TangataWhenua.com wishes firstly to pass on wishes of sympathy to the Kahui whanau. We also wish to send blessings of aroha to Chris and Cru, may they rest in peace in the arms of their tupuna.

It can't be easy - sitting in the whanau home, surrounded by media and accusations, police and politicians. Within a few short hours, things would forever change in the Kahui household. Two young boys, new additions to the whanau, had been taken to Starship Hospital in Auckland and admitted with severe injuries. They both died within hours of each other, sparking off a national fury which has been both ferociously angry and hopelessly sad.

The stinging questions have rolled instinctively quickly - who could murder these two innocent children? Was it the father? Where was the mother? How could such extreme abuse happen in this day and age? Isn't this just another sad case of a Maori family trapped in the "Once were Warriors" cycle of abuse, neglect and violence?

And then the media circus began. You can't open a newspaper or turn on the television without being inundated with reports on the case. John Tamihere spoke spades about the issue on talkback radio; Matua Pita Sharples tried his utmost to facilitate and mediate between the whanau and the Police; TV1's Susan Wood even cornered the mother in the Police station (an incredibly dodgy police-media set up) and everyone on the street seems to have an opinion (to view the extent of video and online media coverage click here).

It is difficult, well, at least from where I sit. I am a little sad and a little let down that two beautiful babies will not be able to grow into the sunshine of this wonderful land. And a part of me is grateful that it wasn't my whanau involved, a loss unimaginable... But beyond wanting to give everyone a big hug for their loss, sorrow and pain, I just don't know what else I can do. Why then, is this event such public property?

For one, because it makes golden headlines; front page stuff. I walked to work a few days ago and saw the Dominion Post shouting something about "utu", heard a rock station say "the gangs want to be involved" and listened over lunch to talk of "they should arrest the whole family". Perhaps our love for reality TV and real time news coverage demands that the Police move in with the cameras rolling.

For another, it's probably because we all really hate that in this land of plenty, our children are still vulnerable to being killed, more often than not in their own homes, and many times by people who are supposed to be protecting them. And the most obvious reason is because a Maori whanau is involved. Commentators could be right when they say all Maori are feeling these deaths, but how responsible as a community are we for them?

In a recent survey, New Zealanders were asked who they trusted, and who they didn't. Surprisingly (or not), most of us don't trust our neighbours. In a holistic Maori world, this situation wouldn't exist, as all issues would be communally discussed creating strong community bonds. But we no longer live in those arrangements, so for the most part, have to fend for ourselves.

Could it have been avoided? Well, it's too late for that question now, all we can do is ensure that more aroha is freely given to this whanau and less judgements made. The twins are gone now, but others remain, and if we are all really that concerned, we should begin by taking responsibility for our own families while coming together as a community to figure out how to support families dealing with these issues, and then work together finding ways to stop more children from being destroyed by those who are supposed to love them the most.

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