Imagining a free country

We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. — President Thomas Jefferson.

Many years ago, I travelled to visit friends on an island off the coast of Spain. The climate was balmy, sunny in winter, and I was looking forward to enjoying some precious days at the beach in the company of two treasured, adventurous, American friends who were restoring an old house in an ancient village, where they lived every summer. They had already immersed themselves in village life and could easily converse with the locals.

My friends met me at the airport and, after a wild ride over a small mountain range with lots of tight curves and blind corners, I arrived at their enchanting, modest, stone home on the outskirts of a small ancient village.

So far, so good.

After catching up together, I was invited to be part of an “event” that evening. An orchestra from Eastern Europe — it was before the Berlin Wall came down —was planning to give a concert in the village square. But that wasn’t quite the “event” my friends were discussing, for they were assisting two of the musicians who planned to defect that night, and their first refuge was to be the home of my friends. The musicians were risking their lives, and leaving all they knew, to escape to the West. Their action was fraught with danger. Dogs were expected to be called out to pick up on their scent and if caught the couple would be in serious trouble. My friends were also taking a walk into unknown territory. Risky. They could do with help. Well — this holiday was off to a roaring start!

Much, much later, we ‘talked’ late into the night, with the new guests (as best we could, as they spoke no English). Applications had been made to the Spanish government for Asylum. The young woman of the pair had no clothes but those she stood in. As we were about the same size and I had never quite mastered the art of travelling light, that was no problem.

They conveyed some of what their lives were like beyond the Iron Curtain of that era — pre-1989/91. Long queues for food and supplies, with limited choices and variety. When one was fortunate enough to be able to procure food, it was often stale, with vegetables limp and soft, or meat past its best. There were always shortages and little choice, while some items were unable to be procured. Vehicles were old and broken down. Everything was owned by the government, so no one took any pride in where they lived, and the streets were grey and sombre. Accommodation was rudimentary — all owned by the State. The better apartments were saved for informants, collaborators, or those in government jobs that kept the suppressive regime alive. The country farms were empty, dull and lifeless. Any plans to escape to the West often involved ‘running the gauntlet’ across a wide strip of barren ground where countless numbers were killed in valiant, heroic, attempts to attain freedom.

It was as though the very spirit of the people and their countries had been almost completely sucked out of them, leaving nothing but an empty shell of both. They wondered, what was the point of living in an environment that no matter how hard they worked, or how diligently they saved, there was never, ever, any possibility of getting ahead.

Heavy black clouds loomed over the people who tended to what meagre businesses they had, with slumped shoulders and an air of hopelessness and defeat — eyes cast downward, afraid to look directly up in case they were questioned, assaulted, or arrested. Better to make oneself as invisible as possible, for someone may be watching — always watching. A neighbour, a relative, a stranger, perhaps. Anyone who needed money more desperately that week.

There were no human rights. But there was suppression, accompanied by incessant propaganda that relentlessly ear-bashed the people and if one wasn’t in agreement, then life was made even more intolerable — or extinguished.

The impressions of life in Communist Europe conveyed by the couple confirmed what I observed when traveling by train through Eastern Europe and also passing through Checkpoint Charlie — the checkpoint that all visitors went through (pre-1991) from an affluent West Germany, to the abysmally depressing and poor East Germany.

An historic view of Checkpoint Charlie. Photographer: Roger Wolfstadt.

Also there, in plain sight, was that wide expanse of bare ground that brave souls had desperately tried to traverse in a bid for freedom. Hundreds were shot down by snipers who were on guard every hour of the day. In those days, Eastern Europe contained a haunted people in the ruins of their country. Bereft of almost everything and existing in an environment of barely suppressed fear of Stasi, informants, “government”, or putting a word out of place — even unintentionally — could bring long terms of imprisonment, beatings, or even death.

But the future was brighter for the young couple who courageously escaped the clutches of that suppressive regime that night, as Spain protected the grateful pair and they were able to look forward to a bright life together in their new country.

