Call to say no to all kinds of racism
Shooting 1
It was heart-warming to see so many at Claudelands to show support for Muslims in New Zealand. We have Hamilton’s Ms Rahman, as spokesperson of the Muslim women’s association, reminding us about white supremacist threats which have not been taken seriously. In Hamilton there were reports of such fear that the Mosque has had to put up a high fence. Shouldn’t we have made an effort to show Hamilton’s support then?
This is a time to abhor all kinds of racism. HCC councillors are looking at changing streets named in commemoration of men who took part in slaughtering peaceful Ma¯ ori in Taranaki and Rangiaowhia. This has brought out incipient racism whereby some Pakeha feels it is another uppity Ma¯ ori ask that should be ignored. Would it hurt us to acknowledge that these issues are hurting Ma¯ ori and be accepted as valid.
Don’t jump to conclusions based on another person’s clothes or skin, that is racist. Don’t denigrate other people, allow them to be themselves. Listen and respect each other. Say no to all kinds of racism.
Frankie Letford, Hamilton
Shooting 2
So, how could it happen, this nightmare massacre of fifty innocents in a place we call the Garden City, seat of two bishops, home of a university? Social media clearly played a part in preparing the ground, but what about the mainstream media? And yes, I’m looking at you,
Waikato Times.
For far too long New Zealanders have tolerated lowgrade, casual, Islamophobia, in the mainstream media as well as in so-called polite society. If you doubt me, I would call your attention to your very own newspaper. Until recently you hosted a columnist who regularly used your pages to attack Islam, and particularly Muslim women (he was apparently obsessed with their choice of clothing). And you have frequently printed letters from people with similar unreconstructed attitudes: I vividly remember one from a correspondent who had bailed up a woman in the street, and berated her for wearing a burka. He then went home and wrote to your paper, boasting of his doughty deed. But if anyone objected, plenty of people would be quick to accuse them of that heinous crime, ‘political correctness’.
I wish we could just dismiss such people as silly old coots. But unfortunately they are not only respectable members of society, they are even respected in some circles and seen as opinionformers. They would never, I’m sure, have been so crass as to rush into print with similar attacks on other ethnic or religious minorities, for are they not the self-appointed guardians of culture and civilisation? I eagerly await some recantations in your pages, rendered fortissimo.
Alexandra Barratt, Hamilton
The letter to which you appear to refer was one of a number on the French burka ban in 2016 — Editor
Shooting 3
The Christchurch tragedy was avoidable, we have made access to guns too easy in this country. The recent trend of half page and full page advertisements in our newspapers for guns was a new low. When I first saw these I thought that it was only a matter of time before we had a mass shooting and now that we have had our first I have to accept that my apathy in the face of this is contributory. I should have written this letter when I first saw those advertisements. However we now have an opportunity to turn tragedy into something positive. Ban all gun advertising, ban sales of semiautomatics, follow Australia’s example and collect all semiautomatics in the country and destroy them and severely limit gun trading. Make gun licences harder to get and only those who can genuinely prove a commercial or pest based rationale for owning guns should be able to. It is interesting to note that this increased marketing of weapons seems to align with the advent of arms traders having held annual sales conferences in New Zealand.
Mike Keir, Hamilton
Stuff is no longer taking gun advertisements — Editor
Shooting 4
The whole world has been rightly appalled at the Christchurch massacre. Floods of messages of outrage and support have poured in from all over the world. The President of the United States has personally called our prime minister to offer his sympathies and support on behalf of his administration and the American people. Sadly one of the more notorious of the fake news channels has chosen to politicise this outrageous mass murder. Yes they have the effrontery to blame Donald Trump. – Whoo hoo! – The fact that a deranged Australian psychopath appears to have planned this cold blooded murder and crossed the Tasman Sea to our peaceful and friendly little country in order to carry out his evil scheme is mind boggling. This fact has been largely ignored by the media. Then to film it on real time via a helmet camera, for any twisted ghoul to watch, is hard to comprehend. I would ask the questions – why didn’t he stay in his own backyard instead of successfully tainting Kiwis? He is a self- proclaimed white supremacist. Unfortunately these mental, nut cases walk amongst us and certainly are not limited to the white supremacy group of radical whangos. I hope some verified facts can be published after a thorough investigation and the ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ mob don’t continue to try and politicise this tragic event.
Bernie Haskell, Tamahere
Shooting 5
On Friday March 15, 2019, in Hamilton Gardens when Mayor Andrew King was welcoming about 130 people from 31 different countries to become New Zealand citizens an Australian born man from Dunedin massacred 50 New Zealanders inside a place of worship in Christchurch. They included children under the age of 5. They are innocent children they went with their parents to pray for their future. It is very sad when you think about the people who had lost their lives plus over 40 people who were injured.
