The wisdom of youth in a climate of anger
Coloured, childlike chalk marks on concrete were hard to miss under the glare of streetlights outside the Beehive late on Friday. From a distance you might have thought they were scrawls of support for our Muslim communities, a shriek against a suspected terrorist. It was a shock to see, on closer inspection, they were the markings of brave students who’d rallied in streets demanding climate change action earlier that morning. Remember when we were debating the ethics of having them skip school?
Today we are talking to them about safety, and about fear. About racism and religion, and about death. Our country, our conversations, are shaped by us. The lens through which our young people interpret and react to 49 dead, is on us.
But sometimes too, with youth comes wisdom. Fifth-year medical student Ruby Arefin, 23, has friends affected by the shooting, people he knew growing up attending his local Palmerston North mosque. He recalls the mosque was a safe space, a second home, a place for family. And it’s this quiet peacefulness that has carried him through to this moment.
Solidarity, he says, can’t be achieved by strongarming on social media. Relief from grief is not a Facebook click away. ‘‘You cannot fix the world,’’ he says. ‘‘And going on social media venting your frustration will do nothing to help, it will only fuel the fire that has always been burning.’’
His message is clear: Now is not the time for hatred, it’s time for talking, and it’s time for respect. Like rainbow chalk against a dark sky, the most memorable messages are ones of hope, and strength.