Having recently reflected on these past experiences, it was interesting to then begin to imagine a free country here, in New Zealand. Before 2020, it had never been something to reflect on, for we enjoyed many freedoms, but so much has changed over the past three years, where freedoms and human rights we may previously have taken for granted have been stripped from all living souls here, in an inhumane and unconscionable effort to bring people under almost complete control of those who profess to be government, but in reality seem more like pawns for unelected, self-appointed off-shore cabals, whose psychopathic desire for world control and manipulation seems unlimited.

Many now consider the thought of Human Rights and New Zealand as an oxymoron, for most have been trampled beneath the jackboots of an infiltrating regime we were not previously familiar with in our country. So many human rights, so callously discarded, that we may need to be re-introduced to them.

Yet, just the words, — imagining a free country — isn’t that phrase like a gust of fresh, sweet air?

Human rights for all living souls

First and foremost, a free country would surely be one that championed and revered Human Rights for all living souls, and ensured that regardless of who was in power, Human Rights would remain inviolate and sacrosanct. We would all be alert to any attempts to encroach upon our freedoms, to ensure that the human rights of all were protected and remained sacrosanct.

The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution, so the second will not become the legalized version of the first. — President Jefferson.

That would mean that nothing — no calamity, no emergency, no natural or artificially-made disaster, nothing — could stand above any living soul in this country and their basic rights, and if any government, or off-shore self-appointed group of despots, decided they could collaborate to unilaterally remove the key, unalienable freedoms from any of us, then they would immediately be deposed, charged with treason and, of course, never able to hold any type of government office again.

Equal rights

No living soul in this country would be treated any differently to another, regardless of their culture, when their ancestors arrived, or the colour of their skin. All New Zealanders would have equal rights and there would be no favouring of one culture over another. Everyone would have equal rights.

A free country guarantees civil rights and liberties to every individual. Rights such as free speech and a free press. In a free country, it would be illegal for any government to “sponsor”, bribe, or covertly pay the media to promote lies and propaganda at any time — ever. It would also be illegal for any suggestion by government that they were some sort of “single source of truth” and that there was no other knowledge or point of view anyone should pay attention to. No other medical experts, no other scientists with a differing view, no other possible effective natural treatments except for an experimental drug that goes straight into the blood-stream? Why? (That’s just one example.) Another descriptive name for that sort of manipulation would be close to brain-washing wouldn’t it?: First, terrify the victim, then implant endless propaganda through paid-off media, and eventually allege the government is a single source of truth? That wouldn’t be a long winding road to a communist/fascist state, that would be more like a ten-lane highway.

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech would be sacrosanct. In a free country, no toxic, suppressive regime could ever infiltrate through the covert guise of outlawing all opposition to any attempted removal of freedoms and/or the introduction of perversions — as an example— by mislabelling opposition as “hate speech”, “mis-information”, or “dis-information”.

Remember when we had freedom of speech? Free to give an opinion without censure, without invisible “fact-checkers” (employed by technocrats) deciding what may, or may not, be permissible to say, without being assaulted, plastered with tomato sauce, spat on, and without being drowned out by opposing noise, as occurred to the revered Maori elder and returned serviceman, and also the co-leader of the Freedom and Outdoors Party, at Waitangi in February, 2023, because certain political factions refused to hear valid concerns?

Remember being free to give an opinion or make a statement without members of parliament and mainstream media policing every word and employing cancel-culture “officials” to obliterate dissent through noise, violence, strange self-assumed entitlements, or accusative phrases designed to tar those attempting to speak with black propaganda?

Remember when we were able to write letters to the editor of our local newspaper that opposed the views of media and/or government officials, and they would be published?

Remember when some may disagree, but would do so calmly and without rancour, and when there was no “Big Brother Watching You and What You Said”?

Remember when there was no disinformation and misinformation, but just information that you were able to read and evaluate and reject or accept at your discretion? And remember when you were free to say “Well that’s bullshit,” about anything you chose, without it being regarded as “hate speech” if it was against what the “government” decreed?

