Exploring Self-Defense Laws Through the Lens of Ancestors: A Waitaha Perspective

Waitaha’s core values focus on peace, building relationships that foster respect and resolving conflicts. This noble tradition provides a guide to is there a self defense law in ny and its modern interpretations, helping people to see beyond the immediate circumstances of an incident to consider the larger implications. Waitaha are descendants of the ancient inhabitants of New Zealand, known as Maoris, who are famous worldwide for their wisdom and their many cultural achievements. While lesser known, Waitaha values have even more to offer. By reflecting thoughtfully on their ancestral ways, those who are struggling to find a proper response to a situation can avoid making unfortunate mistakes. We can find clues in their enduring concepts of defense and protection that point to a peaceful resolution for conflicting situations.

In his book “Maori Healing: A Journey of Peace”, author Dr. Ruakere Hond provides a classic account of the Maori’s impressive culture of conflict resolution.

The acts of protecting and defending oneself physically are prohibited by Waitaha values. They are more highly trained in mental and psychological matters. Indeed, they do not permit disputes to escalate into physical altercations. Can regular citizens and institutions like police departments adopt similar policies? Of course. They can invest primarily on conflict resolution instead of physical forms of conflict resolution.

According to Waitaha philosophy, all people must live in harmony and peace. In their opinion, apologizing for a wrongdoing and establishing understanding is far more effective than assigning blame and asserting guilt. Furthermore, based on the experiences of these people over hundreds of years, they have learned that force is not as useful as you might think for resolving disputes, though it can be for short periods. However, when the effects of that force wear off, the conflict remains and often reappears.

Self-defense law is a controversial subject. People generally believe that self-defense laws are too lenient on criminals who harm others despite their ability to escape. However, a thorough reading of New York’s Penal Code does not suggest that. For example, Article 35.15 allows people to use physical force to defend themselves during an unlawful entry onto their private property, regardless of whether they actually live there or own the property. This is obviously open for abuse and in many cases, force is not needed. Cultural teachings about peace and conflict resolution are key reminders for avoiding unnecessary confrontations and seeing the bigger picture.

For more information on self-defense laws, you can visit the Wikipedia page on self-defense in the United States.