I had a hard time getting in gear Friday morning.
Instead of heading out the door to work, I tarried to water my plants, carefully pruning the leaves past their prime. I gently wiped them with a wet cloth to restore their gleam; almost jealous of the care I was giving them.
The news of two mass shootings at mosques in New Zealand left me numb. To process, I needed quiet.
I cant imagine what it is like to live with a target on your back just because of your faith or nationality.
Many of those slain had sought asylum in New Zealand, fleeing war-torn Syria. All were practicing Muslims.
The alleged perpetrator is a 28-year-old Australian, whose 74-page manifesto, The Great Replacement, hails white supremacy. I have no interest in reading his hate-filled rants or conspiracy theories that allege whites, and specifically Christians, are the real targets of the world.
Among his role models was Dylann Roof, also a young, white extremist who opened fire in an A.M.E. church in Charleston, S.C. in 2015, killing nine black parishioners.
Fridays massacre killed 49.
What is especially horrendous about Fridays terrorist acts is how they were broadcast on social media via a video camera attached to the killers hat, providing the world a live action account of worshippers being slain.
Police requested that Muslims the breadth of New Zealand stay away from mosques for fear more violence may occur.
Close your doors until you hear from us again, police advised.
Thats probably sound advice for Muslims in every Western nation.
The terrorism is especially jarring to New Zealand, a peaceful country whose main form of violence up until Friday had been from
natural disasters such as earthquakes.
Perhaps that is why it became a target, hypothesized Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, saying the attackers chose New Zealand, because we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home for those who share our values.
Adern then issued the stern warning, You may have chosen us. But we utterly reject and condemn you.
