"We share those basic desires regardless of race. It’s that commonality that makes race irrelevant."

"Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive.
    "For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For context, the employment rate for all New Zealanders is 68.4%. The difference isn’t vast.
    "In excess of 400,000 Maori have jobs, provide products and services and pay tax. ...
    "97 percent of Maori aged 15 or older are not in prison or serving a community sentence or order. Over 99 percent of Maori are not gang members. ...
    "[A]s an ethnic group Maori take a lot of heat ... because it suits certain political aspirants to promote the negative... [Yet i]t feels safe to say that most people want to live peaceful, happy and productive lives. We share those basic desires regardless of race. It’s that commonality that makes race irrelevant."

~ Lindsay Mitchell, from her post 'Time for some perspective'