This is not us

By Efeso Collins

Stories of Muslim women being yelled at to go back to their countries continue to emerge. Posts online of people yelling at ‘dark-skinned’ individuals cheering at this despicable act of last week surface. And this is just the outward manifestation of the racism in NZ. It has been insidious for years. The term unconscious bias is the nice, polite way to describe the way in which the brain reacts to difference. And in the main, difference is the colour of your skin and gender. That difference is picked up by the eye immediately and it feeds that information directly to the brain. Then judgements are made about who is in, and who is out.

______________________________________________________

What Happened Here?

By Chris Trotter

Part of the answer, the most important part, we have already seen. In the floral tributes outside the nation’s mosques. In the images of the imam and the rabbi embracing each other. In the Pasifika voices raised in a hymn of heart-breaking poignance. In the Maori and Pakeha faces wet with tears, yet set in grim defiance. In the passionate cry of the massacre survivor: “This is not New Zealand!” In the nearly $5 million already raised to support the victims’ families. The answer already given by the people of New Zealand, united in grief, is unequivocal: When confronted with such reckless hate, the only possible answer is aroha – love.

The wrong answer; the answer the terrorist is always hoping the strategic targets of his rage will give; is to meet recklessness with recklessness; hate with hate.

______________________________________________________

How to combat Islamophobia and white supremacy

By Keith Locke

Whether consciously or not, successive New Zealand governments have helped foster this modern Islamophobia by participating in the American-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and not speaking out against Western military action in places like the Yemen, Libya and Somalia. The Western propaganda around those wars has fostered prejudice towards Muslims living in New Zealand.

______________________________________________________

Mucad Ibrahim was just 3 years old when he reportedly died in his father’s arms during last Friday’s massacre

By Bryan Bruce

Mucad’s right to life (and the right to life of all the 49 other innocent victims of Friday’s massacre) vastly supersedes anyone’s “right” to own a semi- automatic weapon.

______________________________________________________

Waatea News: Why I’m taking my daughter out of school today

This was written the morning of the shooting. It seems like a distant shore now.

______________________________________________________

Forcefields of hate

By Dr Wayne Hope

I feel sad about the consequences for New Zealand. An array of see-it-perfectly well social liberals will advocate the restriction of free speech from those they disagree with. Without question, Tarrant`s manifesto should be taken down, it clearly incites and celebrates violence against others. However, less extreme yet noxious ideas should not be automatically banned from the internet or public meetings.

______________________________________________________

The racist right in Aotearoa

By Dr Liz Gordon

Thousands of young people (and I am thinking mainly of young men here) up to age 24 are ‘NEET’ (not in education, employment or training). Some have nothing to do but surf the internet all day, where they may find themselves excited by the rhetoric of the far right. Here we see a potential breeding ground for disaster.

______________________________________________________

National Day of “Peace, Love, Solidarity” needed.

By Mike Treen

We need to do more, much more to challenge all forms of bigotry and hatred. This includes on a personal level calling out anyone and everyone who peddles the lies and hatreds. It means physically protecting where necessary any people that are being targetted for abuse for their race, religion, ethnicity, sex or gender.

________________________________________________________________

How UN Global Compact hysteria is driving right-wing rage in New Zealand

By Louie Encabo

The entire country, and the rest of the world, is shocked and disgusted by the terrorist attacks that occurred in Christchurch last week that targeted two mosques. A day before that, Greens co-leader James Shaw was assaulted unprovoked by a member of the public.

The two events had a common denominator – both of the perpetrators were riled by the Government’s signing of the United Nations Global Compact on Migration.

________________________________________________________________

This is what political leadership looks like

In a lot of the angry debate swirling right now, please let us remember that this diseased human chose Christchurch BECAUSE NZ is a peaceful progressive multi-cultural society, this violence IS NOT a reflection of us, we were targeted because we are good.

That’s not to say there isn’t much Islamaphobia we need to stamp out, that blogs like Whaleoil with their constant Muslim Hate, David Moffett and the New Conservatives language of violence and a rise of the far right aren’t concerns, but we weren’t targeted because this is us, quite the opposite and we need to remember that as we move forward because while this atrocity must change us, it will not define us.

______________________________________________________

If we can ban single use plastic bags and fireworks – why the Christ can’t we ban machine guns for civilian use?

If only we could spy on white supremacists with the ease we spied on Nicky Hager ‬and it’s not good enough to say, ‘he wasn’t on a watch list’ when all the watch lists are focused on Māori, Environmentalists, Greenpeace, the Greens, Earthquake victims and the MANA Party!

______________________________________________________

Sasya Wreksono: We mourn, reflect and face up to NZ’s ‘fragment of darkness’

“Standing beside our Muslim brothers and sisters” … a placard at the Aotea Square vigil on Saturday. Image: David Robie/PMC

By Dr David Robie

“What happened on Friday was appallingly, disgustingly atrocious. While we undoubtedly need to hold alt-right politicians and commentators around the west accountable for pushing the rhetoric of white supremacy and Islamophobia, in turn cultivating bigotry and hatred, we can still do something here at home.”

