Jolyon White, University of Otago Theology Graduate, Corrects Misleading Advertising on National Party Billboards

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billboards, drill it mine it sell it, Jolyon White, National Party, Social justice enabler, the rich deserve more, Theology, University of Otago, Waihopai

Jolyon White, a graduate in Theology from the University of Otago, has been cleaning up those misleading National Party Billboards that have been littering the landscape recently.

White co-ordinated the campaign which added ”The rich deserve more” and ”Drill it, mine it, sell it” stickers to signs around the country.
– The Press

National Party Billboard with the truth added

The Press alleges that Jolyon managed to fix up some “700 National billboards”, which is just an outstanding effort. Compare this with Jesus, who only cleansed the one Temple.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (56th session) notes that while the extent of child poverty has declined in recent years, it remains concerned that about 20% of children in New Zealand are living under the poverty line…. New Zealand is ranked in the bottom third of the OECD for income inequality…. Incomes remain much more unequal than during the 1980s…. New Zealand has large and persistent income differences between ethnic and gender groups.  There are also an unacceptably large number of children experiencing hardship.  The choice to favour investment in other segments of the population over children will have adverse consequences for New Zealand in the future.  Insufficient response to this very unsatisfactory situation contributes to the overall grade of D.
– The New Zealand Institute

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Jolyon White interviewed on Close Up (click to view)

Jolyon is currently the poster boy for doing Theology at the University of Otago:

Jolyon joins the ranks of other famous social justice protestors in recent years who have utilised creative vandalism, including one group that caused $1m worth of damages to the U.S. spy base at Waihopai – a military unit based in New Zealand which participates in the slaughter of Iraqi and Afghani men, women, and children. On 21 October 2010, the Centre for Theology and Public Issues invited one of the Waihopai protestors to speak at the University of Otago.

Now these are real heroes. Like this guy:

Swords into Ploughshares: Attacks on U.S. Military Bases are Legal in New Zealand!

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Adrian Leason, Afghanistan, David Lange, Father Peter Murnane, Iraq, Jeff Simmonds, John Minto, justice, Nicky Hager, ploughshares, Sam Land, Terrorism, U.S. Army, Waihopai

The Waihopai Three, with a banner alluding to Isaiah 2.4: "...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Two years ago, three men broke into the U.S. Army’s spy base in Waihopai, New Zealand, slashing one of the plastic domes with sickles, causing over $1 million damage, and rendering it disfunctional for a short period. The three men – Adrian Leason, Father Peter Murnane and Sam Land – were pacifists, and chose a means of protest which destroyed the plastic dome, without causing damage or undue risk to human life. Whereas, when the spy dome is in operation, it participates in U.S. attempts to kill and torture Iraqi and Afghan citizens. Writing in a Foreward to Nicky Hager‘s book Secret Power (2006), Former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange claimed he previously had no idea about the role of the Waihopai spy base in U.S. torture and killings: “…it was not until I read this book that I had any idea that we had been committed to an international integrated electronic network.” The Waihopai spy base was commissioned and built while David Lange was Prime Minister.

Yesterday, the three men were acquitted on all charges!

“Our actions in disabling the spy base and stopping the flow of information helped save lives in Iraq”, said Adrian Leason.

“We damaged property at the spy base in order to save victims of war and torture. It’s all about Jesus’ command for us to treat all people as our brothers and sisters”, said Father Peter.

The acquittal of the three protestors has sent the song “Let’s Shut Down Waihopai!” by Jeff Simmonds to Number One on the New Zealand Activist charts:

Justice – which must necessarily interrupt the systems of justice that create a hegemonic or absolute injustice – has been done. So let’s keep up the momentum. Why should the Waihopai spy base continue to carry out terrorist operations in this country?

“[Corporal Apiata, who won the Victoria Cross in Afghanistan for rescuing a wounded comrade under enemy fire] was no hero compared to Sam, Adrian and Peter… They are real heroes because what they did goes against the mainstream of New Zealand public opinion and was a truly brave, inspiring and courageous action. Unfortunately Apiata is involved in a very dirty war on behalf of America and the people of Afghanistan don’t want him there. I don’t see him as a hero because people have to take personal responsibility for their actions and I am not sure he realises the real reason why he is there in Afghanistan.”
– John Minto

Waihopai spy station deflated