Letters to the editor on Temple View sign: 18 November-15 December 2006
Saturday, 18 November 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3864498a15496,00.html
Rocky road
I am bemused that a sign featuring the Riff Raff statue advertising Rocky Horror Hamilton will be removed from Temple View because it offends the sensibilities of Mormons (Waikato Times, November 16) . They say it "glorifies homosexual subculture".
If the sign featured an image of Jesus Christ and it offended Muslims so much they demanded it be taken down, there would be an uproar.
The Hamilton City Council is going to remove the sign with haste, to put a halt to the Mormons' discomfort. I know I feel uncomfortable about one thing: that the Mormon Church is dictating what is and what is not okay in the promotion of this city.
KATHLEEN OLIVER
Raglan
Monday, 20 November 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3867164a15496,00.html
Scum of the people
Congratulations to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' member Tony McKenna who said the Riff Raff statue advertising Rocky Horror Hamilton outside the college "glorifies the homosexual sub-culture" (Waikato Times November 16) .
In March 2004 I wrote to the Waikato Times on this issue saying "riff raff" means "the scum of the people: rubbish".
What a way to advertise Hamilton. Better to have the catch-phrase "Hamilton, the cream of New Zealand".
Both cream and scum rise to the surface, but I know which I prefer on my strawberries.
KEITH M HARRY
Hamilton
Wednesday, 22 November 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3874705a15496,00.html
Original meanings
Keith Harry is mistaken in his view that riff-raff and scum are synonyms (above, Waikato Times November 20).
They are certainly not so in their etymological derivation. Scum, literally speaking, is a neutral term which means anything that rises to the top during heating. The cream to which Mr Harry refers is, of course, scum itself, the scum of milk.
I would suggest he buys a good dictionary and consults it before making statements about subjects about which he has so little knowledge.
Obviously scum and riff-raff are used in a derogatory way nowadays, but their original meanings did not have such overtones and could not be more dissimilar, despite what Keith Harry thinks.
M MORRIS
Huntly
Thursday, 23 November 2006
THAT SIGN: The Rocky Horror sign which residents in Temple View are unhappy about.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3877170a15496,00.html
A good look?
Regarding the editorial concerning the Riff Raff sign placed outside the Mormon temple (Waikato Times November 18) : Immaturity is shown when the writer refers to these dissenting people as stupid and degrades their value system.
I was excited to see signs being erected outside Temple View recently as it showed an acceptance of Temple View as part of greater Hamilton. Many Waikato people take in the temple Christmas lights as part of their own yearly traditions. But to erect a sign of Riff Raff from Rocky Horror anywhere to
advertise Hamilton's good points is crazy. Riff raff in my dictionary means disreputable people, not a good look for our city.
The media is a powerful communicator. With this job comes responsibility to be aware what we are exposing our people to, especially our youth. How great our city could be if some of our leaders and people in positions of authority in the media took responsibility to truly learn and explore the many facets in our communities within Hamilton that makes us the accepting, peaceful, family-oriented city that we are, not "advanced, confident and sophisticated". Why do we try to be like Auckland? When someone opposes something it is not because they are "narrow-minded or ignorant" but that
they are aware of the social decline in our modern society. Unless we stand for something, we will fall for anything.
AMY WILSON
Te Akau
Friday, 24 November 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3877055a15496,00.html
Welcome change
Regarding the editorial concerning Temple View and its residents' objection to the Riff Raff sign (Waikato Times November 18) .
Surely it would have dawned on the Times and others since the Hillcrest youth facility fiasco that residents do have some rights about what goes on in their community.
In fact, the Hamilton City Council has since resolved such a facility could no longer be approved for residential areas. This is a desirable move and is obviously in response to the pressure from the community.
Councils listening and acting on the desires of their various communities is a welcome change in direction for many councils.
Although often forgotten, councils exist to serve the community as a whole and the sub-communities within it.
It should be remembered that if a community desires a certain standard then that is the suitable level for that community.
