege doesn’t riddle me with guilt, Bud, on the contrary, I feel it enables me to participate in discussions about our bi-cultural and multi-cultural future as a nation with confidence and some understanding of, and respect for, the view point of the most important party to those discussions, the tangata whenua.
The question of whether or not Māori have benefitted from colonisation is not one for a settler to answer, in my opinion.Wouldn’t it be preferable to take the lead from the opinions of Māori themselves?’The opinions John Tamihere shared in his excellent discussion with Jim Mora on the National Programme yesterday morning would be a good place to start.
Mandy Hager here is not alone but a sad representative of a guilt ridden group living in a deep dark hole of self loathing for ever having come here in the first place, they will forever offer up the public assets in an attempt to satisfy their guilt and self loathing at the public expense. They will never acknowledge the wonders of 21stC. technologies and science/learning and civilization given to the colonized people that plucked these so- called maoris from certain extinction from the stone age to the possibilities of a decent life on earth minus any crippling hokus pokus ju ju of a mythological fairy land religiosity.What constitutes this so called group of maoris has never been defined but science has rejected by DNA that any such person actually exists on earth. It is all one big con job on the kind people of NZ perpetrated by greedy opportunists pick-pocketing the guilt ridden slumbering self loathers. All very sad and sure to end in blood shed as seen worldwide in similar historical scenarios.
I write in support of Andy Oakley and Hobson’s Pledge. Mandy Hager must either provide explicit proof of her claim of Racism or apologise. I have suffered similar treatment by Alan, and I have written: The implication that I am guilty of racism is of much greater concern, and completely unacceptable. I frequently refer to the call for equality without regard to inherited position, which is in New Zealand legislation defined in terms of race. There can be no doubt that I oppose racism forcefully.
There is a sickness in New Zealand, which could have been cured by open debate. The shut-down here is reprehensible but all too common.
Sorry to see you go RAC (Roger A Childs)….
Mandy Hager, it’s one thing to use this comments section to congratulate Roger Childs, which is a gesture of good will, it is quite another to accuse me, as I am one of the 14 people who make up Hobson’s Pledge of racism.
i.e. your comment “the kind of racism seen in Don Brash’s ‘Hobson’s Pledge.’”
This is either a complete fabrication or a lie designed to make it seem plausible to separate people by race and throw all sorts of accusations around about events that took place before any of our great, great, great grandparents were born. If you had any sense at all you would realise that in doing that you have become what you imagine you are fighting against.
With regards to your comments about me you are merely parroting the opinions of others and have not offered one piece of evidence to support your claim that I am a racist. As for others who read your slander, if they have any sense they will ignore your childish name calling.
I would advise you to either publish some proof that I am a racist or apologise for getting it wrong.
It’s sad to see you go, Roger. I wish it were not so.
Thank you for allowing me to air my topic of assisted dying. This issue is smothered in misinformation, some innocent, some deliberate. Kapiti Independent News has allowed the facts to be published to a wide audience who would otherwise be kept in the dark (yes, remember, I’m the supporter of the End of Life Choice bill.
I’ve been especially appreciative of your speed and refinement in editing. You’ve broken down my text into sub-headings that perfectly encapsulate my meaning and enlivened the presentation with graphics. All done so pleasantly, willingly and intelligently.
We will miss you. Go well in whatever you choose to do next.
This decision to exclude so many people using their freedom of speech is a huge discredit to Kapiti Independent News. We are One Nation One People and these people were endeavouring to unite us, not separate us. An old wheelchair bound neighbour of mine said to me an interesting phrase that needs saying here, written by Voltaire.
“I may not agree with what you say all of the time, but I will defend you, to say it, with my life.”
So this chosen path by Alan is sowing seeds for separatism of our races in New Zealand. It has festered for centuaries and the path is of no return. And I’ll tell you why with examples:
Jews were murdered by Hitler from Germany in the millions. Racial.
Bosnia murdered millions of people originating from Arab countries…called ETHNIC CLEANSING. Racial.
South African immigrants killed many local Africans and created APARTHEID, separating which side of the road Africans could walk on. It didn’t work and now white south Africans are having generations of land they developed, taken back. This is racial.
France’s president DeGaulle excommunicated North African French colonies like Morocco, Tunisia because the blacks were bombing French homes all the time. Reversed racism. My uncle was in the French army there.
Europe is now being invaded by those African immigrants, mostly illegal. Tolerance for now but it wont last. Everybody knows that white people are understanding and many support the invasion of immigrants. But history is that when white people turn, they are ruthless and racism will be horrible.
As children here in Gisborne, my wife as a child lived next door to the local marae. Her DNA is Scottish, Brittish and Scandinavian. She jokingly says she is Ngati White White. She had meals and played with all the Maori kids and people there. She didn’t know the word “Maori.” We were Once We Were One, and at the same time One Nation, One People.
Thanks Roger. Really sorry to see you go. In today’s world of tabloid media, and a lack of true investigative journalism, Kapiti Independent News was a beacon of openness, credibility and freedom of speech. I struggle with the stated new direction. After all the Treaty’s clear and obvious intent was for one harmonious society not one divided on ethnic grounds. It seems stupid, biassed and discriminatory within my special interest of recreational sea fishing that those with a smidgen of Maori ancestry are not subject to fishing rules that those without Maori necessary abide by.
