Our differences should be accepted, embraced

THERE is no adequate way to express how I feel about what has been perpetrated on individuals and Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole by a person from my country of birth.

It is not enough for us in Australia to say collectively that this is not who we are. Although it may be true as far as individuals go, we have to own that the person who has done this is one of us. He has sprung from our society and what we have allowed to fester in it.

We Australians have facilitated the election of some people with extreme and divisive views. When they are given publicity for espousing those views, they successfully divide the community with the fear and hatred they incite in their supporters.

The same divisive views are repeated and expanded on by some elements of our media, and when we continue to listen to and read what they say without challenging them at every turn, we only encourage and legitimise them. For this we have to take responsibility.

It is not enough for Australia to simply tolerate those who are different to ourselves. We must accept and embrace the differences and work together, no matter what our skin colour or religion, if any, to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive society.

I am so sorry.

Catherine Moore New South Wales, Australia

THE politicians and pundits are bandying the term ‘‘semiautomatic’’ about because of the horrific crime in Christchurch.

While I see no practical use for assaultstyle rifles such as the AR15 and various similar editions by other manufacturers, the general term ‘‘semiautomatic’’ covers a much broader range of firearms.

I own a semiautomatic .22 calibre for rabbit shooting. Many duck hunters own semiautomatic shotguns. These are not mass murder weapons.

The assaultstyle semis are a different breed altogether. They can easily be modified to fire automatically — like a machine gun. They can be equipped with a ‘‘bumpstock’’ which has the same effect — as in the Las Vegas mass shooting. They also accept large capacity magazines of 20 or 30 rounds and even more with a barrel magazine. They are made to kill people, nothing else.

A law such as the one being discussed should target specific types of arms which are the ones these distorted fanatics use. I would hate to see a law passed in haste which would make many honest firearms illegal and penalise honest hunters and target shooters. Kevin Burke

Mosgiel

BRENTON Tarrant’s poisonous presence in New Zealand and heinous action showed premeditation in his socalled ‘‘manifesto’’ and accumulation of weapons.

The video of the massacre he distributed over the social media was arrogant proof that he murdered those New Zealanders in the mosque.

How can the court allow him to present a defence? Effectively, he boasted, ‘‘Look what I’m doing’’. Is he going to be allowed, instead, a platform to present his message of hate?

Harry Kerr

Brighton

NO longer can we pretend that we are clean and green. No longer can we portray ourselves as a safe place to raise children. No longer can we laugh at the USA as ‘‘gun nuts’’. No longer can we smugly see ourselves as ‘‘tolerant’’.

What have we become, New Zealand? Are we happy with where we find ourselves? Pete Jenkins

Alexandra

NOW is the time for mourning and supporting the families of the murdered Muslims in Christchurch.

But it is also time to realise with clarity that the greatest threat to our freedom and democracy is neoNazi terrorism. There is no place in Aotearoa for this evil white supremacist hate crime. Ewan McDougall

Broad Bay