The son a Hells Angels gang leader is to stand for Whanganui District Council - with the backing of Mayor Michael Laws.
Jack Bullock, 20, currently co-chairman of the Whanganui Youth Council, announced today his intention to stand in the council election in October.
His decision comes after the council's anti-gang legislation barred Mr Bullock's father from displaying his gang insignia in public.
Under the bylaw introduced last September, people wearing gang insignia in Whanganui can be fined $2000 and have the insignia confiscated.
Hells Angels have filed a claim with the High Court, saying the law breaches the Bill of Rights.
Mr Bullock said he found the debate surrounding the by-law difficult, as it was a case of the council versus a family member.
"By association, you do feel more sensitive."
But eventually he decided the principle of the bylaw was more important than family loyalty, and gave his support to the proposal.
"[The council] made the right decision for the right reason. I back it 100 percent."
To make such a decision at a relatively young age suggests great maturity on Jack Bullock's part. Whilst we don't know a heck of a lot more about this young man, we'll be making it our business to find out.
We've frequently expressed our opinion on the subject of gangs, especially in a W(h)anganui context. We applaud Michael Laws for having taken the gangs on, and likewise, we applaud Jack Bullock for publicly distancing himself from his father's gang - kia kaha!
9 comments:
But is he? The mafia gave up their uniforms too. But they didn't go away, you just can't see them. Perhaps the next generation of crime in NZ will be smarter than anything we've seen yet.
That's a rather cynical Carl, although your last point has merit. I'm prepared to give Jack the benefit of the doubt, and see what transpires.
"Kia kaha"?
Sits funny with " Whilst we don't know a heck of a lot more about this young man"
Just noticin'
@ Robert - I've never met the guy, and hadn't really heard of him until a few weeks ago. Today was the first time I became aware of the Hells Angels connection.
It's not easy to walk away from a gang, or from a family connection to a gang. Jack's public announcement today that he is putting principles ahead of family or gang loyalty is noteworthy, but I suspect that he will tread a difficult path in the next few weeks - that was the motivation for the kia kaha at the end of the blog-post. Jack Bullock will need to stand strong, and we're happy to be of encouragement.
Kia hiwa ra
Kia hiwa ra
Kia hiwa ra
Inventory2
Kia ora Robert; your concern for my welfare is appreciated!
Carl has a very good point. The Mafia Dons sent their kids to Yale and Harvard to study law and finance so that they could have a respectable suit to keep them out of gaol and to launder their money.
...or maybe this kid hasn't been smoking enough weed to completely dehumanise himself.
I see where you're coming from mawm, but with the greatest respect, there's a world of difference between the Mafia and the Wanganui chapter of the Hells Angels! It's akin to comparing Michael Laws with Rudy Guliani!
I2 - think of how the gangs in NZ have become organised over the last decade or so.......and then think of the next logical step. There is a lot of money in organised crime and I hope our law enforcement is keeping up.............
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