We are one but we are many
Be part of solution, not the problem
THOSE who truly seek to tear us apart have no idea what it means to be an Australian.
It was sad to see some on the fringes of our politics and the centre of our media turn the killing of 50 Muslims in New Zealand into a ‘conversation’ about us.
It didn’t take long before the self-righteous were pointing fingers at any and everyone they could to exploit that rare moment of togetherness we all feel when something awful happens.
If you believe their world view, we are all just moments away from our worst self.
If they weren’t telling us what to do, we would all give into the devil that lurks inside us to wreak havoc.
But this is just not true, while evil does live among us and it must be crushed, it has not become us. Normal people would help our neighbours rather than just point at them from across the road. When flood, fire, or drought takes hold, we don’t care about your past, your faith or your politics, we just help each other out.
From the people who are paid to deal with trouble in our emergency and medical services every day, to the thousands who volunteer with fire brigades and emergency services, we are kind people.
As parents, we would rather die than see a soul harm our kids and we think people who abuse their partners are the scum of the earth.
My eyes are not covered in rose coloured glasses, they’re the eyes of a life well lived in the suburbs. Where everyone wants the same stuff, to be safe and wish the best for our kids and their mates.
This is not to say we are a perfect nation, or perfect people. But I reject with every fibre of my being those who seek to pretend that disagreeing with their radical politics makes us part of the problem.
I say this all the time on the TV, but it’s time to say it in print too.
If you can’t tell the difference between Islam and Radical Islam, you are part of the problem.
If you can’t tell there is a difference between a priest and a paedophile priest, you are part
of the problem.
If you can’t tell the difference between people who believe in borders and white supremacists, you are part of the problem.
Ours is a special place. One where people flee to from the harshest places on the planet because we are a paradise of freedom.
One where it doesn’t matter which god or no god you believe in.
One where women and men are equal to enjoy and succeed to their highest ability.
And one where it doesn’t matter what family you are born into, with talent, hard work and a little luck you can be anything you want to be.
The only price of admission to this club, whether you were born here or not, is to leave it a better place than you found it by understanding what makes it great and what makes it special.
Again, I reject with all I have the violence in New Zealand and the people who sought to exploit it to drive their enemies into oblivion this week.