______________________________________________________

Mass Shooting in Christchurch – the white supremacist link

A person has been named on social media as the gunman, I have no confirmation of this but I’m reading their manifesto that was loaded up 2 hours ago, it is white supremacist madness.

______________________________________________________

Stories of Muslim women being yelled at to go back to their countries continue to emerge. Posts online of people yelling at ‘dark-skinned’ individuals cheering at this despicable act of last week surface. And this is just the outward manifestation of the racism in NZ. It has been insidious for years. The term unconscious bias is the nice, polite way to describe the way in which the brain reacts to difference. And in the main, difference is the colour of your skin and gender. That difference is picked up by the eye immediately and it feeds that information directly to the brain. Then judgements are made about who is in, and who is out.

By Keith Locke 1 day ago

Whether consciously or not, successive New Zealand governments have helped foster this modern Islamophobia by participating in the American-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and not speaking out against Western military action in places like the Yemen, Libya and Somalia. The Western propaganda around those wars has fostered prejudice towards Muslims living in New Zealand.

By The Daily Blog 1 day ago

Thousands of young people (and I am thinking mainly of young men here) up to age 24 are ‘NEET’ (not in education, employment or training). Some have nothing to do but surf the internet all day, where they may find themselves excited by the rhetoric of the far right. Here we see a potential breeding ground for disaster.

By Wayne Hope 1 day ago

I feel sad about the consequences for New Zealand. An array of see-it-perfectly well social liberals will advocate the restriction of free speech from those they disagree with. Without question, Tarrant`s manifesto should be taken down, it clearly incites and celebrates violence against others. However, less extreme yet noxious ideas should not be automatically banned from the internet or public meetings.

By Mike Treen 1 day ago

We need to do more, much more to challenge all forms of bigotry and hatred. This includes on a personal level calling out anyone and everyone who peddles the lies and hatreds. It means physically protecting where necessary any people that are being targetted for abuse for their race, religion, ethnicity, sex or gender.

By Dr David Robie 2 days ago

“What happened on Friday was appallingly, disgustingly atrocious. While we undoubtedly need to hold alt-right politicians and commentators around the west accountable for pushing the rhetoric of white supremacy and Islamophobia, in turn cultivating bigotry and hatred, we can still do something here at home.”

By Chris Trotter 2 days ago

Part of the answer, the most important part, we have already seen. In the floral tributes outside the nation’s mosques. In the images of the imam and the rabbi embracing each other. In the Pasifika voices raised in a hymn of heart-breaking poignance. In the Maori and Pakeha faces wet with tears, yet set in grim defiance. In the passionate cry of the massacre survivor: “This is not New Zealand!” In the nearly $5 million already raised to support the victims’ families. The answer already given by the people of New Zealand, united in grief, is unequivocal: When confronted with such reckless hate, the only possible answer is aroha – love.

The wrong answer; the answer the terrorist is always hoping the strategic targets of his rage will give; is to meet recklessness with recklessness; hate with hate.

By Frank Macskasy 2 days ago

On a day when our young people succeeded in prodding grownups to take notice of the looming climate change disaster bearing down on us, other “grownups” had more nefarious, murderous thoughts in mind. On a day which should have been positive and filled with idealism and hope, we ended with tragedy and tears.

How amazing has Jacinda been under this pressure? This is what political leadership looks like

By Martyn Bradbury 2 days ago

In a lot of the angry debate swirling right now, please let us remember that this diseased human chose Christchurch BECAUSE NZ is a peaceful progressive multi-cultural society, this violence IS NOT a reflection of us, we were targeted because we are good.

By Martyn Bradbury 2 days ago

‪If only we could spy on white supremacists with the ease we spied on Nicky Hager ‬and it’s not good enough to say, ‘he wasn’t on a watch list’ when all the watch lists are focused on Māori, Environmentalists, Greenpeace, the Greens, Earthquake victims and the MANA Party!

By Martyn Bradbury 3 days ago

As we rock on our heels at the magnitude of evil that has been spat upon our Muslim whanau, we will kaleidoscope a spectrum from shock to grief to rageBut the best of us is better than this spite and we must not allow this stain to hollow our wholes.As we lay down with numb souls, rest dear friends. Tomorrow’s grim grey will continue to test us as we struggle for our nations oxygen.

By Martyn Bradbury 4 days ago

…Political Leaders are responsible for the passions they inject into debate through their rhetoric. National knew the complaints they raised about the UN were spiteful and conspiracy laced, and they did it anyway.

By Martyn Bradbury 4 days ago

Bless you young people for shaming us.

By Martyn Bradbury 5 days ago

…let’s hope this is some dreadful random violence by a disturbed person as opposed to a targeted political attack – the former is depressing, the latter terrifying.

By Martyn Bradbury 6 days ago

What a week to be progressive in NZ.

By Martyn Bradbury 6 days ago

Every neoliberal hawk and Feudal Public Service Lord want to trip Jones up and see the Provincial Growth Fund fail because NZ First’s desire to force actual change with public money threatens all their vested interests.

