I wanted to say just a few words about the horrendous terrorist act in Christchurch a week ago in New Zealand. It pains me to even write this actually as New Zealanders or Kiwis believe they live in a beautiful paradise, far removed from terrorism or mass gun shootings. There was a strong belief that terrorism would never happen there, but sadly that is not the case. I grew up in Christchurch and this hits hard.
This is the country where some of the dead escaped to from war zones to rebuild their lives in what they thought would be a peaceful haven. The grief of the families and friends  who lost loved ones at the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques is unimaginable. Compassion and love are being offered to the Muslim community and this will hopefully provide a small comfort.
I believe that this attack will make the country stronger, it will unite not divide. Some businesses have also started to pull their Facebook advertising perhaps only temporarily but it does send a signal that more needs to be done by Zuckerberg et al as well as governments to regulate these companies that have become a platform for hate speech. Live streaming is unacceptable when you are killing people. When will they revise their  strategies? Revenue and user numbers are their bottom line so unless users and advertisers stop using their platforms this is not going to happen, so personally I think more regulation is required.
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister has shown herself to be a compassionate and decisive leader, something that seems to be missing right now from various heads of state around the world right now. One week after the attack, the government has banned the sale of assault rifles and I hope that hate crimes will now be registered as to my surprise they are currently not recorded.
I’ll leave it there and sign off with words from Ardern  …
“In this role, I wanted to speak directly to the families. We cannot know your grief, but we can walk with you at every stage …. We can, and we will, surround you with aroha, manaakitanga and all that makes us, us. Our hearts are heavy but our spirit is strong.”
Notes : Image of flowers outside Linwood Mosque taken by friend Emily Thomas.Â
Megan In Sainte Maxime 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this terrorist act, Megan. My late mother lived in New Zealand for part of her childhood, I’ve never seen it, and we are planning a family trip there to celebrate a milestone birthday in a couple of years. The PM has shown the world what modern leadership looks like. I look forward to visiting your beautiful country and meeting New Zealanders of all backgrounds.
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Hello ✨ Thanks for popping by and I just know you will have a great trip to New Zealand. Hopefully Jacinda will still be Prime Minister too. It really is a beautiful country and I miss it a lot. 😘
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I live in California and am so sad to hear of the violence that has frankly sprung from our borders. Jacinda Ardern is an amazing leader– one for our times. As Americans, I hope we turn the ship around, and soon. So sorry for what you and your countrymen and women are going through–my condolences.
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Hello 👋 thank you so much for your kind words and yes I’m just so impressed with how the PM has taken such decisive and empathetic action. I just don’t really know what to say here about the US on my blog right now but the sooner your leader is impeached or voted out the better 😉 and I’m sure that time is coming. 😘
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Megan. I felt physically sick when I heard about the shootings last week. The fact that an Australian was responsible is beyond my belief. Kiwis and Aussies are family and this isn’t who we are. I was in Christchurch last month and it’s hard to fathom that such terror played out in such beautiful, peaceful place. Jacinda Ardern has done the right thing with changes to the gun laws. Sending love & light to across the ditch…
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A big hello to you and like you I couldn’t believe what I was reading on my phone as the news broke. Just absolutely gutting and those poor people. Aussies and kiwis are definitely family – so thank you so much and hope your sailing adventures are going well too 😘👋😘
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