As another who has benefited from Roger’s support as a contributor, I’d like to thank him for all his hard work. However, unlike the respondents above, I believe Alan has made a strong ethical stand and I support him. I feel this issue, as it is presented above, does not fully canvas the facts and, as with several articles published in the past, uses the language of support for Maori and the Treaty to cloak the kind of racism seen in Don Brash’s ‘Hobson’s Pledge.’ I am sure many who support these views do not consider themselves racists, but attacking the victims of colonisation and the (imperfect, yes) mechanisms to attempt to redress the damage and suffering caused by our punitive colonial past is, in my book, racism in sheep’s clothing. It is like someone saying they support those women suffering from the effects of domestic violence, on the one hand, while advocating on the other that all refuges, anti-domestic-violence laws and supports should be removed because it’s ‘favouring’ abused women. Thank you Alan for your principled stand. Kia kaha.
Roger Childs has been theprime leader in advocating equality of all people in NZ regardless of some claim to special ethnicity supremacy. He has published about 5 of my articles on various aspects of democracy or lack of in NZ.As an American symphony orchestra musician,secondary and university teacher, i bring a unique perspective to NZ race based problems.Roger Childs has assisted me greatly in bringing to the attention of the public the sad path to separatism we are oncurrently following.We can only hope Roger finds a new niche of expression in an increasingly depressing slide toward apartheid
Thank you, Roger, for your commitment to the truth of issues. The implication – (or reality) – that you are being fired because Alan Tristram wishes to suppress well-informed, honest and open debate reflects very badly on this editor.
It’s certainly not one which will bring him the respect of the wider community, even though it may certainly invoke enthusiastic support from those with their snouts in the public trough.
There are so many Involved with the decisions of the now perceivedly corrupt Waitangi Tribunal (by all means read the relevant chapter in my book – “The 100 Days – Claiming back New Zealand… What has gone wrong and how we can control our politicians”) who now see the writing on the wall in relation – to the public having become increasingly fed up with the ongoing haemorrhaging of taxpayers’ money to support highly dubious and opportunistic claims.
Time is certainly running out for the whole Maori triumphalism movement – which serves nobody (except greedy iwi) – and certainly not the majority of New Zealanders, whether part-Maori or not.
Roger, you have been an absolute pleasure to deal with and extremely professional in your conduct. I am really quite taken aback by this…isn’t it a core mission of our news publications to provide a broad and diverse range of views…is it not supposed to be impartial….? We live in a democracy and no matter how frustrated I may get reading other opinions different to mine I always appreciate the basic right to freedom of speech and an opportunity to debate. There is no place for censorship here. I am sad to say I also can not continue to support KIN and will no longer be providing articles. All the best Roger.
I cannot echo the generous sentiments towards Alan Tristram. If I am to I remain true to my desire to seek and tell the truth, with facts-based narratives, I must express my dismay about what has happened as clearly as I can.
I have been named as one who will be banned and I have been smeared by linking the unspecified criticism with claims that some writers (who if not those who are to be banned?) are guilty of insulting and racist comments. I have asked for clarification and the answers to two simple questions but Alan has refused to tell me why he finds me unacceptable.
The distressing policy shift takes KIN away from the initial aim, as expressed on the website, that: “We believe our people — ordinary New Zealanders — deserve the truth, deserve fair shares, and deserve to be treated with decency” to a focussed propaganda publication. I have certainly not been treated “with decency”. I am not told why I am explicitly referred to as unacceptable nor am I told of any inaccuracies in my writing.
The implication that I am guilty of racism is of much greater concern, and completely unacceptable. I frequently refer to the call for equality without regard to inherited position, which is in New Zealand legislation defined in terms of race. There can be no doubt that I oppose racism forcefully.
When I worked for many years gathering and analysing ethnic statistics for the Massey University Faculty of Business Studies (preparation and annual update of “The Maori in Aotearoa; transition into uncertainty – the coming decades”), then on to further consulting work with the Ministry of Maori Affairs, the Royal Commission on Social Policy (on “Maori futures”), the Ministry of Maori Development (Te Puni Kokiri), the Department of Justice Treaty of Waitangi Unit, the Crown Forestry Rental Trust, the Maori Economic Commission, and the Victoria University Treaty of Waitangi Research Unit, we talked, exchanged information, sought solutions with no regard to race. I have never divided people by race. My work was always aimed at telling the truth and seeking a better way forward, and contributed to the Gaps programme to reduce inequality.
It is sad indeed that KIN is henceforth to divide New Zealanders by race and to fail the challenge of free, open debate.
So sad…. I am unable to equate the new direction with the use of the word independent. I wonder if this comment will even make it into the next edition.
Roger published about 5 of my articles, noting as an American, symphony orchestra musician[NZSO40 years] and Artist Teacher at Victoria University[26 years] and also a high school teacher[Hamilton Boys and Wairarapa College[11 years] I presented views from a diverse sector. Roger Childs reflected that in his superb editing ,grammar correction etc. of my work.Roger was a fabulous addition to correcting NZ’s sadden wobbles toward separatism. Let’s hope we see him fight on in another context a sformerly respected KIN lurches into racism.
Thank you Roger for providing your articles and views, and also for publishing number of my articles over the years. Good luck in whatever endeavours you choose to take up in the future.
What is difficult to fathom though is that I presume you were employed or engaged to write your views and also to edit and publish the views of others. This is precisely what makes for good media, a sharing of ideas and views from people of walks of life. However, it seems that your job description was changed and it was NOT to present a range of interesting views from people of all walks of life but to publish propaganda which pleases Alan Tristram.
Under the pressure of that sort of censorship I would not work for such an organisation and I will not be offering any material or reading anything from KIN in the future.
Alan Tristram has clearly come out and stated that he has a racial bias, something article three of the Treaty forbids. Which means his allegiance to the Treaty, like many others, is merely skin deep.