Jim Marjoram is right, he (the Pastor) needs support, but how do we do this when we fail to take it upon ourselves to demand from the society we live in the consequences for hate? New Zealand has often been called God’s own country yet as a country we make no demand of our rights. As New Zealanders we are constantly told how great this country is but there are still many issues that we as a society have failed to demand. Justice is one of our collective rights and we have created many responses to just what is acceptable for us all. But one area of justice that we have failed to attend to is hate. In an article I wrote back in March 2013 for GayNZ.com I described my concern for this lack of a workable law on behalf of all marginalised people. However it seems the demand has not been take up. Hate is insidious in our society and it is societies purpose to let the whole of society know that it will not be tolerated. Whenever a person makes a decision to assault verbally or physically, a person intentionally because they are different, of how they identify, a down fall of society itself can be the only result. The Justice Minister will be quick to point out that the crime of hate is taken care of at the time of sentencing and is included in the Sentencing Act. Yet the police state their hands are tied because there is no crime in the act. But as stated in my article this is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Not much help when someone proffers hate in this case, we have freedom of speech do we not, but should we accept this kind of hatred as acceptable, certainly it sells papers and promotes in the media indignation as a means of keeping us informed. But the reality is, is it right! And what should our New Zealand society demand, our laws must show in no uncertain terms just what we will accept, and while our enforcers of our laws are disallowed the means of protecting our rights, we stand naked, discriminated against for who we are, by freedom of speech. Overseas where Hate is a crime, society through its laws seeks to protect its community from this kind of hatred. See: American hate pastor set to stand trial Demand for the crime of hate is definitely needed in this country if we are truly “Gods Own”. Diane Sparkes - 10th December 2014