Late last week, our neighbours over in New Zealand experienced a very dark day, at the hands of an Australian man. I’m talking of course, about the Christchurch massacre.
49 people were killed at two mosques, gunned down by an Islamophobic terrorist. A further 48 were wounded, and the killer livestreamed 16 minutes of the rampage.

This is a fucking frightening thing.

The way in which social media was used by the gunman is downright chilling. We live in a hyper-connected world, and the internet is being wielded by terrible people, for terrible reasons. People are being urged not to share any of the killer’s online advertisements, in the forms of manifestos or videos, yet people are going to seek it out, because people are drawn to the macabre and the gory. People are going to want to see it, because humans are naturally curious, and “need to know”.
If we cave in to that curiosity, the killer wins.

I’m heartbroken for the people who lost their lives. I’m heartbroken for their families, and I’m heartbroken for the innocence lost from anybody who thought “it can’t happen here.” The original target for the killing spree was Dunedin, a small city down south, populated heavily by university students. Dunedin never would have expected such an attack, nor would Christchurch.
If we lose our sense of safety in our cities, the killer wins.

How awful for Christchurch, a community only a few years past some truly devastating earthquakes, to be in the news for something just as tragic, so soon. May this city lean on each other, and once again forge through adversity as a bonded community, just like they have done before.

We’re so very sorry and heartbroken that you have to endure more tragedy, Christchurch.

Love, Akika xoxoxoxo