And remember when those elected to parliament had at least a vague idea they were there to represent those from their electorates?

Wise words from the Rt.Hon. Geoffrey Palmer,
who formulated New Zealand’s Bill of Rights.

Free Press

A free press is vital in a free country. They would be required to report the facts and all sides of an issue, and report them without prejudice, allowing readers to reach their own conclusions. There would be no black-listing of facts that didn’t suit the political narrative, no force-feeding of government propaganda, by journalists assuming some sort of self-entitled “right” to give the government-sponsored “opinion” that never came under an actual Opinion column, but was relayed to the people as the only “facts”.

It is so important for news media to be completely independent of government or corporate influence, that if any news media outlet was found to have compromised their ability to remain a free press, then in a free country they would surely face serious charges.

Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost. — Thomas Jefferson.

No experimental drugs, medication or treatment

No-one in a free country would ever be under any pressure to have any type of drug or medical treatment forced upon them — experimental or otherwise — in any form, whether by injection, orally, or through their land, water, food and drinks. They would be free to choose non-vaccinated blood for an operation and this would be made readily available. In a free country, no one would ever be put in a position where they were coerced, threatened, or forced against their will to take any type of drug at all. Not ever. If any political party suggested the opposite, then that party would be immediately dissolved and the members of it charged with the violation of Human Rights, along with the medical staff who forced it upon the people. Medical staff who knowingly compounded the crime by denying any of the appalling side effects were related to an experimental injection would also be made answerable. In a free country, if this occurred, all of the victims of such torture, including the bereaved of injured people who subsequently died, would be compensated in full and assisted, with compassion, and the best of care.

If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls who live under tyranny. — Thomas Jefferson.

All points of the Nuremberg Code would be sacrosanct. Lest we forget . . .

In a free country there would be zero interference by government or pharmaceutical corporations, or their allies, in the field of natural therapies and/or products. New Zealanders would be completely free to choose to take whatever they wished in the form of natural therapies and any government subsidy for medical needs for an individual would include natural therapies and natural therapists.

It would be illegal for a government to work in liaison with pharmaceutical corporations or other technocrats for the purpose of controlling or harming the people through lies and/or medications and toxic poisons. (Check this link for what is really happening behind the scenes.) It would also be illegal for any government representative, bureaucrat, employer, religious leader, or teacher — or anyone — to give an opinion on medical treatment for any living soul, for that is not the domain of politics, or bureaucrats. Who appointed politicians as doctors, nurses, or natural health practitioners? That is the domain of real medical staff and natural health personnel — but only those free of all obligations to pharmaceutical corporations and off-shore despots. Even more importantly, it is the basic right of each living soul in this country to choose their medical treatment, if any, and who they may wish to have advise them.

In a free country, an assault on the Human Rights of one living soul would be regarded by every individual in that country as an assault on us all.

Remember when our doctors, nurses, and other medical staff, were free to have an opinion, based on their medical knowledge and expertise as a doctor or nurse — one that may well have differed from ministers of parliament and their departments (who appear to have lost all knowledge of who they are there to serve, and seem to think they know what every New Zealander needs to have when it comes to an experimental medical treatment?) How did NZ so rapidly descend into this type of dictatorship — where a Minister of Health, and his masters, “decided” who was “exempt” from an experimental jab, of which not even he knew the full contents, though he somehow “knew” — even without seeing the patient or reading their medical history — that there would only be about 100 exemptions? Who for? His family and friends? He, and others in power at the time, will carry the knowledge that they have destroyed countless New Zealand lives by carrying out the bidding of some of the most evil on the planet. Some of the stories of these Kiwis can be read about here.

