Friday, November 20, 2009

"REPEAL SECTION 51"

Today's front page describes the conviction of a woman for beating her ten-year-old son with a hose; she now faces 15 months in prison. Whether sending her to prison, rather than some other sort of punishment, is a good idea either for the taxpayer or for the family is one question, but what is for certain is this: her lawyer couldn't use the defence that she had used reasonable force to discipline her children. Why not? Oh, because section 59 removed that defence! Perhaps it might not have come off - she is from South Auckland so she probably couldn't afford a fancy lawyer - but you can bet they would have tried.

Not that the Herald makes any mention of that.

Meanwhile, on page A2 there is a hilarious turn of events which actually makes me love the Herald. Embedded in an article entitled, "Boycott march, kids' advocate urges", is a small table:

"Demanding the right to hit?", I thought? That's going to piss them off, given how fine a line the organisers have been treading. They have taken pains to give the impression that the march is about democracy, rather than about hitting kids - presumably in the full knowledge that people won't march for abstract concepts, and most of them will be there (probably dragging their kids along) to endorse physical discipline.

As busy as I am, I've taken some time to troll the Facebook group for the March for Democracy. In fact, I was honoured to see some of my own words up there!

Thanks Stephen - AKA WITI IHIMAERA.

But I digress. This morning sees this post from one Glyn McLean:

The heading on the box at the end of the story containing details of the march in my original copy was simply "March for Democracy". It was changed by a subeditor to, "Demanding the right to hit."
This confirms two things:
  • The Herald does, in fact, employ subeditors at least once a week.
  • Sometimes those subeditors are awesome.
Anyway, if Glyn is outraged by poor journalism at the Herald, I have just the site for him.


Tomorrow is shaping up to be quite the event. The MetService is predicting a balmy 22 degrees, fine spells with cloudy breaks. Apparently, the march will be followed by a concert 'outside the Town Hall', whatever that means - Aotea Square is almost entirely taken up with construction works. There'll be, I don't know, balloons and clowns and racists. Do come, and bring a hilarious sign or banner to win... a mystery prize: YOUR photo on Editing the Herald.

The march supposedly starts at 1.30pm tomorrow (Saturday) from the corner of Queen St and Fort St. And remember:
If a binding referendum told you to do it, you'd have to come.

28 comments:

  1. I'm still tossing up whether I should go along with a sign reading MY ARMS ARE TIRED. Anyone else going along with inane signs? With the intention of mocking the protest that is.

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  2. Hilarious. Great post to (hopefully) bring up the 100,000 views. You should have a prize like getting YOUR photo on Editing the Herald for being the 100,000th visitor.

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  3. Ok ok I was a bit sloppy with my attributions. Was copying and pasting right out of a feed reader. Sorry about that -- will try harder.

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  4. Smack your children and ride the bus for free!

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  5. Simon Collins: democracy means printing any misinformed opinion in NZ's largest daily newspaper.

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  6. ccs: yep, I think inane signs are most excellent. Am definitely going, considering a sign that just says "?"

    Stephen suggests "Citation needed" and the classic "Down with this sort of thing"

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  7. Stephen, let me know if you ever receive a Facebook award for that post, because it will be very embarrassing for all concerned.

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  8. It was just an oversight and only accounts for less than 0.4% of Stephen's Facebook posts anyway so let's just let bygones be bygones :/

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  9. I just got awarded 50,000 lima beans. Coincedence?

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  10. So are you defending a woman who beats her child with a length of hose - one of the the preferred weapons of the Iranian militia and the Zimbabwean police - in order to 'have a go' at the New Zealand Herald? Does every court report what defences the defendant DIDN'T use? Come on. Not once was the smacking law referred to in that story - it wasn't the issue.

    The court case and the totally separate issue of the child's commissioner being against the 'march for democracy' on another are unlinked and on different pages.

    You're a piece of work. The Herald has been quite solid recently and you're panicking.

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  11. A shouty email with 'PERVERT STORY' in the header. Great.

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  12. Where can I get someone to print me an Advice Dog placard which reads "Beat Kids. Live Forever" ?
    I figure no matter which side of the argument people are on, they will think I am against them

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  13. It's amazing what comes up when you search for the words 'glyn', 'maclean', and 'douchebag' in google

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  14. 'Ein mob, Ein God, Ein Demoracy'

    or

    'Lynching is my democratic right'

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  15. To top it off I hear they're going to be holding a "smack off" in Red Square. Rubber hosing will be supplied!

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  16. and this is the level you cunts descend to

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  17. monk "defending a woman who beats her child with a length of hose"

    That is fundamentally NOT what this post is about. That's you projecting your values and your preconceptions.

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  18. >>> they're cunts too

    a stunning and worthy riposte.

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  19. I love the fact that the facebook event has an entire 30 people attending. If we say that 1/4 of New Zealand has facebook (number completely made up) and only half would bother to join the group that's still only 240 attendees. If $440,000 really was spent on it that comes to a tidy $1800 a person.

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  20. Its hilarious that the people who come out hating on this blog have always completely missed the point of the post they're hating on. I wonder why they keep reading, or is that the point; they don't actually read it in the first place?

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  21. Hey css, how about...

    MY ARMS AREN'T NEARLY TIRED ENOUGH!!!

    ?

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  22. It appears I've been blocked from that facebook group. I got a whole raft of replies to what I posted according to my facebook notifications, but I can't see them.

    I wonder how many others they've blocked.

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  23. Nice work to the 'Hit My Baby 1 More Time' sign holder!
    http://www.nzpaimages.co.nz/preview.php?image_id=74322

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  24. Granny's been hittin' the bottle again. Either that or Garth George has finally found J'sus! Hundreds of marchers MORPHS into thousands!

    Shame Granny H can't perform that trick on the thousands of hard working people who lost money to unscrupulous businessmen.

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  25. Whoever held the "Huh?" placard got a lot of play on both channels' news hours. Nice work, hope it was one of you guys.

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  26. I need the links to any funny photos from this march!! Anyone?

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  27. There are some at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=126943&id=683299284

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  28. Haha James / Pete - those signs are hilarious!

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