I had a list of things to do this week.
On top of that list was write a 1 year reflection blog on the March 15th white supremacy terror atrocity in Christchurch.
I put it off.
All week.
I didn’t want to write it.
I didn’t want to pause and examine the wound, so anxious have I been to move on and not reflect because of the incandescent rage it still pierces me with.
I am so angry that the security apparatus in NZ, with its mass surveillance powers, its enormous funding increases, its unchecked agency didn’t see a white supremacist planning a terror attack on our soil for two years because they were too focused on spying on Muslims, Māori, Environmentalist activists and Greenpeace.
I am so angry that people from different lands who turned to NZ as a safe haven from the hatred that spills over in so many other fragmented places on Earth were not safe from that hatred.
I am so angry that we failed to protect them.
I am so angry that the good people of Christchurch were forced to endure another tragedy.
I am so angry that Muslim Women had chronicled and complained incessantly that street violence against them and Islamaphobia was rising in rhetoric and shamelessness, yet nothing was done to protect them.
I am angry that some Gun Owners had the audacity to claim they were the real victims of this terror atrocity because their favourite gun was banned.
I am angry that the virus of white supremacy haunts this land and that racism is never acknowledged in NZ, so desperate are we to hold onto the ‘but we have such good race relations’ cultural security blankets.
I am angry that the terrorist had multiple complaints laid against him from other gun owners coming into contact with him and nothing being done.
I am angry we still don’t have a bloody gun register.
I am angry at the woke activists who wanted to conflate micro aggressions to macro violence and blamed white people for this atrocity.
I am angry that many of those white people don’t accept they are racist.
I am angry that I read the manifesto and saw the debasement of reason with fatuous lies and sewer level falsehoods masquerading as justification for an obscenity.
I am angry that I saw the Facebook livestream.
I am angry I had to try and explain such toxicity to my daughter.
After 12 months of wretched anger, I am left deeply saddened at this injustice and thankful for the grace of the Muslim community, the courage of Jacinda’s leadership and the basic decency of so many unknown NZers who reached their hands out to help rather than pull away in fear.
I hope the trial of this miserable wraith of a person who caused such unimaginable damage provides a sense of closure while opening us up enough to discuss what needs to change in us as a culture to ensure such warped hatred doesn’t spawn here under the rocks again.
“………… I am left deeply saddened at this injustice and thankful for the grace of the Muslim community, the courage of Jacinda’s leadership ……….. ”
Indeed! And not only the grace of just the Muslim community.
Now all we need is for many of our state agencies to actually start listening and stop reveling in their comfy little feifdoms, and for politicians to get with the programme and realise they’re not just ‘their’ officials, but actually ‘ours’. (To use their own buzz: “with rights come responsibilities” and in their case a quite a few privileges for which the senior career-riders are well paid)
Unless they do, and soon, it’ll jump up and bite them in the bum before they know it
The thing that strikes me most about the Chch shooting is the incredible humble grace of the Muslim men and women who were there that day.
Representative of that is the man who wrote a book about his wife who was killed, and so others may benefit is donating all proceeds to St John an organization with its roots in the crusades.
Much has changed in NZ since and we will differ on what the government did but that discussion I will leave for another day.
The forgiveness and compassion of the people who were attacked is something we can all learn from.
Be at peace today, you too Martyn.
And just over a month later, muslim terrorists murdered 259 people in Sri Lanka, most of them Christians celebrating Easter, including many little children. The world press predictably played down this atrocity, and Jacinda failed to turn out in a crucifix.
What are you trying to say Gaby. All these atrocities around religion or race are products of political greed or caused by damaged people who justify hate and often violence against others.
The Israeli campaign against innocent neighbours for example shows it can be institutionalised and become inter generational. Us against them or them against us mentality is not only dangerous but indicative of a degree of sociopathy or even psychopathy.
So Hamas and the PLO are ‘innocent neighbours’ who just happen to be committed to israel’s destruction and have launched countless wars, terror attacks, rocket attacks, intifadas etc against a sovereign nation? What planet are you on, West?
what’s innocent about Mossad? whose motto is ” through deception we shall make war” Noting innocent about Israel motives towards it’s neighbours.
Ahhh yes, lest we forget!
But the left don’t do Christianity murdering memorials , Islam only.
Im right
Was the Christchurch killings what you refer to.
“Lest We Forget” often is associated with the last two World Wars and I think they are memorialised annually in NZ.
Many Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Taoists, Hindu, Sikhs, Aboriginal, Maori and dozens of other systems are included in the belief of those memorialised as a result of those wars and follies of rich interests sacrificing families for their ambition.