Remember when we were free to seek a second opinion from another suitably qualified doctor and their opinion may have been entirely different from that of the first? Remember when our doctors and nurses were not ever threatened with dismissal or stripped of qualifications for disagreeing about experimental medication or anything to do with a patient’s health? When they were free to retain their professional opinion without fear of censure, being taken to court, fined, publicly ridiculed, suspended, threatened, and even having their qualifications cancelled? Free to retain their professional opinion with full support from an ethical Medical Council and an ethical Nurses Council, who genuinely represented doctors and nurses, rather than ones that viciously attacked the courageous souls who dared to genuinely stand for the truth by putting themselves in the line of fire to protect their patients — regardless of the consequences to themselves — and adhere to the Hippocratic Oath, First, Do No Harm?

These doctors and nurses continued to stand for their patients, even while losing their jobs and simultaneously being threatened with having their medical qualifications stripped from them by their respective medical councils. And despite losing their qualifications, their jobs, and resigning, some of them are still being threatened and harassed by the medical and nursing councils who are meant to be there to represent them. (If you ever want to find a hero, you’ll find many here: www.nzdsos.com ) Similar situations face ethical teachers and lawyers, too.

In a free country doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, and other equally brave souls, would elect their own council if they chose, but it would be solely under the direct control of the members of that group and outside influences upon those groups would be illegal. Any such councils found to have been corrupted in the past three years would be answerable for crimes against their members and of course would never serve on such a council again.

In a free country, interference with the DNA of a living soul or animal would be illegal. All mRNA medicines would be illegal. Genetically modified food would be illegal. Organic food would be grown nation-wide. Trans-humanism would be banned, for that is little more than removing the human spirit — the real Being. Artificial Intelligence would be removed from political influence and unable to infiltrate.

In a free country, universities would be required to be entirely free of political influence and agendas. No pharmaceutical or technocratic funding would be permitted in universities. Politics would not be permitted to intrude into universities.

Individuals would freely go about their daily lives without fear of government, as long as they were not harming others. The country would be so free that little thought would be given to “government”. There would be zero infringement on the living souls of that country with respect to living free and happy lives, and they would live without fear of any form of oppression.

In a free country, if we still retained this type of government — and let’s hope we don’t as it has proven to be too easy to corrupt— then it would be small, with a cap on numbers. No party would be able to accept funding from off-shore cabals or interests. No “Free Trade” agreements and deals among governments. No “confidential deals” hidden from public view, and most certainly no deals with unelected technocrat-and-communist-sponsored World Health Organisations, no Paris Accords, no weather manipulations over our country, no lies about climate change, particularly while manipulating the weather through chemical trails and other means, and no off-shore interference at all.

Nor could any opposition party to government do deals with the leading party. Each party would be required to keep the civil and political rights of New Zealanders according to the Bill of Rights, sacrosanct, and each representative of New Zealanders would be bound by a code to primarily serve those in their electorates and be directly answerable to them. If they were not, in the opinion of the electorate, then those in that electorate would be free to order their immediate resignation and provide an alternative candidate that proved honourable.

A better system would potentially be one where each elected member of parliament genuinely represented every individual in their region and was directly answerable to those living in that region. If they were not doing so then there would be provision for them to be instantly dismissed. No political parties to be corrupted. Just a representative for a region, genuinely representing them.

As mentioned, but it bears repeating, no representatives of the people would participate in dubious or corrupt agreements with off-shore cabals or governments that were to the detriment of the people — and whether they were or not would be judged by the people, not the politicians. They would never be permitted to give the control of any human rights or freedoms over to another corporation or international group. If this was attempted then they would face serious charges — treason being one.

Currently, if any of us vote this year for political parties already in parliament, then we would be voting for more of the tyranny of the last three years. There is no opposition. They all seem to be answering to the same off-shore cabals. However, there is a website, www.votersunited.nz that intends to ‘influence change in government and give power back to the people.’ They will poll the Minor Parties and help New Zealanders vote strategically so their votes actually count. It really is worth looking at. (Rodney Hide subscribes to Voters United, as does Lynda Wharton.) It has a heavy emphasis on ensuring our human rights remain sacrosanct. (It is not a political party, but it will help unite all Kiwis who feel they have been betrayed by the current parties in government, so their vote will be more likely to count.

