All power to Tommy Kapai's thoughtful pen and input. (letter of 13 October ) And the novel suggestion regarding the wallpaper. Keep the thoughts coming, please !
I think, however, that terms like 'racist” and 'hate mail” are unnecessary, sort of blanket expressions which tend to stifle protest and criticism, and are too often used by activists for that purpose.
It is vital that people feel free (within sensible limits ) to express criticism, serious observations and questioning, even anger, misguided or not. Others have the same freedom to respond or correct or rebut. Genuine opinions need to be expressed. How else can we form an idea of the 'state of the nation”. I realise this may be a tad idealistic, but we still believe that the keystone of democracy is freedom of speech. That's why there is a groundswell of concern until the real implications of the updated version of the NZ constitution become clear, and we then know how our democracy will be affected by the intended inclusion of the treaty of Waitangi. The prospect is far from encouraging. My belief is that it should not be included. Emphatically- at least not in a written version. On the other hand, I guess we don't need to go 'all PC” in our letters which could discourage some from writing.

D. Holm, Tauranga.

Good to see Tommy Kapai is again getting out his paste brush and using the opinions of those who disagree with him to wallpaper over the cracks in his arguments (Weekend Sun 12 Oct).
Last time I remember Tommy wallpapering was when, in his then newspaper column (BOP Times 20 July 09), he claimed a massacre of 144 maori at the Battle of Rangiaowhia. General Cameron, he claimed, had locked the maori in the Catholic Church and set fire to it and shot anyone who tried to escape. This story , he claimed, was told to him by a relative through a veil of tears.
Not only did he make no effort to verify the story, but he published it and demanded that the name of Cameron Rd be changed. No historian, including Michael King and Ranganui Walker gives any credence for his claim, but Tommy's biggest problem was the Catholic Church is still standing today. Did he accept his mistake, did he apologise to his readers and the Cameron family, did he heck, he dismissed it as just white man's history and he started wallpapering.
In his latest letter Tommy now asserts there were apartheid-style white's only public lavatories on The Strand. I look forward to him producing some hard evidence of this, not just the musings of one of his relatives. Tommy needs to verify his stories before putting pen to paper and to be able to back them hard evidence.
If Tommy did this and stirred in a little humility I'm sure he could cut back on his D.I.Y.

Richard Prince, Welcome Bay.

The Sun offered Mr Kapai the opportunity to respond:
Kia ora Richard Prince
The day I apologise for general Cameron massacring innocent women and children both over the Kaimai at Rangiaowhia ( I will stand by the korero of my own historians not a white wordsmith) and at Te Ranga where Cameron's troops wiped out women and children for no other crime than trying to save their land - is the day I believe in you being the brush to paint over my opinions.
I have lived and worked in South Africa, unlike Mr Prince, and I have seen apartheid first hand, but I didn't know then that we had it here in down town Tauranga in my mothers generation.
I suggest you talk to Mr Colin Bidois, a well respected kaumatua here in Tauranga Moana, who tells the harrowing story of Maori women denied the use of the downtown toilet for only Pakeha, and how they couldn't make it to the only ‘Maori friendly' toilet at his Whanau home in time. The whakama (shame) and indignity of this is something Mr Prince would have no understanding or empathy toward.
Until then Mr Prince you believe in your DIY that is obviously tempered by your DNA and I will believe in those who stand for something more than making it on to my wall as pirau korero paper.

Tommy Kapai, Te Puna.