There is a 95-year-old man in New Zealand who happens to be a World War II veteran, and who took four different buses in order to stand up and protest against racism.
Indeed, in the aftermath of the mosque shootings targeting Muslims, he was so disturbed that he could not sleep well, and decided to do something about it. As much as he could, anyway.
John Sato told Radio New Zealand:
“I stayed awake quite a lot of the night and I didn’t sleep too well ever since, you know. I thought it was so sad. You can feel the suffering of other people.
“I think it is such a tragedy and, yet, it has the other side,” Sato said, referring to the terror attack. “It has put people together.
"It doesn’t matter what their race or anything. People have suddenly realized we are all one. We care for each other."
He talked about how taking the bus is much more comfortable than walking, although he received a break from both by a policeman:
“A policeman took me all the way home and waited down there until he saw me get up the stairs. He was very kind.
“That tragedy in Christchurch, ;ook what it brought out in the people.”
Once again, I feel it almost goes without saying that Americans can learn a thing or two from people of other countries. This is the appropriate response to a horrific mass shooting, being so horrified by senseless violence that you actually do something about it, and people - complete strangers, really - coming together. Somehow, though, it almost goes without saying seems to usually translate to not being all that obvious for far too many Americans, who often seem almost numbed to the shock value of massive gun violence, which is far more common in the United States than in any other peacetime, developed nation.
Below is the link to this story, and from which I got all of the quotes used above:
95-year-old man catches four buses to join march against racism BY ARIS FOLLEY - 03/26/19
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