With sadness in my heart, I recount yesterday's experiences in the wake of the senseless murders of more than 50 souls, in two mosques in our sister-city of Christchurch, New Zealand. I do this, not for ghoulish motives or self-agrandisement, but that I might receive corrective instruction and that, together, we might be better prepared to face this far-right onslaught of the fascists, nationalists and populists.

Social media is a new phenomenon that history cannot help us with.  We are learning how to combat the far-right - which tactics work and which tactics play into their hands.

Yesterday morning, this incident was fresh in our minds, having been lambasted overnight by the electronic, mass media's sensationalism and a lack of rules/protocols about what to broadcast and what to suppress.  From an incident only hours old, this deluge was unedited, unsequenced and without qualification - as raw as could possibly be.  So, yesterday morning, I wasn't surprised to find among my social media contacts, quite a number of distressed and overwhelmed contacts.  These aren't casual contacts, in the main they are experienced, rational, professional people but the deluge had wreaked its havoc and done its damage.

Amongst their knee-jerk responses was the need to express anger, to lash out and propose actions that would be self-destructive and harmful to others.  Also a self-doubt, to jettison their personal, long-held beliefs and to take up populist causes being proposed by others.  To which I responded regularly throughout the day, "Give the fascists no air, give them no platform'.

As the day unfolded, I started to receive a few challenges for being too passive.  My response was to recognise that this was a full-on attack by the far right, to be met with my exhortation not to waver; to 'hold the line - stand firm'.

Which is where we are today, as rational minds re-emerge, as those with responsibilities for public safety and law and order take charge, and as the machinery of justice clicks into gear.

Please spare a prayer for the families and friends of Christchurch's fallen.
chris