Frustration, anger in N.Z.

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 12

Frustration, anger in N.Z.

PA Wellington New Zealand society suffers from an extremely high level of anger and frustration, says the «ecretary of the Police Association (Dr R. A. Moodie). He told the Wairarapa division of the National Party in Greytown that this mood manifested itself in excessive drinking and violence, especially among young Polynesian people. This was a response to the arrogant intolerance, derision, and abuse accorded those who dared exhibit habits or dress which were not in strict conformity with established norms in a society that was boorish, inhibited, and extremely intolerant, he said. The fact that those established norms were based upon irrational and ill-conceived notions of human needs and behaviour was a seriously

aggravating factor, said Dr Moodie. “We pride ourselves that we are a multi-racial society, but that is quite untrue,” he said. “We are a multi-racial country, but our society exhibits only one culture, that of the European.” Doctor Moodie said the Polynesian was being forced into a European mould by “our intolerance." The reality was that he was being asked to discard his Polynesian culture for something “we ourselves cannot even identify.” New Zealand had become an extremely violent society. “Eighteen years ago a citizen could walk through virtually any suburb or street without fear. Today the position is quite changed so that even the police are alarmed at the prospect of patrolling alone at night,” Dr Moodie said.