The government of a free country would ensure the country was completely self-sufficient and this would now include the reinstatement of the Marsden Point Oil Refinery. There would be no pine trees able to be planted on productive farmland, no foreign owners tying up NZ farmland with such schemes, no “Paris Accord” deals, no “carbon-credits”, no lies about statistics, weather, or spurious excessive taxes on farmers. Good farmers would be respected and valued for the food they provide us with. They would not be maligned, penalised and attacked. They would be encouraged and assisted to move towards organic farming with the focus being on quality. Regenerative agriculture to help feed the soil and reduce the use of fertilizer could also be employed along with crop rotation. A focus would also be on stronger stock that require far less in the way of drenches and pharmaceutical interventions. mRNA injections for stock would be illegal.

Boy scouts with a salient message — Sumner Beach, circa 1930s.
Photographer: unknown.

The food in a free country would be organic and the water would be so clean as to not require any filtration, chlorination, or additives. Every family would be encouraged to have a vegetable garden and to grow some of their own food and to be as healthy and independent as possible.

The dumbing-down of a population through adding toxic fluoride to water supplies or anything toxic to the water and food sources would be illegal. The health of children’s teeth would be managed through good food and hygiene. Soil would be free from contamination and poisons. The spiritual essence of the natural living environment would be acknowledged, respected and held sacrosanct, and the emphasis would be on learning from and working with nature.

Schools in a free country would ensure each student was fully literate and following a curriculum that encouraged students to learn. Indoctrination required by off-shore cabals would be outlawed. No “indoctrination” would be permitted in schools. Children would be championed for their individual skills and assisted to reach their individual potential, with the child free to explore the areas of education about which they were most passionate. There would be no sexual “indoctrination” in schools as that would be the domain of parents. There would be no subjects with a political intent to control and subjugate or pervert the children in any way. There would be no political agendas on the curriculum. In a free country there would be no covert influence over the children at schools.

In a free country, no Court would act under Maritime Law, but rather by Common Law, Equity and Trust. Ref also: Black’s Law Dictionary.

No government would have any influence on the Courts, or the decision of any Judge, in any case. All Courts would be there to serve the people. No Judge would ever permit the violation of Human Rights, or punish New Zealanders for exercising their Human Rights. Good people would never be sentenced to jail for encouraging a peaceful protest, as recently happened to Billy Te Kahika and Vinny Eastwood.

No public official or living soul enjoying the freedoms of this country is able to belong to any group that has a goal to remove a free government that serves the people and replace it with another regime not agreed to by the living souls of that country.

No government would ever have any right to hand over the individual rights of any living soul in this country to a foreign power and it would be a treasonable offence to employ trickery or deceit upon the people to do so.

Money

In a free country there would be no surveillance of individual citizens, no LED lights linked to 5G that could be detrimental to health, no CBDC digital currency and no abolishing of cash. No 5G permitted at all, due to its serious detrimental health defects.

Money, or the dollar, in a free country would be backed by physical gold and precious metals so it retained and stood for genuine value. There would be no central banks linked to off-shore cabals. Cash would never be abolished.

Property

Every living soul in this country has the right to retain their property and a government may never have the right to confiscate it for any reason. They have worked for it. They get to keep it. That, in a free country, is sacrosanct.

Natural Disaster

In a free country it would be incumbent upon the government to ensure that those collecting money for victims of a natural disaster ensured that every dollar collected is distributed to those suffering loss or deprivation in that area and that all resources of the government are set in motion to genuinely assist those in that region. Any organisations “collecting” funds for victims of a natural disaster who were found to be using the money for other purposes would be disbanded (including the government) and the funds distributed directly to those for whom it was intended. No “government” in a free country would betray the people by demonstrating the façade of helping the people in a disaster when in reality they were planning — just as the World Economic Forum has intended — a type of “managed retreat” of the people off highly productive land and crammed into cities instead, ruining lives and food production in the process.

