Clive Bibby: Curious response to mental Illness campaigner

One thing you learn when entering public debates in the modern era is that you should be prepared for a trashing if you choose to defend people who speak out against those who set the rules that govern our society.

It isn’t hard to work out that the aim is to silence those who have, because of their own life experience, formed an opinion which may differ from the popular narrative.

And, as if to deter any support for these renegades,  you yourself will become subject to similar character assassination simply because you have chosen to bat for the other side.

It becomes a disgraceful exhibition of what happens when journalists have sold their soul to the highest bidder - the popular woke agenda.

The latest example of this trend is the case of one of this country’s most popular rural  mental health campaigners - Doug Avery, who has earned a reputation for helping save the lives of many exhausted kiwis who were pretty close to calling it quits.

Our modern society has for many, become an intolerable place where individuals have lost hope and given up - choosing what is for them, the easy way out.

Some have, in an act of desperation decided to end it all - leaving behind loving families who have watched the decline from the sidelines, seemingly helpless to avert the horrible end to a decent life.

Doug Avery during his personal experience of dealing with his own demons, came within a whisker of becoming another statistic on this growing list of human tragedy.

He has written a best seller which, like his more famous mental health campaigners - Mike King and Sir John Kirwin, offers hope for those who have had enough.

And unsurprisingly, like his fellow campaigners, he has been honoured for his work by the State.

Unfortunately though, or fortunately depending on which side of this discussion you are on, Doug has chosen to include in his book some rather poignant comments about the political system that has led to this (for many) unacceptable environment.

He doesn’t hold back when laying the blame for government policies that have caused this unnecessary hardship. He names names and points the finger at those at the very top who, in his opinion, are responsible for the damage to the “well being” of so many vulnerable kiwis.

It is perhaps ironic that we are witness to this human carnage when one of the main government policy direction to local councils has been to concentrate their energies on “feel good “ projects. We have have been told to do this here on the East Coast resulting in the wasteful expenditure on projects we can ill afford.

But Doug is being vilified because he chose some (according to the Woke establishment) rather intemperate words to describe the former Prime Minister - Jacinda Ardern.

Golly, he called her “Cindy!” How disgraceful - as if she is an untouchable God like figure. Actually, for many, that is exactly what she is.

Unfortunately though, the truth will out and the Rt. Hon. Jacinda Ardern MP. has been exposed as a mere mortal with all the failings of us common folk.

But the difference is that she will now have to answer for her own indiscretions while we just have to pick up the pieces.

Such is life.

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.