Built on Sacrifice, Not Shame

The idea that new is always better is an age-old fallacy. Sure, it might work when it comes to your phone, shoes, or car, but you never see anyone bragging about their six-month-old whiskey.

A similar fallacy seems to have more recently swept across the West, one where we tell ourselves that our past is bad, our history is something to be embarrassed about, and our forefathers are the villains of our story.

Excuse my French, but what a load of crap.

We stand on blood-soaked ground, but that blood was sacrificial and patriotic. That blood was spilt in the name of freedom, not oppression. Could it be that the reason we see our history as so dark is because of how dim the light of truth is within our recollection?

Don’t get me wrong. If I had the choice, if there was a time machine in front of me with a one-way ticket, I wouldn’t go backwards. And I’m grateful to live here, now, in the world others served and died to build. But that gratitude needs to make its way out of my hearty and mind and into my words and actions for it to be with dying for! 

You may have seen that we’ve been calling this week “New Zealand Week” in the lead-up to ANZAC this Saturday. Our goal is to remember, share, and celebrate the freedom we enjoy and those who secured it for us.

Is our story perfect? Without fault? No. But neither will our future be. All we can do is move forward with gratitude and insight, using the lessons laid out by the past to pave our future.

I love our country. I love our story. And I want to contribute in a meaningful way to our next chapters.

But the difference we need won’t come from complainers or bitter, self-perceived victims. We need Kiwis who have a clear view of the past and a bold vision for the future, working together towards the values and principles that underpin a thriving civil society.

This might sound like idealistic mumbo jumbo, but I think real change starts with a dream, with someone bold enough to be positive amidst divisive negativity.

Would you be one of those people? Let’s draw a line in the sand today. Let’s move forward today. It starts with us, at home, in our families, and in our communities.

If you’ve made it to the end of this sappy optimistic love letter to our past and future, let me say thank you for your support. We’re building a movement here that I hope will be essential to seeing our vision come to life: a culture that cherishes freedom, a system that prioritises liberty, and people who recognise the innate value and dignity in one another.

You’re a part of that. So again, thank you.