Christchurch
I was horrified at the mass shooting that took place last Friday in Christchurch. In the US, we are all too familiar with these acts of terror and the shock and numbness that follows each one. It has become a sick joke that politicians offer “thoughts and prayers,” but the government does little more to make any effective change. (At this point, and to be fair, I have to give Trump a little credit for banning bump stocks, though I wonder if there has been any effort to reclaim the bump stocks that are already out there.)
If you watched our RNZ interview, you know that mass shootings in schools was one of the driving forces out of the United States for us. We were appalled at the lengths schools must go through to (poorly) protect students from radicalized people with guns. And I offered a very brief overview of how New Zealand gun laws here as well, but all of that is about to change.
Unlike in the United States, politicians are actively pursuing gun control measures and have a history of doing so after serious incidents. To be fair, this approach works better - though it is far from perfect. The last mass shooting in New Zealand took place in 1990 when a man named David Grey used a semi-automatic weapon to kill thirteen people and injured three more. This tragedy led to tightening gun control laws in 1992 and the creation of a special, military-grade weapons category that required additional endorsements and vetting than a standard firearms license.
There have been efforts over the past decade or so to further tighten gun control measures in New Zealand, but until now, few changes have been adopted despite calls by the New Zealand Police Association that updates were badly needed. However, the current Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has promised new legislation within ten days. TEN DAYS. Can you imagine anything happening that fast in the United States? A few things make this possible.
A parliamentary system means there is a majority in power that can get things done. In the U.S., there is no guarantee of a majority, and, in fact, the system is designed to prevent a majority from coming into power. The separation of powers means there is a high likelihood that there will be roadblocks and conflict at every turn. In New Zealand, in order to have a government, there has to be a coalition to create a majority. There is a built-in incentive to negotiate and work with other political parties (of which there are several) to form that majority.
New Zealand has already done a lot of groundwork on how best to refine firearm laws. This isn’t something that must be done from scratch. Changes have been debated and proposed since 2010 so there is a wealth of knowledge ready and waiting.
I’m also thrilled that the Prime Minister and press aren’t stating the shooter’s name here. As Jacinda said, “He may seek notoriety, but we in New Zealand will give him nothing, not even his name.” In New Zealand, people involved in the criminal justice system usually have name suppression in the courts until a judge releases that order. I was surprised that his name was even out there, until it became clear that it was inevitable given his use of Facebook and an Australian press release. I believe it is an important step to deny the perpetrators of these horrible acts any of the notoriety they are looking for. I am also glad that the New Zealand Herald stopped publishing pictures of him flashing a white power hand signal once readers commented on their mistake the first day. There is a community effort to erase any message this man may want to send. It is a wonderful thing to see.
As I continue to process the tragedy in Christchurch and New Zealand continues to respond, I’ll keep this updated. I can only hope that New Zealand will set the standard for how to respond with empathy, love, and action to prevent anything like this from ever happening on our little slice of the Pacific again.
