Suicidal Blind Spot
Following on from my last post concerning a Suicide Prevention Interagency Steering Group that just happened to omit any men’s or fathers’ represetative, their meeting highlighted high rates of suicide by Maori men and talked about needing Maori male representation in the group. However, no mention was made that men in general commit suicide several times as often as women do and no mention was made of the need to have input from men’s representatives.
A similar blind spot was evident in Jim Anderton’s speech in releasing the 2005 suicide statistics. Yes, he did mention in passing that three men died from suicide for every one woman (actually, the ratio is 3.1 to 1), but then he specifically expressed concern only about “the suicide rates among Maori”. That rate was 1.5 Maori for every 1 non-Maori. Interesting isn’t it that the race disparity gets special concern even though it’s only half that of the gender disparity which attracts no special concern. Imagine though if the gender table were turned, if 3.1 women committed suicide for every one man. We would be drowned in tears of concern if that were the case, not to mention the tirade of rage about patriarchy and misogyny being responsible.
From Dept of Health statistics we see that in the period 2002 to 2004 the ratio of suicides for Maori men to Maori women was 3.4 to 1, while the ratio for non-Maori men to non-Maori women was 3.1 to 1. But nobody seems to care about non-Maori men. Nobody wants to notice.
Men are invisible and hated so much that Women’s groups call for Fathers Day to be called a “day of shame”. They celebrate male suicides. They care nothing about innocent men who are wrongfully imprisoned. They applaud female murderers of men and always seek to justify the murderer’s actions. They falsify statistics to portray men as badly as they can get away with. And most people continue to be beguiled by this, and the politicians continue to base their laws on it. Most men still unwittingly collude with the ideology that seeks to exploit and to damage them. I guess it will need to get a bit worse before men wake up. And worse it will get, you can be sure.
“Wake up, wake up, can’t you see what’s happening”
I must get motivated and write to the Coronial services using the official information act. and get a breakdown in stats. Including ethnicity would be interesting. Unfortunately Autocide (Deliberately driving into a tree etc is difficult to detect.
Comment by Alastair — Mon 10th November 2008 @ 4:30 pm
I was recently confronted by the issue of race.
As someone had ticked Maori on my medical records.
So a representative was present, at a compulsory interview.
And it made me think, about my heritage.
I did an examination of paternity fraud rates.
IE % of you that is false, at each generation level.
Result a Fibonacci sequence, so natural curve.
Proof my numbers, were correct.
At 6 generations, the odds don’t look great.
That I can have certainty over my heritage.
Written has me, recorded, as not Maori.
But someone recorded me as such, poisoning data.
While my half brother, and sister, are part Maori.
While my half aunties, and uncles, are part Maori.
With marriage everywhere, minions of cousins.
I be only a Pakeha, who loves his country.
…………………..
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/124892684/how-ngti-whtua-rkei-turned-a-piece-of-land-into-a-billiondollar-enterprise-for-our-people
Congratulations to those, unlike politicians, who see the long term goals, derived from having financial security, rather than deprivation. My only concern about the strategy employed by those running these organisations is having to much focus on one issue. Investing to chase the dream of owning the land again. While obviously to this point a success story, the strategy is flawed. The more diversified your investment, the more resilient the strategy. In a worst case scenario, natural disaster, rouge accountant, property bubble, property only strategy is flawed. Not that one cannot get rich. Obviously with good managers, positive thinking, and understanding, the IWI has done well. However when I see big gains, I suspect big risks.
What then of investment.
Is it not for people.
The IWI itself, or its people.
Rewarding by helping to make good lives.
It should make a house, like a rock.
A place to gather, and meet.
A place, to celebrate, and quarrel.
Land, the meeting house, the sacred places.
It should make an income to pay its way.
Fate, the weak, find dependency.
Like cancer it weakens.
Until withdrawn, nothing is left.
Choose the path of diversity.
While this one, weathers the storm.
That one, compensates with gains.
Even land can be lost, to the banker.
I suspect.
Comment by DJ Ward — Sun 2nd May 2021 @ 9:32 am