I understand how you feel.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Sun May 06 2007 02:54:01 GMT-0700.
Worldwide Caution
April 10, 2007
A wee toddler of two years old is dead for stupid, stupid reasons in Wanganui, normally a very beautiful and historic town in the Manawatu. “Outrage” isn’t quite the right sentiment to describe what New Zealand is feeling right now. But for want of a better word it will have to do.
I’m hoping that this latest outrage will finally jolt the government into getting serious about law and order, and stop stuffing around with silly legislation (like banning corporal punishment by parents).
It really is merely a question of political willpower, to be followed by resolute action. It would have been much easier to fix this ten years ago, as our former PM Mike Moore (no relation) suggested it needed to be. He famously predicted that unless NZ got on top of its gang problem in 5 years it would be too late. Time is proving him right, and tragically so.
It will take more than passing a few “feel good” laws: we’ve already got more than plenty of those, and what the gangs are doing is already quite illegal. It will require (in my view) the establishment of a separate law enforcement agency, something like your FBI, with different rules of engagement than those currently enjoyed by the NZ Police. And it would need to involve the likes of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs.
Time will tell if our government has the strength of Character to do what is necessary — even though it will be difficult and, amongst some folk, unpopular.
Excellent article, somewhat(!) dated, here:
http://www.aijac.org.au/review/1998/231/nznazis.html
Almost ten years old, the situation has clearly deteriorated. However, the article does set down the NZ issues and sitrep rather well.
*DieHard*