What makes the shootings even more horrific is that terrorism isn’t something New Zealanders have much experience with — especially when the terrorist is a bigoted hater who lived among them (though he is Australian).
But if Americans have learned any lessons from similar incidents they include these: Bad things happen to good people; hate is intolerable, no matter who is doing the hating; and liberties, once surrendered, are not easily recovered.
Following the shootings, the New Zealand government has already begun to consider restrictive new gun control measures, specifically, bans on semi-automatic rifles like the one used by the killer, Brenton Tarrant.
What’s more, in the government’s efforts to learn more about the attacks — that is, beyond what Tarrant provided in a rambling 74-page manifesto already — authorities are ready to trample additional rights.
As The Gateway Pundit reports, it took the New Zealand government less than 24 hours to shut down Internet access to VOAT and 8chan, online chat rooms that serve as principle forums of opposition to the Deep State (which is global, by the way). It should be noted here that New Zealand is a member of the “Five Eyes” Western intelligence network that includes the United States, Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
In addition, authorities are demanding personal information on any online user at the Kiwifarms website who engaged in any discussions of Tarrant’s disturbing manifesto.
https://twitter.com/nickmon1112/status/1107278662687211521
https://twitter.com/nickmon1112/status/1107295984990765057
New Zealand isn’t the U.S., so it’s easy to understand the tendency to react strongly to what has happened. But destroying democracy to save it isn’t a strategy that will work out long term.
All the gun bans in the world aren’t going to stop evil people from doing evil things. As for Tarrant, he reportedly was a known gun owner because he had applied for, and received, a firearms license.
Don’t give up essential liberties for temporary security
Even the Washington Post has acknowledged that:
Tarrant obtained a license in November 2017 for the guns that police say were used in the shootings at the two mosques; he began purchasing the weapons that December, according to officials, and at least some of them had been modified.
New Zealand-based Newsroom also reported:
Tarrant was in possession of five firearms. He held a basic, Category A New Zealand gun licence, and had likely used it to legally purchase the semi-automatic weapons. It is understood he then went on to illegally modify the AR15 semi-automatic with large magazines.
Also, gun owners in the country appear to jealously guard their rights as much as Americans do; Newsroom acknowledged that despite Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s promise that “gun laws will change,” it won’t be simple.
As for cracking down on privacy, that isn’t something that countries wedded to democratic principles tend to tolerate, nor should they. Once governments find it easy to tread upon civil and human rights, then it will become far easier to simply take them away. And once that happens, the only way, historically, such rights have been restored is violently, after many people die. (Related: The possibility for civil discourse is OVER in America… “vote and buy guns” says former federal prosecutor, because the Left has gone lawless.)
Evil people will always walk the Earth, unfortunately. But they will be in the minority, subjugated by great governments and advanced civilizations that refuse to allow the actions of an evil few to destroy what they have built.
Founding father Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Founder Thomas Jefferson added, “Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.”
Read more about the dangers to liberty posed by evil at Liberty.news and Evil.news.
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