Letter to NewstalkZB host re Stephen Jones' anti-Haka comments (Nov. 1, 2010)

If it were not for the fact that we in New Zealand had to own up to producing Wynne ("Sensible") Gray, Paul Lewis and Murray Deaker, it would be entirely reasonable to say that Stephen Jones of the Sunday Times was the most egregiously awful rugby writer in the world. Of course, nearly every New Zealand football fan has nothing but contempt
for Jones---a commentator described him today as "the Garth George of rugby writing".

Today the ridiculous Welsh eeyore has re-published for the twentieth
straight year in a row his most pressing obsession: the All Blacks'
haka should be banned, he reckons.

But he has a few fans---the aforementioned Murray Deaker, for
instance. And of course the good folks at NewstalkZB hate the haka
with a passion. Drivetime host Larry Williams encouraged his listeners
to ring in with their opinions. As one might have expected, nearly
every caller was anti-haka---and anti-Maori. One hapless twit called
Neil (shurely not "Mr Scebe"!!??!?!?) even claimed the haka was "a
direct link to Maori domestic violence".

This writer (i.e., moi) was moved to send off the following e-mail to
Williams....

Dear Larry, 

Hardly a surprise to hear caller after caller on your show respond to
your dog-whistle and pour scorn on the haka. Dumbest comment of the
day was by Neil: "It's too close to domestic violence," he frothed. 

Even by NewstalkZB standards, that is loopy. Let's face it, Larry: you and a lot of your friends are "concerned" about the haka because it's a Maori thing.

Yours sincerely, 

Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point

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So far, no reply from the ex-traffic cop...

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