For councils -- and others -- to try to impose their standards -- usually lower -- is fraught with
difficulty.
To see the ultimate result of councils ignoring these communities, take a look at the Harbour Ward in Lower Hutt. The Hutt City Council has been ignoring this ward for some time and finally the ward has run a poll and they are petitioning the local government committee to transfer to the Wellington City Council.
This is all catered for in the Local Government Act. Hutt City Council will lose its highest rating ward.
If Temple View residents don't want Riff Raff signs, then the council has done the right thing in listening to them and doing something about it.
I look forward to all Waikato area councils being more proactive in listening to their communities. It is a welcome change. And if the Hamilton City Council doesn't listen to Temple View, then the residents should think about sending their rates to another council -- at least they won't be worse off.
BARRY BOURKE
Hamilton
Saturday, 25 November 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3877243a15496,00.html
Country cream
Sorry, Keith M Harry. You can't name Hamilton "the cream of New Zealand" (above, Waikato Times letters, November 20). Morrinsville has been "cream of the country" (a much catchier phrase don't you think) for years.
G B SUMMERS
Morrinsville
Rocky Horror
I would propose a just answer to the matter of official local body signs welcoming people to the boundaries of this city (Waikato Times, November 16) .
It seems fitting the special suburb of Temple View, which has recently joined the city, should cede its rights to display such material and that the Rocky Horror sign, and any other official council welcome signs, be repositioned a few kilometres up the road to welcome visitors to the next Hamilton suburb (should the Dinsdale people object it could be erected in Nawton and/or Frankton).
My opinion is that the disputed piece of local government propaganda happens to be a powerful and stunningly clever piece of poster art which is faithful to the depicted casting that stands in Victoria St and to the international social phenomenon it represents. It is, more importantly, a tribute to a young Hamilton man who turned out to have creative ability beyond measure.
Anyone caught stealing one of these posters should be condemned for having too much good taste.
P J MURPHY
Hamilton
The Riff Raff sign - another opinion
The Waikato Times editorial of November 18 missed the point . Instead of being a defence of the right of Temple View residents, or residents anywhere, to voice an opinion it was reduced to a venomous attack on Mormons.
The editorial was poorly thought out, unprofessional and bigoted.
The editor suggests that one of the qualifications to be advanced, sophisticated, cosmopolitan and confident as a city is toleration of the homosexual lifestyle. I happen to disagree.
The two large signs detract from the aesthetically pleasant, rural and temple landscape. They stand two metres from the grounds of the temple, an iconic Waikato landmark. In an age of consultation who was consulted?
Doesn't the Times support consultation within residential communities?
I would have thought that might have been the focus of the editorial. The Times, after all, prides itself in being a "community" newspaper.
The editor makes the mistake of assuming I speak on behalf of Mormons. I do not and explained to the reporter that I don't even live in Temple View.
Arnold Stoneley of the ratepayers association doesn't speak for the Church either. In fact, the Waikato Times did not talk to anyone authorised to speak on behalf of the "Mormons".
I spoke to the Times as a private citizen and suggested they actually ring the Church.
The irony is that the editor agrees with me, "Mr McKenna is entitled to his opinion". Yes, it was my opinion.
The Mormons, that is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, have said nothing to date. So why lay siege to them? The editor is guilty of the same "narrow-mindedness, stupidity and intolerance" he accuses me of.
Maybe the new sign should read "Beware of Mormons next 2km". Mr Editor would get a smile from that. As for the Mormons, they would have a great laugh.
TONY McKENNA
Hamilton
Monday, 27 November 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3880260a15496,00.html
City daughter
The recent performance of the wonderful concert A Knight With A Dame has prompted me to write to suggest the city should acknowledge a true daughter of Hamilton.
Dame Malvina Major, performing with Sir Howard Morrison and the supporting cast, was superb as she always has been. Not only that, but she remains a down-to-earth person of real character.
The council was quick to spend a fortune on the Rocky Horror statue. Now it is time to acknowledge Malvina Major who is world-wide far more famous than Richard O'Brien.