No income tax

A minimal sales tax would be incurred for every item sold with a cap on that. There would be no other taxes in a free country. Not ever. No government would be permitted to change this. The living souls in this country would be a free people.

Rates

In a free country all councillors would be directly answerable to those in the region and there would be zero government interference. There would be no 2030 Agenda plans from unelected cabals off-shore.

All WEF, UN and WHO plans would be made illegal, nationally and regionally.

Each country would formulate its own plans according to the wishes of the people. This applies also to local councils. There would be minimal rates, with the council responsible for only the basics such as good drainage, efficient sewerage (that does not spill into the ocean and land on the beach), street lighting (non-LED, not linked to 5G, no surveillance cameras attached), clean and tidy cities, no graffiti, clean, unpolluted water without medication or toxic chemicals, rubbish collection, well-sealed roads that are car-friendly, adequate parking, and beautiful parks well maintained,. Beaches would be pristine and sewerage plants would be well maintained and working efficiently with no odours and no toxic spills on beaches. Basic services only and this would include community libraries, well-stocked with books, and community swimming pools.

This bears repeating: There would be no government agendas or involvement in councils. The government “liaison” between council and government (which really means government pushing their off-shore agendas into each region) would be disbanded. Government would have no influence on local councils. Councillors would be directly answerable to the people in the region.

If the council was not delivering on this, then the councillors would be dismissed by the people and ones who could deliver and were able to genuinely represent the people would be elected. Public assets would remain under the ownership of the public. The council (and government) would be forbidden from selling public assets, including the water infrastructure. There would be no covert property taxes on anyone. Ratepayers would pay only for basic services, no matter where they lived.

Art Galleries would be required to show classic art of the area also. There would be no political agendas. Museums would tell the true history of our country. The history of the pioneers and their hard work and endeavour would also be honoured. The truth about the take-over of the medical industry, the fuel and power industries, and the lies that were perpetrated that cost so many lives in all world wars would be revealed. The lies of government to date would be revealed.

Armed services

The Army, Navy and Airforce would be directly answerable to the living souls within the country. If their interests were not being served, and the Armed Services weren’t being directed to serve the people, then their leadership would be replaced.

Police

The police would only be there to keep the peace and to serve the people. If this was not occurring, then their leadership would be replaced and any police violating the Code of Conduct would be dismissed. Any police assaulting living souls would face serious charges and lose their jobs.

Property

No property owned by a living soul of that country can be confiscated by any government. It remains the property of the individual.

Civil and political rights

The Civil and political rights of New Zealanders can be found at this link. They are listed below, with additions to some of the key points. The link provides the original text.

Every living soul in this country would have:

1. The right not to be deprived of life.
2. The right not to be subjected to torture or cruel treatment.
3. The right not to be subjected to medical or scientific experimentation.
4. The right to refuse to undergo medical treatment and to choose whatever medical treatment they consider may be helpful.
5. Electoral rights, with a representative from each region that genuinely represents the living souls in that area. If, in the view of the people, they do not, then they are immediately replaced.
6. Freedom of thought, speech, conscience, and freedom of religion.
7. Freedom of expression and freedom.
8. Manifestation of religion and belief.
9. Freedom of peaceful assembly, including being able to peacefully protest.
10. Freedom of association.
11. Freedom of movement. No government would have any right to restrict the movement and business of the people, although individuals have the right to remain at home if they wished.
12. Freedom from discrimination, freedom from
13. Rights of minorities – Anyone who belongs to an ethnic, religious, or linguistic minority in NZ shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of that minority, to enjoy the culture, to profess and practise the religion, or to use the language, of that minority, providing it does not impede the rights of others.
14. The right to be secure against “unreasonable search or seizure”
15. Liberty: “Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily arrested or detained.”
16. Rights, if arrested or detained can be found here.
17. Rights if charged.
18. The right to be released if the arrest or detention is unlawful. And full compensation should be paid and an inquiry made into those who made the unlawful arrest with appropriate penalties.
19. Minimum standards of criminal procedure can be found here.
20. Right to justice — details here.
21. Retroactive penalty and double jeopardy: No one shall be liable to conviction of any offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute an offence by such person under the law of New Zealand at the time it occurred. No one who has been finally acquitted or convicted of, or pardoned for, an offence shall be tried or punished for it again.
22. Other rights and freedoms not affected: An existing right or freedom shall not be held to be abrogated or restricted by reason only that the right or freedom is not included in this Bill of Rights or is included only in part.
23. Application to Legal Persons: Except where the provisions of this Bill of Rights otherwise provide, the provisions of this Bill of Rights apply, so far as practicable, for the benefit of all legal persons as well as for the benefit of all natural persons.
24. Anyone arrested has the right to be promptly charged or to be released and if not released they have the right to be brought before the court, or a competent tribunal, as soon as possible.

