New Zealand: A Lesson to Be Learned
Following the murderous assault on worshipers at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019, carried out by a young white man, armed with several guns, who was apparently impelled to violent action by his deep-seated hatred of Muslims, urgent questions were raised in regard to the current spread of "right-wing ideology." In particular, the crude ascension of Donald Trump to the Presidency of the United States, and the unfortunate example it provided to millions of like-minded crackpots around the world, was widely cited as evidence that such an outlook was becoming more acceptable and more dangerous.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, quickly vowed to enact new laws that would curtail the availability of firearms, a move which, in view of what actually happened, should certainly be seen as the highest priority. Weapons, and the ugly acts of violence that weapons enable, always pose a greater threat to human safety than even the most loathsome opinions. It cannot be denied that any expression of racism or fascism needs to be fully addressed (and firmly rejected), but it should be remembered that those who were brutally slain in New Zealand were not killed by "right-wing ideology." They were killed by guns.
The truth, of course, is that in many cases of terrorism, the "ideology" (whether it is right-wing, left-wing, religious, or something else) that supposedly serves as a prime motive is mere window dressing, nothing more than a clumsy excuse for an evil person to engage in wanton mayhem for its own sake. Malicious people who openly promote repugnant beliefs are everywhere nowadays, and can never be completely suppressed within the framework of a free nation, but they should not be permitted to possess firearms that will allow them to act out the worst elements of their baleful mentality in a grievous manner, with fatal harm to others.
The citizens of New Zealand have been given a bitter opportunity to learn the grim lesson that most citizens of the United States have adamantly refused to learn, which is that when guns are readily available, it is sickeningly inevitable that gruesome instances of mass bloodshed will result. In the bleak hours after the shootings, the Prime Minister, in her comments to the press, did convey an impression of being strongly determined to bring about a necessary change in the control of firearms. If New Zealanders fail to learn from the horror in Christchurch, they will be sorry in the long run, and will have only themselves to blame.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, quickly vowed to enact new laws that would curtail the availability of firearms, a move which, in view of what actually happened, should certainly be seen as the highest priority. Weapons, and the ugly acts of violence that weapons enable, always pose a greater threat to human safety than even the most loathsome opinions. It cannot be denied that any expression of racism or fascism needs to be fully addressed (and firmly rejected), but it should be remembered that those who were brutally slain in New Zealand were not killed by "right-wing ideology." They were killed by guns.
The truth, of course, is that in many cases of terrorism, the "ideology" (whether it is right-wing, left-wing, religious, or something else) that supposedly serves as a prime motive is mere window dressing, nothing more than a clumsy excuse for an evil person to engage in wanton mayhem for its own sake. Malicious people who openly promote repugnant beliefs are everywhere nowadays, and can never be completely suppressed within the framework of a free nation, but they should not be permitted to possess firearms that will allow them to act out the worst elements of their baleful mentality in a grievous manner, with fatal harm to others.
The citizens of New Zealand have been given a bitter opportunity to learn the grim lesson that most citizens of the United States have adamantly refused to learn, which is that when guns are readily available, it is sickeningly inevitable that gruesome instances of mass bloodshed will result. In the bleak hours after the shootings, the Prime Minister, in her comments to the press, did convey an impression of being strongly determined to bring about a necessary change in the control of firearms. If New Zealanders fail to learn from the horror in Christchurch, they will be sorry in the long run, and will have only themselves to blame.