[Linux-aus] [Fwd: [nzlug] Maori Language for Windows...]

[Clayton Scott]

Quote Bret Busby=
The primary language of NZ, is english. The only people in NZ who
understand maori and not english, are likely to be unfamiliar with
electricity and motor cars, etc, let alone computers, and are likely to
be illiterate. Perhaps, someone at last has found the lost tribe in
Fiordland, that had never seen white men, and has rapidly "civilised"
them and taught them computing, and knows the particular language of
that tribe, to be able to "civilise" them and teach them computing.

And, it would be interesting to find a person who can read and write
maori, who cannot equally read or write english, given that maori was
not a written language, and so any maori person who can read or write
maori, must also be able to equally well, read and write english....unquote

I really do not know where to start in reply to your rant, amazing to
read something so blatantly racist in a time of education and
understanding where the mistakes of our forefathers have been learned
long ago.

I have a friend who is an english teacher in New Zealand, he says that
a lot of the children attending school are  now speaking maori as a
first language, my cousins are speaking it as their first language the
beauty of this is that although the blood of these beautiful people
may be dieing out, the language and the culture lives on through
education and acceptance, the community at large is going to benefit
by having a multicultural society where one can speak a language of
their ancestors, and can learn in this language also.

Your extremist right wing views are contrary to the purpose of the
Linux/Windows translation into the maori language, with these
translations taking place there can only be advancement in the wider
community.

I am really concerned that in the year 2005 we can have racism to such
a perverted extent and i feel sorry for you for not being able to see
the good in the continued growth in the maori language and its
culture.

I for my part have an interest in the development of this as an
educational tool and as an operating system, the wider benefits are
limitless and from what i am seeing from here in melbourne is the
opportunity for Open Source developers to cash in on the opportunities
in the education market in NZ.

By the way i bet you would never face up to a New Zealander and tell
him or her that they are going to become a part of Australia, before
you tell me you are a New Zealander, you are not, you sold out years
ago.

by the way do you understand english?

Kia kaha kia ora