I am pretty sure most who were killed in Christchurch on 15 March 2019 were at the Muslim place of worship.
I’m no Ardern fan but that is a petty attack. Whataboutism does not apply to acts of violence.
That’s what Gaby does day in day out
It’s called perspective….foreign to the people who revere this site, of course.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Islamist_terrorist_attacks
You’re right G. Anything for a photo op that girl. It was to a targeted ‘voting’ audience she was after.
Initially and just like Martyn I was so sad for the targeted victims,,, especially so given the destruction and violence they had escaped from.
My initial disgust and anger at the shit stain white subremacist killer only grew and spread to include others when research exposed the failures of our ‘security services ‘ ,,,, and the complicity of right wing hate mongers ,,, like gaby above ,,, the national party, many in the media , and others ,,,who fed the ugly sickness in the killers mind.
Jihad Brides ,,, ‘migration compacts’ ,,, ‘ waves of boat refugees ‘ ,,, all feeding into the degenerate mind and his despicable actions.
I must admit I was blind ,,,, like nearly all normal people in New Zealand ,,, as to what was growing and flying under my radar.
We owe it to the victims to now be informed
“The Christchurch massacre and the rise of right-wing extremism | Four Corners” https://youtu.be/EUVychuUnPk
And as good people we should embrace those who speak the messages of peace
“Terrorism has no religion. Let us unite and stand together against violence against any race or belief.” https://twitter.com/i/status/1110170205748187136
Hello Brother
https://youtu.be/Bm4UeykQbz4
Denny, I agree. I am sickened by that image of Jacinda. Bomber mentions the Muslim Women’s Council. They are the real heroines of the massacre and if Jacinda and others had listened to them, the carnage may have been averted.
We must have been watching and listening to different media @ Gaby.
Every international news channel covered it as well as radio, tv papers and online media here too.
Some even made references to the Christchurch attack and it didn’t just last the 24 hr news cycle either.
I am no cheer leader for Jacinda but your comments are rediculous as she cannot be held accountable for actions in other countries.The conflict in Shir Lanka goes back over centuries and there a more irons in the fire than just religion although that is the way the press report it . It is similar to the Irish problem which goes way beyond religion
Maybe the anger would be better channeled at something we can take some responsibility for…like the survivors struggle for housing, warmth, proper immigration status etc etc all under ‘our’ glorious Labour/Greens/NZ First Government
It seems to me that in order to exploit people, a level of ignorance must be cultivated and maintained.
If everyone of us humans on-board our bio-sphere Earth were ‘enlightened’ and patiently and gently encouraged to open our minds by a more culturally progressive education system instead of an education system that teaches us that financial greed is good and embrace the differences which make us unique then how’d we be manipulated and exploited?
I read somewhere that the ancient markets of Florence were where people of all levels of learning and income could meet and discuss and affairs of the day without fear of ridicule or judgement? Is that correct?
Then, of course, in came the pious christian calvinists and fucked it up for everyone. I do truly believe it’s a God bothering little penis thing.Did tiny little diddles give us 15 March 2019?
I bet it did.
The way to end all wars is to encourage empathy between potential enemies.
Empathy arises from awareness. I.e. ” Fuck oh dear! Look at that lot wearing table cloths! ” to instead be ” Oh look? There goes that new family from down the road. They’re amazing cooks. We invited them down for dinner and they bought this amazing food with them. Lovely people.”
Money’s to be better spent less on wailing about them fuckin’ foreigners over here and more about inclusion while enjoying how unique they may be.
Blame.
Who to blame for 15th March 2019?
After all, there must have been a catalyst leading to planning, leading to enacting.
We’re a capitalist democracy. In order for our HOD’s to maintain control to promote growth/profit we must be, at some point, exploited.
Think about that and work it out for yourselves.
The single most common denominator that permeates all levels of the Mosque attack is ignorance.
A good example of ignorance being exploited in order to manipulate thinking.
“Death threats after ‘lack of police action’ to racist attacks”
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-otago/death-threats-after-lack-police-action-racist-attacks
“I am so angry that the security apparatus in NZ, with its mass surveillance powers, its enormous funding increases, its unchecked agency didn’t see a white supremacist planning a terror attack on our soil…”
Even worse – they enabled him!
1. Handed him a firearms licence within days of his arrival in the country without a background check
2. Approved his bulk purchase of ammunition within 6 weeks of his arrival
3. Then lied about it. Cahill is still lying about it.
This is why the Royal Commission’s report will never be published.
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