I could not believe my ears the other day when I was watching TV and heard Wayne LaPierre, the head of the US National Rifle Association in America say, "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." I was torn between cracking up, crying, or screaming in John McEnroe style - "You can't be serious." Read More...

The media kept us regularly updated a couple of weeks ago with the life and times of Stewart Murray Wilson who has been dubbed “the Beast of Blenheim.” He was out of the public eye for a few days, but is now back on the front page with his imminent release from prison this week. He seems to be a rather unsavoury character, who carried out a series of sexual crimes in and around Blenheim several years ago. He was apprehended, charged, found guilty and incarcerated for quite a long time. He is now about to be released to live in a yet-to-be-prepared house somewhere near Whanganui, under very strict conditions. There are several conditions he must meet, including wearing a GPS device that tracks his movements so that the authorities know where he is at all times. Understandably, due to the nature of his crimes, there has been an uproar. This is the classic NIMBY (not in my back yard) syndrome. I don’t know the details of his crimes, and indeed I don’t need to know them. Apparently, though, he has “done the time” and can no longer be held in prison. He needs to live somewhere. I would probably also be concerned if he was to live in my neighbourhood.  Read More...