Reacting to Michael Laws' comment that potentially awful parents could be offered cash as a sterilization incentive,Barnardos New Zealand chief executive Murray Edridge said the comments were part of a pattern of provocative comments from Mr Laws designed to draw attention. "I can't believe that he actually believes this."
Any Kiwi child genuinely could become a doctor or brain surgeon – as long as there was community support for them, he said.
Well, I can't believe that Edridge actually believes that.
Leaving aside that many children are born with invisible handicaps due to their mother's lifestyle during pregnancy, leaving aside that their parents do not value education and cannot transmit a value they do not possess, leaving aside that adoption is now frowned upon by the state, does he really believe that all children have the same chance of reaching their potential?
Sadly, he is a deluded. At some point these Guy Smiley types, with benevolence oozing from every pore, with their oily optimism and perky platitudes, stop being annoying and start being a hindrance. When those entrusted with the job of advocating for children bring to the task this level of self deception you know it's time to pull the plug. His convictions will not improve the lives of NZ children.
9 comments:
Not everybody has the potential to be a doctor or brain surgeon, or artist, or Olympic champion. Most of us are just ordinary. Also, many of the truly great people in the world have never had "community support" of the type Edridge probably envisions.
While i suggest Mike Laws is grabbing the headline,hordes of people make good with little or no education while suffering parental handicaps.
My parents told me "Dont worry about being dumb, you will always have a job because there will always be a need for labourers."
I suspect my life has been the envy of many and I wouldnt swap it for quids.
Dirk
I read that and laughed. Such unrealistic hopes taint children who are brought up to have expectations of how great they are then when tested are found to be genetically thick or just average.
I have met a few who are on the wrong side of the bell-shaped curve but have still been sucessful through drive and ambition.
There is no shame in being a trolley-boy for some.
Rubbish, I'm sure there are a lot of 7 year old surgeons out there.
Hmmm..... rather than say "Your wrong!", and bursting individual bubbles.... I will ask some simple questions.
Who's perception are you relying on?
Who's perception got you to where you are now?
What is personal drive?
While not everyone can be a surgeon or a CEO......surprisingly stupid people seem to find levels of fame, power, and finance with little or no help in today's world.
To say "kids will never become anything" even if you know the child is retarded is actually saying all "high level" members of society have-a-clue.....when it is fairly obvious most don't.
Jim Key did alright with his alcoholic, state house beneficary parents and continues on with his free life and now is the top bludger.
The only talent he has is being a better liar and getting in with promises of tax cuts.
If only we could screen them in utero and see which ones were smart (or which ones reach your accepted level of intelligence) and then we could do forced abortions on the ones you don't like/want/think should be born.
Of course little middle class white kids are A-OK! They're all gonna grow up to be surgeons aren't they?
This is of course ridiculous. There's a great report from the CIS - Phil Rennie - who points out that NZ has far too many universities producing far too many graduates - the best of whom bugger off to Aussie or the UK. Meanwhile you can't get a builder or a plumber (or even a trustworthy manual labourer) to save your life in NZ - because they're all on benefits.
Zeroing government funding to education, and especially zeroing all benefits is a start to fixing things.
And yes, with zero benefits, lots of people would be happy to be sterlized for $500 - not $10,000.
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