I’ve been asked why I’ve remained silent for over two weeks since the atrocities of Christchurch rocked the sensibilities of our quiet country. The reasons are multifarious. Shock is the first response and it takes time to process an event of such magnitude. I believe a measured response is most appropriate at times like this and part of my reflection has revolved around other public outpourings in response to the events, some of which have left me breathless in amazement. How anyone can sympathise with such inhuman behaviour is beyond comprehension. And then there has been the backlash to our various political leaders’ handling of the situation, some of which rhetoric leaves me shaking my head in sadness.
One of the infuriating statements I remember from my youth which invariably greeted any outrage on my part and demands for retribution was ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’. It always seemed such a futile and wishy washy response when I clearly had a strong and compelling case for seeing someone punished for a perceived infraction. Strangely, with the passage of time has come the realisation that the principle has merit and there are times when the saying is applicable. The hot blooded response to violent crimes often brings about a call for knee-jerk reactions and the redrafting of firearms legislation is possibly one such. Time will tell if changes bring about the desired effect. Personally, I sincerely hope they do but I’m again reminded of my daughter’s saying: ‘You can’t fix stupid’. Legislating for the lowest common denominator tends to be the way we try to fix things and it doesn’t always achieve the best outcome.
The desire to see a better world is admirable and I support any and all wise efforts to bring it about. However, there have been some things done in the public eye during the past two weeks that have left some of us with questions. An example: Is it appropriate in a secular society to encourage everyone to join in a Muslim call to prayer? I ask the question because it occurs to me that the call is not merely a tradition that people of that faith observe; it is a strong and strident statement of faith that gives credence to tenets of belief I for one cannot share. In an age when serious questions are asked about the appropriateness or otherwise of opening parliament with a Christian prayer, to have politicians suddenly leading in another direction is confusing.
Was it appropriate for our prime minister to take such a strong and visible position in the wake of events? Absolutely, I believe, and she did herself immense credit as she carried out ceremonial duties and showed compassion, care and empathy for those most affected. To see and hear her lauded internationally for her handling of herself and the taxing emotional situation brought pride that we in our egalitarian society do things in a way that shows who we are. I have nothing but praise for the way in which she stepped up in the moment of crisis, much the same way a predecessor did following the earthquakes in the same city. I used the word ‘ceremonial’ earlier because an important aspect to leadership is the ability to wave the flag and rally the troops in times of crisis.
Is it appropriate to point to other atrocities carried out against members of different religious organisations in other parts of the world and demand public outrage against those? In a fair world the media would give equal coverage to all such events but it simply isn’t a fair world and most of us need to get to grips with that fact. Yes, there are extremists carrying out executions in other parts of the world but ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’ and we will wait a long time to see those situations rectified. To use this most recent sad event as a stage for making and scoring points is beneath the dignity of a fair and caring society and so I believe we should do our grieving, show as much kindness as we can to those affected, give no credence to the person who committed this terrible act and do our utmost to ensure those around us know we care. Thus will something good come out of it.