Sending my Deepest heartfelt sympathies to the people of New Zealand and those affected by gun violence. We grieve with you. We must all unite together against hatred in all of its forms.
Love & Light
-DjPaulT
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Richard
March 17, 2019 12:34 am
Often members of hate groups are simply lost lonely souls without any true life experience or exposure to people outside their narrow circle. Pakistani Muslim documentarian Deeyah Khan who investigated the Charlottesville white supremacists managed to befriend one of of the marchers. Over the course of getting to know her the man left the hate group he belonged to and even reached out to a black church group to speak about his beliefs. Granted his case is probably the exception but hate begets hate and in particular violence is a dead end that does nothing but perpetuate itself.
This was not some “lonely soul” Richard that didn’t travel. He posts his reasons (breaking point he said was a little girl in France harmed by Islamic attacks) for doing what he did in black and white… His fear of radical Islam is a valid concern… he watched it happen in the countries he traveled… and talks clearly about it. But anytime someone from his standpoint wanted to talk about it he got called a racist, so he just bottled it up and decided to vent in the worse possible way. Nigeria has had like 60,000 deaths due these Islamic… Read more »
My message was not about this particular person’s pathology. My point was that the best response to this sort of atrocity is not necessarily violence and anger but an attempt at engagement with those who are willing to listen and change. A violent response plays into their narrative and only reinforces their extreme views.
Greg
March 16, 2019 6:24 pm
Thanks Paul, for your kind and thoughtful words. We’re all a bit shaken up here, and all the positive messages we receive, make us stronger
As a Christchurch resident too, I have to also say thank you Paul for your kind words and love. This is not who we are, and that’s one reason why my hometown, and country were chosen for this abhorrent act, carried out by someone who was an immigrant themselves. Still feeling stunned, but am heartened by all the love from around the country, and from all over the world.
Walter C
March 15, 2019 5:15 pm
Another sad day, in the sad times of a more and more sad planet.
Kim
March 15, 2019 4:04 pm
Hi Paul, thanks for your kind words. I have never posted on this site before, but as a Christchurch resident I feel I should today. My house is just a 10 minute walk from where the majority of the deaths occurred so, as you can imagine, it was a very surreal day for me yesterday. Gun violence is not generally an issue in New Zealand. Maybe a couple of times a year you will hear about a shooting on the news where one or two people are killed. This was an isolated incident carried out by a radicalised Australian citizen.… Read more »
Song And Dance
March 15, 2019 12:37 pm
Thank you, Paul. That’s all I can say. Thank you.
Fred
March 15, 2019 12:20 pm
As a parent living in Newtown, CT ithe sadness from these shootings last a very long time. Although a blog is no place to have a fully qualified and meaningful debate, I am amazed that gun manufacturers are allowed to sell automatic Weapons to citizens. I have no problem with people owning a gun for home protection that shoots 1-6 rounds or a rifle for hunting. But my long standing opinion for over 40 years is that there is no reason a citizen needs a weapon that can shoot dozens of rounds in a few seconds. Get rid of these… Read more »
Fred, I hear you but as you said yourself, let’s not go too deep. For a German like me the whole idea of having guns at home for protection is so remote, so alien, so strange. I’m not critisizing, only noticing.
Let us mourn together. We will not despair, and we will certainly not bow down.
No reason except the obvious Fred… to protect oneself from a runaway government… to hunt was a given.. but that was NOT the intent of the 2nd amendment… which was to preserve the freedoms (including the 1st amendment) from a government that oversteps it bounds. The right didn’t come from the constitution (from our maker), it was wrote to protect the right from an overzealous government (to prevent oversteps of the government). It is the right that protects all other rights and time and time again has been shown that when broken, ruthless governments soon follow.
Often members of hate groups are simply lost lonely souls without any true life experience or exposure to people outside their narrow circle. Pakistani Muslim documentarian Deeyah Khan who investigated the Charlottesville white supremacists managed to befriend one of of the marchers. Over the course of getting to know her the man left the hate group he belonged to and even reached out to a black church group to speak about his beliefs. Granted his case is probably the exception but hate begets hate and in particular violence is a dead end that does nothing but perpetuate itself.
Reach out.
This was not some “lonely soul” Richard that didn’t travel. He posts his reasons (breaking point he said was a little girl in France harmed by Islamic attacks) for doing what he did in black and white… His fear of radical Islam is a valid concern… he watched it happen in the countries he traveled… and talks clearly about it. But anytime someone from his standpoint wanted to talk about it he got called a racist, so he just bottled it up and decided to vent in the worse possible way. Nigeria has had like 60,000 deaths due these Islamic… Read more »
My message was not about this particular person’s pathology. My point was that the best response to this sort of atrocity is not necessarily violence and anger but an attempt at engagement with those who are willing to listen and change. A violent response plays into their narrative and only reinforces their extreme views.
Thanks Paul, for your kind and thoughtful words. We’re all a bit shaken up here, and all the positive messages we receive, make us stronger
criyng….
I wonder:
For what?!
For what?!
In a silent New Zealand !!!!!
When this hate between religions ENDS!??????
As a Christchurch resident too, I have to also say thank you Paul for your kind words and love. This is not who we are, and that’s one reason why my hometown, and country were chosen for this abhorrent act, carried out by someone who was an immigrant themselves. Still feeling stunned, but am heartened by all the love from around the country, and from all over the world.
Another sad day, in the sad times of a more and more sad planet.
Hi Paul, thanks for your kind words. I have never posted on this site before, but as a Christchurch resident I feel I should today. My house is just a 10 minute walk from where the majority of the deaths occurred so, as you can imagine, it was a very surreal day for me yesterday. Gun violence is not generally an issue in New Zealand. Maybe a couple of times a year you will hear about a shooting on the news where one or two people are killed. This was an isolated incident carried out by a radicalised Australian citizen.… Read more »
Thank you, Paul. That’s all I can say. Thank you.
As a parent living in Newtown, CT ithe sadness from these shootings last a very long time. Although a blog is no place to have a fully qualified and meaningful debate, I am amazed that gun manufacturers are allowed to sell automatic Weapons to citizens. I have no problem with people owning a gun for home protection that shoots 1-6 rounds or a rifle for hunting. But my long standing opinion for over 40 years is that there is no reason a citizen needs a weapon that can shoot dozens of rounds in a few seconds. Get rid of these… Read more »
Fred, I hear you but as you said yourself, let’s not go too deep. For a German like me the whole idea of having guns at home for protection is so remote, so alien, so strange. I’m not critisizing, only noticing.
Let us mourn together. We will not despair, and we will certainly not bow down.
No reason except the obvious Fred… to protect oneself from a runaway government… to hunt was a given.. but that was NOT the intent of the 2nd amendment… which was to preserve the freedoms (including the 1st amendment) from a government that oversteps it bounds. The right didn’t come from the constitution (from our maker), it was wrote to protect the right from an overzealous government (to prevent oversteps of the government). It is the right that protects all other rights and time and time again has been shown that when broken, ruthless governments soon follow.
Let LOVE rule!