So, how is New Zealand faring with respect to the Human Rights of every living soul in this country? Are there any of these basic human rights that New Zealanders have been able to retain since 2019?

What do you think?

It is up to New Zealanders to adjudicate who the current “government and opposition” really serves. Is it the people? Or is it others? And if others, who exactly are they and what is their agenda? Is it an agenda that would be approved by New Zealanders? If not, why is the current government and opposition having anything at all to do with them? Is that not a betrayal of trust?

While writing this article, I thought of those who sometimes say, “But what can I do? Nothing would make any difference, so I may as well just live my life and enjoy it while I can.”

Immediately, an image came to mind that has remained with me since June of 1989. It is a powerful image of a man in China who stopped 12 army tanks for a pivotal moment in time, near Tiananmen Square, China, “where peaceful student-led protests sought greater freedom and increased anti-corruption measures.”

One man with courage makes a majority . . .

As reported in The Federalist, nothing epitomised the true nature of this event better than the image of this Chinese man who moved from the crowds onto a wide road, and stood stationary, in front of a convoy of 12 tanks, whose mission was apparently to, “violently take control of the square”.

The tanks stopped. Halted by a young man with two bags of groceries.

At first, the tanks tried to make their way around him, but when they moved, he did, too. The lead tank closed down and, for a brief moment, there was “a quiet impasse between the lone person and the column of tanks he faced down.” At one stage the man climbed up onto the lead tank and conversed with the soldiers inside. After he descended, the tanks again roared into gear. Yet he still maintained his stance in front of them until he was eventually pulled to the side of the road by others and the tanks went on. But that single act of bravery and great courage endured in the minds of millions for evermore. A man, facing down 12 tanks. Tragically, the massacre did occur afterwards. But it is the photo — and the raw courage in it — that endures in the minds and hearts of millions

Peaceful. Unarmed. Powerful. Magnificent.

We don’t have to step in front of a dozen formidable tanks, or bravely face a barrage of fire when landing on the shores of France, in pursuit of freedom from the fascist regime that gripped Europe in WW2 (and which is now threatening to engulf the world if we don’t say no.)

But there is always a part we can play, no matter how small — some small thing to regain our freedoms lost so that, collectively, we never allow our country to be weakened or overtaken.

To simply say no — not on our watch — even if only to our friends and colleagues. We can keep informed, turn off mainstream media propaganda, and link up with media not sponsored by the government, who interview experts in many of the fields discussed above. Join with other Kiwis working to peacefully protect our human rights. Imagine the effect if seven billion people did that.

We are here now and it is up to us to peacefully carry the torch of freedom forward. For our children and grandchildren, and their children. For humanity. For the human spirit.

It is love that conquers and crumbles the most formidable of enemies. Love, and the indomitable persistence of the human spirit — for that is formidable armour — armour the despots will never be able to clothe themselves in.

Kia kaha, Kiwis. We have a country to nurture, safeguard, and protect . . .

Remember?

In a gentle way, you can shake the world. — Gandhi.

(All my words and definitions are of the hand that wrote this.)

By Mary Hobbs.