Many thanks to our good friend Ruby Harrold-Claesson for the encouraging words and delightful photos below. Ruby, a lawyer from Sweden, came out to NZ in 2006 to help us fight this Section 59 battle. If you have not visited her organisation’s website, please set aside some time soon to check it out. It has several language options, so make sure you click on the British Union Jack to get the English version! http://www.nkmr.orgRegards,Craig SmithFamily IntegrityFrom: Ruby Harrold-Claesson [mailto:rubyhc@nkmr.org]
Sent: Tuesday, 17 June 2008 5:36 p.m.
Subject: Words to Live By – and beautiful picturesDear Friends,
With these words and pictures, I would like to like to extend my sincere congratulations for your selfless efforts and the work that you are doing to protect your country and your countrymen.
Your stance against your PM’s and her pal Sue Bradford’s anti-smacking law, forced through Parliament claiming that it will reduce child abuse, is plain common sense. Rather than protecting children it seems that their determination is to destroy New Zealand society by the removal of parental authority thus undermining families by making parents afraid of their children. Your opposition to the insane law is unique. No other country has shown the resistance that has been shown in New Zealand. And, you can lean back against the decision not to ban smacking that was taken in the British Parliament in October 2007.
I quote from the Daily Mail article “Government u-turn as ministers tell parents they CAN smack their children“, published on October 26, 2007: “Shadow children’s minister Tim Loughton said: “This is a clear victory for common-sense.
“Clearly, if any adult is responsible for abuse and violence towards a child they need to face the full rigour of the law.
“But there is a world of difference between that and criminalising loving parents that use chastisement as they see fit in the interest of their child.
“There was never any public appetite for reopening this can of worms just three years after the issue was debated in Parliament.” Click here for link .
It is great to see that the signatures for a referendum on the anti-smacking law is fast approaching 370 000.
Keep up the good word and enjoy the pics.
Kind regards
RubySorry could’t put pics. up.
FI402-Email from Ruby Harrold-Claesson
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One response to “FI402-Email from Ruby Harrold-Claesson”
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*But there is a world of difference between that and criminalising loving parents that use chastisement as they see fit in the interest of their child.*
Loving parents do not sink so low that they chastise their children, they teach them respect by showing them respect. It’s appalling to see that ‘adult’ people, that are supposed to be role models for our children, find themselves so inadequate in their communication skills and emotions that smacking a child is the only thing they can do to show the child who’s ‘in charge’.
My father used to say; ‘It’s not until the brain stops functioning that man resorts to use his hands to get the point across.’
May your children forgive you when they grow up, for giving them a childhood of fear and humiliation.
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