Manipulation of Difference.

Christchurch Massacre

We live in a hyper individualized, hyper differentiated world. In a world where Donald

Trump’s hateful rhetoric inspires people across the world to go and kill, simply because of their
differences and the invented meaning etched in that difference. People in positions of power are
adept to reading and manipulating these differences to gain or maintain power. in spite of all the
effort to divide, people are still able to galvanise and create major change. Just as the different
communities of Christchurch were able to come together after facing such a horrific incident.
The 28 year Australian born suspect who shot and killed dozens of Muslims in
Christchurch New Zealand published a 74 page manifesto in which he praised trump as a
“symbol of renewed white and common purpose”.
Difference is very real and we see it everyday from the color of our skin, our sex,
religion, the type of music we like listening to, and whether or not we even like listening to
music. But the meaning attributed to that difference doesn’t hold true, and yet it’s taught from
generation to generation. A perpetual cycle learned from those who love us most, our teachers,
coaches, hospitals, and media we so readily consume. To the extent that it feels as though it’s
literally transcribed into the fabric of our society. No one, is one thing, based on their difference.
No man, woman, or child is bad because they’re Black, smart because they’re Asian, in a gang
because they’re Latin, or terrorist because they’re Muslim. We are all very complicated beings,
living under very complicated circumstances. There lies more difference within one of these
groups than across them. A person can have more things in common with a person that’s
“different” from them, than a person that they share physical characteristics with. But the
engagement needed to-not minimize- but understand these differences are hindered due to
ignorance and strategic ploys to divide. Humans, naturally are ignorant to things they’re not
familiar with or things that they don't know, and it is through this ignorance that fear and hatred
are concocted; thus putting an even greater wedge between people. From this distance “other”
people are easily seen as different. So different that when they’re mistreated or even murdered
it can seem as though it’s just the natural order of things because naturally they’re “bad” people!
People in positions of power are adept to reading and manipulating these differences to gain or
maintain power. But it seems as though in spite of all the effort to divide, people are still able to
galvanise and create major change. Just as the different communities of Christchurch were able
to come together after facing such a horrific incident.