Talkback Truth

A Rarely Heard Insight

Talkback radio has a select, but faithful hard-core audience.  One thing it does achieve, more than most other media we believe, is give insight into a societal fringe.  Sometimes that insight has to do with matters of important moment.

Therefore, we were interested to read Kerre McIvor's recent article on domestic violence.  Some background would be helpful.  Our world is awash with do-gooders who naively believe that if taxpayers' money is dripped down upon some social problem, hey-presto!  Things magically change for the better.

Last week we were told that victims of domestic violence were going to get a wonderful blessing--a new piece of legislation,  via employers.  They were going to receive 10 extra days leave from employers to help them cope with domestic violence.  What could go wrong?

This is where McIvor is able to help.  Her night time community and audience is replete with folk who have secrets, who would like to talk to someone, but are often private and ashamed.  They end up talking anonymously to late night radio talk-back hosts and audiences.  Included are secretive, ashamed victims of domestic violence.  So, McIvor--as a late-night talk show radio host--is probably one of the most knowledgeable people in the country on this subject.

A Nation From Whom God Has Turned His Face

Our Enemy Is Within The Walls

New Zealand's record on family violence is so bad, we are told, that it makes us one of the worst countries in the OECD.  The matter is complex, deep rooted, and inter-generational. As a nation it appears we have no way out.

The Women's Refuge Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ang Jury says that family violence is a constant in New Zealand society.

It is estimated that responding to family violence accounts for 41 per cent of a frontline police officer's time.  However, the Ministry of Justice victims of crimes survey estimates only about 25 per cent of domestic violence is reported.

Police data reveals the total number of family violence investigations during the past decade has also risen rapidly - a rise Dr Ang Jury, the chief executive of Women's Refuge, says is far outgrowing what could be attributed to just population increases.  [NZ Herald]

The numbers of family violence police investigations increases annually.

Total number of family violence police investigations
• 2007 - 69,729
• 2008 - 73,280
• 2009 - 79,257
• 2010 - 86,764
• 2011 - 89,884
• 2012 - 87,639
• 2013 - 95,061
• 2014 - 101,955
• 2015 - 110,126
• 2016 - 118,910

Any trend observable, do you think?

Secularism's Messiah

Salvation by Law and the Prison

It is axiomatic in a Christian Commonwealth that a sharp distinction is drawn between sins and crimes.  All crimes, of course, are sins.  But not all sins are crimes--in fact, very few of them are.

But in the world of Unbelief no-one can draw a demarcation between sins and crimes.  All iniquities, all evil is potentially criminal.  Since, in modern secularist Unbelief there is no god or saviour apart from the state, all attempts to remove evil from society will lead inevitably to more and more sins being criminalised.  The upshot is the rise of a progressive tyranny.  The state becomes more and more authoritarian, intrusive, hectoring, demanding, ruling, and bossy.  In the end, authoritarianism risks developing into full throated totalitarianism.

In the United Kingdom (once a Christian Commonwealth, now a secularist paradise) a draft bill would have husbands face fourteen years in prison if they shout at their wives.