You’ll Never Know It
You’ll never know it but everything has changed. You will forever be in the hearts of your fellow New Zealanders. Moreover, a movement has started because of all of you, a phenomenal movement based on HEART that has the potential to ripple far beyond our shores emanating what matters, what must be done. Here in our small country lying deep in the Pacific Ocean, we have a chance to lead the way to change the world, because of you.
An announcement by Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern that gun laws will change, was an almost immediate response. A topic deemed for controversy, yet a powerful call to action followed. Without waiting for legislative change, our society has taken it upon themselves to act. Leading the way are those that from a monetary lens have the most to lose, retailers including Trademe NZ withdrawing all semi-automatic guns and one of our main gun supplier chains Hunting and Fishing withdrawing all semi-automatic stock. This message is powerful and unprecedented. There are many avid hunters effected. Empathy for their personal loss regarding money invested, their hobbies and convenience of these weapons as tools is something that we can all display, no one wants to lose any of these aspects in their lives. When you uphold this next to 50 lives lost, our national security and safety for our children, I am so incredible proud to see that New Zealand is rising above self interest, willing to make the sacrifices needed to take a stand. This is a stance that despites the un-comprehendible act of mass shootings crippling nations for many years now, others have failed to take. We are different, we will not allow your lives to be lost in vain. It is so vital to see the focus and action taken around these weapons as a mere step in New Zealand’s need to step up and take a stance.
Having only had a glimpse of the first-person view of the footage of the attack, this far too horrid to watch, both my husband and I were astounded at how much this replicated the gaming that is such a normal part of our society. We, our society have completely desensitised use of weaponry causing mass destruction, bringing it into our lives, our homes. My husband games like so many others. We have both made a stance to not be a part of condoning the desensitisation of such acts any longer, condemning this pass time from our lives. Discussion on this leads to recognising that indulging fantasy is more prevalent than ever, through an online world that allows acts and behaviour to grow that would never be the case in reality. Fantasy acts such as online bullying, take lives just like that terrorist. We by far have the highest youth suicide rate in the developed world, over 100 young people dying a year due to suicide. We also have one of the worst records for bullying of our young in the world, a direct co-relationship exists between bullying and youth suicide. The news coverage on youth suicide identifies that the statistics are shocking but not surprising. Not surprising. How have we come to a place where it is not surprising that we lose 100 of our young every year to this.
We now have an opportunity as a nation to stand up for change. We have the opportunity to not just be horrified at these figures like we are horrified by the loss of life through this terrorist attack, we have the opportunity to stand united and act on our collective responsibility, to say no more. It is time to make the connection of what is in our control, to recognise that we are loving people with heart that will not accept 100 of our young dying every year. We are witnessing the remarkable presently in our nation, what we are capable of when we come together as a whole. Lets keep on going. Lets let their loved ones know that their loses are significant, that their loved ones lives lost have led to infallible change, for what is right, for a safe and accepting nation free of the hate and cruelty that leads to the death of so many innocent lives.
