Flowers speak volumes about how we all feel
I AM amazed at the sea of flowers outside the two mosques which shows the compassion and hurt that everyone is feeling right now because of this senseless act by one individual who has a problem with Muslim immigrants.
What this person forgets is that he is probably from immigrant parents or grandparents as most Australians are descended from either English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh parentage.
I also understand the damage that these types of weapons cause, having spent about 18 years in the Territorial Army and fired all manner of weapons, designed with one thing in mind and that is to kill or be killed.
For me, that was enough to make me never own a weapon, and I never will, hopefully.
This sea of flowers is very reminiscent of Princess Diana’s wall of flowers. With luck, hopefully we will not need to see it happen again. Bill Swift
Dalmore
[Abridged]
SALAAM alaikum. As I was in shock when I heard the news of the mosque shooting on Friday, I can’t imagine how members of the Muslim community must be feeling.
I am extremely sorry that this has happened and that it has happened to you here. That you came to the vigil on Saturday was amazing. You are very brave.
I also wish to thank the people of Arai Te Uru marae for your generosity in hosting members of the Muslim community on Saturday and for giving them food, water and aroha, and for supporting them and the general public both at the vigil and at the mosque on Sunday.
I also wish to thank Marie Laufiso for her leadership on these occasions.
This unbelievable incident forces us to examine its origins and to consider what we need to do to reduce the possibility of racial violence in the future.
Also, it seems to me that we need to have discussions at many levels about why some people feel unwelcoming or frightened towards Muslims, and deal with the issues therein. Joseph Dougherty
Sawyers Bay
[Abridged]
TODAY I deleted my Facebook account permanently. Much as I like seeing friends’ holiday snaps, I refuse to support any longer a billionaire owner who remains silent after Friday’s massacre that Facebook broadcast, and who visited hurricanedevastated Puerto Rico to promote himself in 2017.
It is clear Facebook is now just a clickbait advertising platform, where the content is irrelevant, as long as people look at it.
I would not tolerate neoNazi magazines being put in my mailbox, to be found by my children, nor will I support online platforms that do exactly the same.
As a commentator said recently, why would you hand over all your personal information, permanently, to an organisation that provides free access to the likes of the coward who shall remain nameless.
The Zuckerberg response has been a pathetic silence with excuses from his minions that they ‘‘did their best’’. Their best could have been taking the site offline for an hour during the worst live broadcast in history, but that would cost them money of course. Greg White
Cromwell
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BIBLE READING: My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed. — Proverbs 23:15.