I awoke to hear the shocking news of the shootings in Christchurch this morning :(. My thoughts are with fellow forum members who live in NZ. The World is a sad and crazy place at times.
Seconded, Steve.
Very sad, indeed. :(
Cheers - Phil
Shocking, there are some mad people in this world!
Thank you for your thoughts
I think all New Zealanders are struggling with something like this happening in our country and particularly in Christchurch that has suffered so much in the last 8 years or so from the earthquakes
My son's work is close to where one of the 'alleged' offenders was apprehend, his work along with all schools and may other offices in Christchurch were in lockdown for over four hours
As he drove home he got to see the bomb squad robot approaching the 'alleged' offender's vehicle, it has been confirmed that there was an IED in the vehicle that has since been disarmed
As-salāmu ʿalaykum
Quote from: sunjester on 15 March 2019, 07:23:36 AM
Shocking, there are some mad people in this world!
Sadly, far,
far too many, SJ. :(
Quote from: paulr on 15 March 2019, 07:42:38 AM
As-salāmu ʿalaykum
And you, Paul.
Cheers - Phil
Unbelievable. When I first heard my first thought was " in N. Zealand?. That can't be right"
Very very sad and truly shocked
Words fail me.....it is as our PM put it "One of New Zealand's darkest days" :( :( :(
Please say a prayer for all those departed and never let this happen again anywhere.
I am not usually that philosophical, but tonight a bit of Tennyson seems to sum it up well:
"Though much is taken, much abides; and though we are not that strength that which in olden days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.
One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To strive, to seek to find and not to yield"
Kia Kaha!!
Peter
Just heard my three granddaughters are OK, school was locked down, but they are home now. Thanks be to God.
Desperate news. The worry now is not only for the recovery of the injured, and for the families of the deceased and injured, but what this may mean for the future safety of New Zealanders. Thankfully, the sensible and resolute human beings outnumber the insane ones and as long as that lasts there is hope.
From someone 'across the ditch' I am horrified by what has occurred - even more so that it may be one of ours that has been behind it.
My thoughts are tonight with all Kiwis and especially with those who have lost their lives.
Richard
Quote from: Ben Waterhouse on 15 March 2019, 08:58:20 AM
Just heard my three granddaughters are OK, school was locked down, but they are home now. Thanks be to God.
Glad they're OK. If there IS a god, he'll have to answer for the ones he chose not to save, however.
The worst part : he livestreamed his attack on internet. The videos is around. Not intending to ever watch it.
And he used " memes " music and said " subscribe to Pewdiepie " before the massacre. : that's the level of madness we are facing.
Someone said " Humanity wasn't ready for internet. "
Horrible news.
Really horrible.
Shocked, saddened but, sadly in this day and age, not surprised.
Quote from: FierceKitty on 15 March 2019, 10:00:52 AM
Glad they're OK. If there IS a god, he'll have to answer for the ones he chose not to save, however.
That was deeply unnecessary, I'll leave it there.
That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.
Quote from: FierceKitty on 15 March 2019, 03:42:04 PM
That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.
If you want to attack my religion you are no better than the terrorists in Christchurch.
I don't want to attack your religion. I want people to remember the way religion leads to bloodshed. Silence is complicity.
Thoughts to everyone in NZ right now. Both of my nephews are at Uni in Christchurch so there were a few nervy hours last night until we heard that they were safe.
As a person of faith I offer prayers for the families of the victims and for the small and peaceful nation of New Zealand.
Peace and Grace to all here.
Quote from: FierceKitty on 15 March 2019, 04:11:28 PM
I don't want to attack your religion. I want people to remember the way religion leads to bloodshed. Silence is complicity.
You just did attack my religion, atheism leads to much more death and bloodshed to which you are wholly complicit.
I don't think is the thread for a religious debate guys.
Absolutely right, Leon !!
Cheers - Phil.
Agreed
hello All
Don't usually comment on these types of posts but I've had close connections with Kiwis for over 40 years (and since I've got absolutely zero interest in Rugby union, always happy), it breaks my heart to see that this cancer has crept to NZ. Hopefully this can lead to sanity through the world.
Still very impressed with your PM and want to clone her and dump our wishy-washy guys.
Probably sit and reflect today.
GrumpyOldMan
Out and about in Wellington today - the "mood" is definitely more sombre and guarded here after yesterday. Things are going to change here in response to what happened.
My eldest son is keen to go to Canterbury Uni next year, but after yesterday I am not so sure...
Got a game tonight but checked in to make sure we're still going ahead. But we can't let events such as yesterday's dictate our lives - "keep calm and carry on"
Be good to catch up with the others as its been a week of ups and downs for me.
I must say as a French, you sadly just adapt to the idea.
Just a lot more soldiers and policemen in the streets.
The trauma is real, you look around you in the most public places, but you go on with your lives. (if you don't lose someone close to you)
I guess after a while it is just like a " fact " of life : I mean plenty of people live in sismic regions and don't think everyday they might die in an earthquake.
I don't really know if it helps, probably not, but it is just an observation.
I'm kiwi. Its been a difficult couple of days dealing with the horror visited on the folks in CHC. Very uncharacteristic for the homeland. Sadness amplified as some folks there had arrived seeking refuge from places of violence.
So very sadly predicable...... :(
Now, some nutter's opened fire on a tram in Utrecht.
Someone who thought the Christchurch shooting was a great idea ? X_X....or someone taking 'revenge'. ? X_X
Makes you weep !!
In Despair - Phil
Yep, utter despair at present :(.
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" :(
So very sad :(
Quote from: Ithoriel on 18 March 2019, 01:31:18 PM
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" :(
Cc the human race.
It has been a little odd here in Auckland. I lived and worked in London during the IRA's campaigns of the late 80s & 90s, being evacuated more than once due to bomb scares. I thought I had become somewhat inured to it all, even when the office I worked at in Hackney received a suspect package, it seemed like nothing too unusual. But this weeks events have hit me harder than any of that ever did. Maybe because I am older, maybe it's because our little pacific bubble has been burst and were right back in the middle of the sh*t that was London. My wife's office was evacuated the other day, apparently TVNZ had received a bomb threat.
This is not the kind of society I wish to live in
"Casual racism" is a term that you hear used a lot, many people don't like the term but it is rife in New Zealand. In the press, on the radio even the Deputy PM - perhaps not so casual from him though. These events have made me think about comments you hear people make and ignore. At the last club day I was at in February, a couple of the guys made some remarks, perhaps they thought they were jokes, about "muslim bombers" as well as later referring to "lazy Maoris", the usual ignorant stereotypical comments the right wing press is full of. I chose to ignore them, I'm still relatively new at the club,I didn't want to create a scene... Not anymore, I think silence encourages ignorance, I will be challenging bigots wherever I meet them. If that causes me to lose a few "friends" then so what?
The society I want to live in is one where ignorance and bigotry do not prosper, and I will do what I can to try to achieve that.
Cheers
Ian
Nicely put, Ian.
You don't need friends like that anyway.
Cheers - Phil.
We used to have a gamer at my club in Cape Town who was so racist we suspected he'd been asked to leave the KKK for his views. He was also a doddery old duffer that nobody had the heart to tell off. Awkward.
Who wants a bigot for a friend.
You mean the Doctor, do you?