networkn:

 

I had hoped for a more positive focus to our community, as it was during the quakes where NZ came together as one. It doesn't feel like this, this time it feels like the attacks have caused the division that was likely a hoped upon side effect for the gunman. 

 

This is a very different circumstance to the earthquakes. One was a natural disaster the other was a direct attack.

"Coming together as one" and holding hands would serve very little purpose other than making some of us feel better about life for a short time.

Previously I have personally ignored a ton of low level racism and gun nut stuff on social media because I felt it didn't really affect New Zealand and didn't want the confrontation. This incident has made me reexamine my personal contribution to the problem of extremism. Also this has made me consider how minorities are really treated in New Zealand.

We have a saying at work - "The standard you walk past is the standard you set."  The crusader topic is one example of this. It's not the biggest and most important example but equally  symbols do matter. 

The biggest mistake we could make in the wake of this act of evil is not to be willing to make personal changes if it can make our society a better place. 

Inevitably the pendulum will swing to far one way on some topics, that is how change works. Change never works smoothly or perfectly but shouldn't we be willing to try and not push everything on "someone else"?