Waatea News: Why I’m taking my daughter out of school today

By Martyn Bradbury 1 day ago

I’m taking my 9 year old daughter to the climate protest today, which means she’s wagging a day from school.

By Martyn Bradbury 2 days ago

…so after National embarked upon a far right conspiracy about the UN we had the co-leader of the Greens punched by a man yelling angry things about the UN and we had this diseased human being scrawl messages about the UN on his guns…

By Martyn Bradbury 5 days ago

Since the student strike against climate change apathy was announced, Duncan Garner and his sidekicks have been shitting on the students and writing them off as a joke.

By Martyn Bradbury 1 week ago

I don’t know if Michael Jackson molested children, I do know that there is much more to justice than a multi hour documentary that is popularised on social media networks that are algorithmically fuelled by subjective rage in a call out culture that thrives on public shaming.

By The Daily Blog 1 week ago

Sean Plunket’s Working Group with Bomber Bradbury & Damien Grant: This week – International Women’s Day, The third non-binary gender, Should Cullen get paid to promote the government’s CGT agenda?

By Martyn Bradbury 2 weeks ago

Where is the outcry over this ramping up of seizing children and what extra resource has been put in place to protect those children once they have been taken?

By Martyn Bradbury 2 weeks ago

Can we PLEASE get some ‘clichéd leftie’ politicians? That would be great.

By The Daily Blog 2 weeks ago

Sean Plunket’s Working Group with Bomber Bradbury & Damien Grant: This week – Rodger Douglas legacy, Fireworks & Identity Politics & Cops carrying guns

GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – Mucad Ibrahim was just 3 years old when he reportedly died in his father’s arms during last Friday’s massacre.

By The Daily Blog 1 day ago

Mucad’s right to life (and the right to life of all the 49 other innocent victims of Friday’s massacre) vastly supersedes anyone’s “right” to own a semi- automatic weapon.

By The Daily Blog 1 day ago

Now that the bodies of 50 innocent human beings are lying in a Christchurch, New Zealand, morgue — gunned down by a heavily armed terrorist — New Zealand media are asking the obvious questions: why didn’t our intelligence agencies know there were xenophobic, murderous, white supremacists on the loose in Christchurch?

By The Daily Blog 1 day ago

As a result of this city’s history of radicalized right-wing groups, failure of police and GCSB to have entrenched and effective spying apparatus in that sector, is in my view one good reason why we need a review of what I say, has been a lamentable performance by any measure of national security providers.

By The Daily Blog 1 day ago

The entire country, and the rest of the world, is shocked and disgusted by the terrorist attacks that occurred in Christchurch last week that targeted two mosques. A day before that, Greens co-leader James Shaw was assaulted unprovoked by a member of the public.

The two events had a common denominator – both of the perpetrators were riled by the Government’s signing of the United Nations Global Compact on Migration.

By The Daily Blog 2 days ago

All guns need to be registered with the police.

All semi- automatic and automatic weapons should be banned and the sale of devices that can facilitate the self loading of rifles should also be banned. No citizen in our country needs such a weapon.

By The Daily Blog 3 days ago

Yesterday we witnessed the best and worst in humanity in one day.

49 people murdered in Christchurch and many injured in an act of hate, while thousands of school students ignored warnings of punishment to protest our lack of progress on climate change.

Both events are connected by the complacency of New Zealand governments over many years to regulate on some serious issues in the greater public good.

By The Daily Blog 4 days ago

The UnSerious Fraud Office is dependent on sponsors, unlike the Serious Fraud Office, which operates independently of government and is therefore immune to bullshit, threats, influence or propaganda.

By The Daily Blog 4 days ago

Another example of setting the terms of an inquiry to favour the outcome you want.

Vanessa Kururangi : Hate is not welcome here…

By The Daily Blog 3 days ago

Vanessa Kururangi is a State House Tenant Advocate, a mother and a writer.

By Mike Treen 5 days ago

Global Peace and Justice Auckland is encouraging all supporters of peace and justice to join the international day of action on Saturday, March 16 against the US government’s effort to engineer a coup in Venezuela and a new devastating war there.

By The Liberal Agenda 1 week ago

My thanks to the many people who supported and commented on posts relating to government and how, for example, we expect better from people like Judith Collins and Simon Bridges.

By Martyn Bradbury 2 weeks ago

Two cultural books ends over a decade too short.

By Mike Treen 1 month ago

Global Peace and Justice Auckland is asking for individuals and organisations to endorse the following appeal:

By Mike Treen 1 month ago

Global Peace and Justice Auckland is asking for individuals and organisations to endorse the following appeal:

By The Liberal Agenda 1 month ago

Marney Brosnan of Mahi Pai Media filmed the event -You can check out what they want from the Mayors of all our cities and why on New Zealand Public Television . Here’s the link

By The Liberal Agenda 1 month ago

Ding Dong Lounge presents Cuckoo’s Nest #3, a series of events promoting Mental Health Awareness within the local Auckland Rock scene & wider community.

Malcolm Evans – shoes

By Malcolm Evans 2 hours ago

Malcolm Evans – shoes