Sweeping racism under the rug

The mayor of Christchurch is now opposing plans to hold an anti-racism, "pro-harmony" march in the city, saying that it will damage the city's reputation overseas. He's worried about a counter-demonstration by the racist National Front, but his reaction plays right into their hands. Problems like racism need to be confronted, not swept under the rug. Refusing to confront them simply allows the problem to fester and grow. We all know the quote: "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well, Christchurch has a problem, and it needs to be faced up to, rather than ignored.