Kia Kaha, Christchurch

Another heinous mass murder hits the headlines. The echos of such deeds have shocked our societies for so long now that we are becoming virtually immune to their revelations, no longer shocked to the bone as we once were. This time, however, the now virtually surreal disclosures are closer to our antipodean homes, just across the ‘ditch’, in New Zealand’s once serene and historic city of Christchurch.  In the course of a few minutes, a single gunman entered a peaceful place of worship and cold bloodedly fired at men, women and children, gathered with the common objective of Friday prayer, bound by a common faith. 

To date, 50 dead and 39 injured, their communion suddenly and irrationally resulting in their being innocent recipients of a deranged homegrown monster's evil venom; his extreme views of nazi-like right wing supremacy reportedly published on social media and sent by email in a multi-page manifesto to a few chosen dignitary recipients, a few minutes prior to his ultimate act of obliteration. 

Only a few short years ago, while on a prolonged vacation in New Zealand, my wife and I sat peacefully in a flat bottomed boat while we were gently punted along the Avon River, which meanders through Christchurch's Botanic Gardens and North Hadley Park. This beautiful and serene locality is now infamous for being so close to this utterly senseless and horribly graphic scene of “man’s inhumanity to man”. 

Yet, I have absolutely no doubt that this city, and it’s buoyantly stoic people of mixed origins and religions, will get through this, just as, only ‘yesterday’, they got through the devastating earthquake and its hundreds of aftershocks that levelled so many of it’s historic buildings and raised the same rhetorical question

“Why here, why now, why us?” 

But for now, Christchurch can only come together again and jointly weep at the utter pointlessness of this slaying, eventually perhaps taking some solice in the fact that there are so many thoughts from around the world, all wishing for the recovery of those who have been left behind and who have been so unfairly and so undeservedly thrust upon the world stage.  

Jacinta Ardern, Prime Minister of our Kiwi cousins, spoke last night, not only on behalf of her country, but for all fair minded and community spirited citizens of the world, when she stated:

"Our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have been impacted today. Christchurch was the home of these victims. For many, this may not have been the place they were born. In fact, for many, New Zealand was their choice.
The place they actively came to, and committed themselves to. The place they were raising their families, where they were part of communities who they loved and who loved them. It was a place that many came to for its safety. A place where they were free to practice their culture and their religion.
For those of you who are watching at home tonight, and questioning how this could have happened here, we -- New Zealand -- we were not a target because we are a safe harbor for those who hate. We were not chosen for this act of violence because we condone racism, because we are an enclave for extremism. We were chosen for the very fact that we are none of these things. Because we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home for those who share our values, refuge for those who need it. And those values, I can assure you, will not, and cannot, be shaken by this attack.
We are a proud nation of more than 200 ethnicities, 160 languages. And amongst that diversity we share common values. And the one that we place the currency on right now -- and tonight -- is our compassion and support for the community of those directly affected by this tragedy.
And secondly, the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology of the people who did this.
You may have chosen us -- but we utterly reject and condemn you."Jacinta Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand

New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, hugs a mourner outside a mosque after her return to Wellington (Photograph: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images).  

It is indeed rare these days for our politicians and world leaders to have so much unpretentious empathy for their electorate and to convey their emotions with such fitting eloquence and feeling. 

The title photograph depicts the Kiwi Silver Fern displayed last night on the Sydney Opera House 'sails' in an open demonstration of grief, no doubt spiced with some shame and bewilderment that the alleged gunman hails from northern NSW.

When not researching the weird or the wonderful, the comical or the cultured, the sinful or the serious, I chase my creative side, the results of which can be seen as selected photographs of my travels on my website at:

http://ken-boddie.squarespace.com

The author of the above, Ken Boddie, besides being a sometime poet and occasional writer, is an enthusiastic photographer, rarely leisure-travelling without his Canon, and loves to interact with other like-minded people with diverse interests.

Ken's three day work week (part time commitment) as a consulting engineer allows him to follow his photography interests, and to plan trips to an ever increasing list of countries and places of scenic beauty and cultural diversity.