Malvina Major was not only born and raised in Hamilton, her siblings are still part of this city. She is a true daughter of the Waikato and it is time this was acknowledged. Another statue is called for at the very least.
JOHN GREENWOOD
Hamilton
Friday, 1 December 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3884838a15496,00.html
Sign horrifies
On returning to Hamilton from a beautiful trip to Whitianga, I was horrified to drive past the sign Rocky Horror Hamilton.
What a let-down. Hamilton deserves better on its entrances and exits. Unfortunately, as Mark Servian, the driving force behind the statue says, Hamilton will become a "virtual pilgrimage site for Rocky Horror fans worldwide" (Waikato Times, November 25) .
Do we want to become another homosexual mecca rather than a beautiful, productive, peaceful and family-orientated city?
M Morris (above, Waikato Times letters, November 22) took me to task for saying riff raff means the scum of the people. Not wishing to buy another dictionary I made use of the Hamilton public library. Here are some "knowledgeable" definitions of riff raff:
Chambers Concise Dictionary and Thesaurus: "worthless, disreputable, or undesirable people".
Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus: "rabble, disreputable or undesirable persons".
Collins English Dictionary (Australian Version): "worthless people, especially collectively, rabble, worthless rubbish".
Chambers Crossword Dictionary: "mob, scum, dregs, rabble, canaille, rent-a-mob, hoi-polloi, undesirables".
I wonder if M Morris, Mark Servian and others would prefer to use one of these riff raff synonyms to advertise our beautiful city?
KEITH M HARRY
Hamilton
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3890517a15496,00.html
World-famous
John Greenwood (above, Waikato Times letters November 27) tells us "Malvina Major . . . is worldwide more famous than Richard O'Brien".
I suggest anyone who imagines this claim is valid might like to repeat a simple experiment I tried by logging on to Google and searching for "Malvina Major", then "Richard O'Brien", and then "Rocky Horror Show". I got 133,000 hits for Malvina; 2,450,000 for Richard O'Brien; and 2,230,000 for Rocky Horror Show.
There are Rocky Horror fan clubs in more countries than one could poke a stick at, some countries have several. There appears to be no Malvina Major fan club.
P J MURPHY
Hamilton
Rocky horror
On an international scale Richard O'Brien and his Rocky Horror Show are really, really big and Hamilton is really, really small.
I'm a former Hamiltonian myself and I'm proud I can go almost anywhere in the world and people know O'Brien's famous work, one that still speaks to audiences worldwide more than 30 years after its London premiere.
The Rocky Horror Show was produced in 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre, one of the most important theatres in the English-speaking world. So really, this silly made-up "controversy" over the image of Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff, on a billboard no less, is so petty and small-minded it suggests he did the right thing to pack up his kitbag and leave Hamilton many decades ago.
I say embrace your native son and claim him as your own. Nothing could be better for Hamilton's international image than being able to claim it set the stage for producing one of the most influential pieces of popular culture in the last quarter of the 20th century.
WILLIAM PETERSON
Senior lecturer
Centre for drama and theatre studies
Monash University
Victoria, Australia
Friday, 15 December 2006
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/3901004a15496.html
Split personality
I fear that you are suffering from some form of split personality.
A couple of weeks ago you were berating the Hamilton City Council for taking action after listening to the residents of Temple View because they didn't want a Riff Raff sign in their neighbourhood (and frankly I can't believe that anyone would want such a sign in their area after they reviewed the various definitions of riff-raff in a range of dictionaries).
Now, only a week or so later, you berate the Waikato District Council for not listening.
Time to make up your mind, I think -- you can't have it both ways just to suit yourself.
As you know, councils should listen always and take action when appropriate. So often we see councils doing all sorts of things without notification or without listening or both.
The district council acted febble-minded when it went ahead and changed names without consulting and so did the city council with the Riff Raff sign.
I do think you were letting your dislike of the Morman religion get in the way of rational thinking when you commented on the city council.
BARRY BOURKE
Hamilton
