Christchurch Terrorist attacks- what the NZ government can do to stop future hate based terror attacks like this.

On Friday, March the 15th, everyone woke up in New Zealand thinking it was going to be just a normal Friday as usual- people going to bars and drinking after work, kids exicited for the weekend, and Muslims going to their prayers. However, what no one knew was that for some, Friday would be their very last day alive. No one was to know in the morning they would wake up to New Zealand’s deadliest and most horrific terrorist attack ever. Just after 1.30 pm, New Zealand’s deadliest massacre had taken place, killing at least 50 people.

This attack has had a horrifying impact on New Zealand and has shaken people all around New Zealand. The terror alert had been raised to high after this tragic event, and people are more alert of their surroundings. It has also affected Christchurch in terms of tourism- a lot of people have been put off from visiting since the deadly attack.

What can the government do now?

The government can ban certain types of guns, including rifles and sawn off shotguns, ban certain material from New Zealand — especially alt right wing propaganda. Our Prime Minister should take action against Facebook and Twitter, both of whom allow violent and extremely hateful content on their sites. Sites like 4chan, 8chan, bitchute, gab and dissenter should be banned from New Zealand cyberspace. New Zealand should also change it’s anti bullying laws. Currently, inciting someone to kill themselves as well as online bullying is a prisonable offence by two to three years. But the government should introduce new anti bullying laws relating to cyberspace that include hate speech- misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and racism. Anyone inciting violence online based on race or gender should be sentenced to a minimum of 5 or more years in prison, as hate speech often has dangerous, or fatal consequences (like the christchurch massacre). Restaurants should be made to remove racist names from their food and drink menu and change their business name if it is found to be racist and business owners be educated on how dangerous racism is.

What about gun laws?

My opinion is that gun purchasing age should, first of all, be raised to 21 or, even better, 25. A valid alcohol ID (HANZ 18+) or a driver’s license or passport should NO longer be accepted as acceptable ID- in fact, it should be required for those to have a proper Firearms ID, and make it harder for those to get ID. They have to go through very tough background checks, pass a gun test or exam in regards to using guns properly — and acceptable use, and additionally, have a license. Licenses for guns should also have their prices raised. Additionally, the government should limit the amount of gun shops each city can have as well as limit accessibility to gun sites on the internet. 3D printing of guns should be made illegal.

What about social media laws and commenting on sites- especially news sites?

As above, clearly the social media giants need to be held to account. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, should be given a deadline to remove hateful and violent content or risk a heavy fine, as well as gaming sites like Roblox, minecraft, steam, origin should be made to remove games which depict terrorism in a very harmful way. In addition to what I have said above, anonymity for commenting on ALL sites- especially news sites should no longer be an option, and people should be made to upload a proper government issued ID to verify themselves- either a passport, HANZ 18+ or a drivers license should be required for ID verification in order to comment, and moderation filter should be tightened. VPN’s should either be regulated or downright banned from New Zealand. Groups like pegida as well as groups involving misogyny should be heavily monitored by the New Zealand government, and be shut down if necessary.

What about visas to New Zealand and border security?

The government should completely ban notorious white supremacists from entering New Zealand (for example, Milo Yiannopoulos, Tommy Robinson and Christopher Cantwell) as well as people involved or are a member of notorious white supremacy groups i.e the Ku Klux Klan. For people like Lauren Southern, and Stefan Molyneux, it would be my recommendation that New Zealand does not issue them with a visa either. And border security should toughen up on security- anyone suspicious, they should impose tough questions and question their travel movements, as well as checking weather they have had prior criminal convictions and monitoring them once they are in the country if needed. Anyone who is found to be a member of an incel or a white supremacist movement should not be allowed into New Zealand.

What about hunters, farmers and pest controllers?

Farmers and hunters SHOULD go through a rigorous background check, and should be made to pay more for guns and gun licenses and should they break the law, or a contract, their gun licences should be revoked. There are so many types of poisons available at the disposal of people who work in the pest control industry. You don’t need to look far for biological means — so many plants in New Zealand are indeed poisonous, including black nightshades, foxglove and belladonna (and many of these are pests to New Zealand’s natural environment). And there are both benefits to the public’s safety as well as the environment when pest controllers kill weeds and extract poison from them and use it to kill rabbits and other pests instead of guns. And they could use the poison as bait (with warnings to the public — “DO NOT TOUCH, KEEP PETS AND CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE AREA- POISON BAITS IN USE”). Pest controllers do not need guns. Biological weapons like natural poison or even chemical gas (like capsaicin- the neurotoxin found in chillies) can be good. Or viruses that only affects rabbits and pest animals could be introduced. Vineyards in New Zealand (i.e Wither Hills) could use poison instead of employing people with guns to kill pests is a good start and the same goes for people doing fruit and vegetable farming (horticulture).

Remember with the right steps, New Zealand can at least minimize, and massively reduce the risk of another major terrorist attack, if not prevent entirely.