Hamiltonians are united they came in thousands to the Claudelands Park on Saturday night to show their support to the families who had lost their loved ones. As our prime minister said we need to change our gun laws. Maintenance of a gun register should be made compulsory. Modification of guns should not be permitted. We also need changes to our justice system, in regard to community service and home detention for serious offences.
Mano Manoharan, Hamilton
Shooting 6
I have not read Brenton Tarrant’s published manifesto so I am not sure if he is a white supremacist or an anti-Muslim extremist, but judging from the interviews that I watched on Friday, he appeared to be both.
Apart from the obvious, what concerns me is that some New Zealanders seem to feel that there is a connection between a general attitude of the citizens of Christchurch public towards immigrants and his philosophy and his horrendous actions. Nothing could be further from the truth. Please do not feel in anyway responsible.
First of all he is an Australian and secondly his residential address is in Dunedin. He chose Christchurch because of their acceptance of Islamic immigrants, and relaxed persona within the community made them easy targets. He said that they were not his original target, but changed his mind because of our view that our distance protected us from such terrorist attacks.
I agree with Paul Buchanan’s comment that there is potential for good and evil in all of us, but disagree with his view that Tarrant slipped under our intelligence radar because there is more political mileage (funding) in persuading terrorists than nutcases like him.
Personally I have noticed that many New Zealand criminal gun related crimes have been perpetrated by people holding a legitimate gun licence. The Police are responsible for issuing and monitoring gun-licence holders and if they recognise or suspect such people as gang members, criminals or radicals, then they should remove their licences and alert our SIS. Surely Tarrant’s published manifesto, is warning enough?
Yes, our gun laws need modifying, there should be more attention given to those people holding a gun licence, and more power given to police to search for and remove weapons from them.
Brian Main, Hamilton
Shooting 7
At least 50 people worshiping in a Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand have been killed in a horrific terrorist attack. More than 20 injured seriously. The attack is the fatal terrorist attempt on the base of religious hatred. The question is not about the religion of the persons who attacked the worshippers, but it is about developing a counter narrative of terrorism and extremism. Another question is about relating a particular religion or nationality with terrorism. In this attack, it has been cleared, as many times in the past, that terrorism cannot be related to any religion or country.
In the contemporary era, every country is feeling the enduring challenges of extremism and terrorism.
These issues have become global core challenges that have no boundaries, no humanistic values and no particular religious identity. Thus, the world powers along with the countries that have been fighting against the challenges over the stretch of time should sit together to take precautionary measures to weed out the issues. The question is not about who did this. However, it is all about why the world is not united to root out the challenges that have tormented the brain of international community.
Blame games against other religions and nationalities must be stopped now as it aggravated the situation by giving benefits to terrorist wings.
In spite of blaming, world religions and political entities should develop a comprehensive and common rational narrative to thwart such kind of happenings in the womb of time in any part of the world. It is time to save humanity but not to so-called national interests.
Thus, world powers and most influential religious scholars should take precautionary measures to adopt a path to counter terrorism and extremism by promoting tolerance and peace. It is time to learn but not to blame - it is enough now. Changezi Sandhu, Lahore, Pakistan
Shooting 8
It is not unexpected that we in New Zealand are now in the big league of tragedy.
Our prayers, I note the prime minister could not use that term, are with our New Zealanders who have died, been injured, and their families. Also the people of Christchurch as they grieve. We are blessed that we have a national police, who responded under Police Commissioner Bush ten out of ten. I do have a very uncomfortable feeling.
We have ‘‘Five Eyes,’’ an alleged first class surveillance facility and our own intelligent surveillance services at the port of arrival, nationally and internationally. Guess what, they failed with a capital ‘‘F’’. How could at least one of the offenders confirmed as an Australian, enter our country, get firearms, one at least of which was modified and allow Facebook to promote his evil assassination acts? How does a thug from Liverpool get to leave our country on a false passport when he has been all over the national media? Prime Minister, given your angst, you might want to invest in proper security services who can prevent, rather than be fire engines after the tragedy has occurred. I was a police officer for fifteen years, I now have to say, as convinced I was that our police should not be generally armed, I have now changed my mind.
We need instant facial identification technology at all our ports of entry and departure, instant armed police response and security services that are ahead of the game, not behind. Appropriate terrorism legislation for arrest needs to be available. You might like to talk to Israel, they are very good at this sort of prevention, detection and action. Of course, we could all hug each other and make ‘‘Dark Day Speeches’’ until it happens again prime minister. You are in charge of our security aren’t you? I feel a committee coming on.
Should have a solution after the next election, after all it is a ‘‘rush."
Ian Hanley, Hamilton