Roger Rabbits with Jim Bunny

They’ll be burning this heretic’s effigy at the top of the driveway next.

Or stabbing a voodoo doll with needles to curse me, bring me pain, misfortune and failure.

All that can really mess with a weekend. But such is the lot of a well-intentioned journo. Because sometimes, rather than educating, entertaining and informing, we miss the mark, we upset and offend, and we draw fire.

Like this venomous barb. It was scrawled in handwriting across the top of the January 31 edition of The Weekend Sun that was posted back to me last week.

“Stick your woke little propaganda rag where the sun don’t shine.”

Ouch!

No so much as a “I respectfully disagree” or “I understand but …”, just the suggestion for an undignified assault on a very private body part. Such are the vicissitudes of journalism – from noble calling to villainy in just a couple of ill-considered paragraphs or badly chosen words.

So, what triggered the storm that blew cruelly my way?

Tucked discreetly inside that edition of TWS was my fluff piece, some musings, about the kerfuffle, the stink, caused by the installation of a “rainbow crossing” outside the Tauranga City Library. “What are we all antsy about?” I asked. “… a lovely, bright, expressive, inclusive statement traversing Devonport Rd. Just one rainbow crossing and how many zebras?" So, if you are philosophically or spiritually opposed to rainbows, use a zebra.

But woke? Propaganda? Isn’t propaganda deliberately biased or misleading information aimed at promoting a cause or viewpoint? It was just an opinion. And if by woke, you accuse me of being conscious of social inequality such as racial injustice, sexism and denial of LGBGTQ+ rights, which is the true meaning of woke, then I am probably guilty.

I suggested all the fuss was an overreaction and we shouldn’t worry the small things. Nuh-nuh! Our correspondent thought it was much more sinister.

“We did not want a rainbow crossing.”

We? Who’s we? There was a nom de plume – “Worried Grandmother of 10” (WGO10) – but no name. An opinion but not the courage of their convictions. But it did cost her $4.90 in postage stamps to share her opinion.

Woke? Propaganda?

The Weekend Sun wouldn’t normally give breath to an anonymous letter. We tend to publish opinion when there’s a name attached, if someone’s standing by that opinion. At the same time, I am not afraid of opinion or criticism.

My old man was a reservoir of opinion. He would say there are as many opinions as there are experts and people. And it didn’t hurt to listen to and respect all of them. But let’s start with just one.

“Well done!” WGO10 tells me. “You have managed to alienate a large number of your readership with your offensive ‘Looking for rainbows’ editorial.”

I sincerely hope not. But I apologise if you are offended. Then this from “John of Tauranga”.

“[Jim Bunny] starts by saying ‘Why worry the small things?’ Then a whole page of verbosity relating to this small thing, so why bother writing?”

The point of the story wasn’t small things as such, but people who make big things of small things. An opinion no more or less legitimate than your own John. But I appreciate you wading through a “whole page of verbosity” before drawing the sword of righteousness and eviscerating me

“Secondly ... if a book is written by someone from a particular country, read the first and last chapter and ignore the rest! This is very appropriate for this rambling article.”

 Obviously, he read the whole “rambling” piece, analysed it and wrote to me. So, mine wasn’t wasted effort.

“Thirdly, the writer states he is a Presbyterian, if so he or she should know what God says about homosexuality. To agree with it and promote it is worthy of the same fate.”

I think he refers to “eternal fire”. That worries me.

This poorly practised Presbyterian has always admired a devout Roman Catholic who lived his faith rather than preach it. Jimmy Carter was an ordinary President, but an extraordinarily good man who once said “homosexuality was well known well before Christ was born … and in all of His teachings about multiple things ... [Jesus] never said that gay people should be condemned”.

“Sadly,” says John, “our creator is deemed not to be relevant compared to either man’s intelligence or the devil’s schemes. Sadly, this is at our peril, from which we are the last breath away.”

I have always subscribed to my dad’s ethos of “loving thy neighbour”. I suppose that includes the honourable and adorable gay man who featured in the Weekend Sun column.

I flicked him this correspondence and he was gracious. “I can only wish them the best of health and a little humour. They both need me to give them a good hug!”

Now, I can hear all the cries of double standards. That “Jim” who hides behind a nom-de-bunny on page 2 every week is preaching to us about openness. Yes, the irony is not lost.