The New Zealand Prime Minister discussed her country's gun laws in the wake of the Texas shooting that left 21 dead
Anna Fox
PUBLISHED Friday 27 May 2022
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed a standing ovation from Harvard University students yesterday who praised her government's diversity, decriminalisation of abortion and gun control laws.
Delivering the annual commencement address to over one thousand students yesterday, Ms Ardern highlighted the urgency for democratic systems and informed debate.
Her visit piles the pressure on US President Joe Biden, as she went to the university only days after the deadly Texas school massacre, which killed 19 students and two teachers.
Ms Ardern accepted loud cheers and a standing ovation, in commendation of her government's crackdown on gun ownership in the aftermath of the 2019 mosque attacks in Christchurch.
Ms Ardern received a standing ovation for her gun reform following the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed a standing ovation from Harvard University students yesterday who praised her government's diversity, decriminalisation of abortion and gun control laws.
Delivering the annual commencement address to over one thousand students yesterday, Ms Ardern highlighted the urgency for democratic systems and informed debate.
Her visit piles the pressure on US President Joe Biden, as she went to the university only days after the deadly Texas school massacre, which killed 19 students and two teachers.
Ms Ardern accepted loud cheers and a standing ovation, in commendation of her government's crackdown on gun ownership in the aftermath of the 2019 mosque attacks in Christchurch.
Ms Ardern received a standing ovation for her gun reform following the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019.
POOL New
US President Joe Biden Henry Nicholls
When speaking to the students, Ms Ardern said: "We knew we needed significant gun reform, and so that is what we did.
“But we also knew that if we wanted genuine solutions to the issue of violent extremism online, it would take government, civil society and the tech companies themselves to change the landscape."
Her comments come as pressure mounts on the White House to act in the wake of the shooting.
US journalist Megyn Kelly criticised Mr Biden on GB News earlier this week, saying that his role should be "comforter in chief" in the wake of such an atrocity.
Joe Biden calls for US 'to stand up to the gun lobby' with at least 19 children dead in Texas school shooting
Combating online extremism remained a key theme present in Ms Ardern's address, alongside the issue of defence democracy.
She called on tech companies to increase monitoring of social media platforms to prevent the spread of online disinformation and conspiracy theories, in an aim to reduce the rates of radicalisation.
Ms Ardern added: "The time has come for social media companies and other online providers to recognise their power and to act on it."
Ending her address, Ms Ardern acknowledged the need for kindness, and told students to set aside differences with others.
She concluded: "What we do as individuals in these spaces matters too ... we are the richer for our difference, and poorer for our division."
Ms Ardern's government is widely diverse and is comprised of 50 percent women, 20 percent Maori, she added how her deputy is "a proud gay man sitting among several other rainbow parliamentarians".
Following the commencement address, the New Zealand Prime Minister accepted a doctorate of law, as it remains a Harvard tradition for speakers to receive an honorary degree.
US President Joe Biden Henry Nicholls
When speaking to the students, Ms Ardern said: "We knew we needed significant gun reform, and so that is what we did.
“But we also knew that if we wanted genuine solutions to the issue of violent extremism online, it would take government, civil society and the tech companies themselves to change the landscape."
Her comments come as pressure mounts on the White House to act in the wake of the shooting.
US journalist Megyn Kelly criticised Mr Biden on GB News earlier this week, saying that his role should be "comforter in chief" in the wake of such an atrocity.
Joe Biden calls for US 'to stand up to the gun lobby' with at least 19 children dead in Texas school shooting
Combating online extremism remained a key theme present in Ms Ardern's address, alongside the issue of defence democracy.
She called on tech companies to increase monitoring of social media platforms to prevent the spread of online disinformation and conspiracy theories, in an aim to reduce the rates of radicalisation.
Ms Ardern added: "The time has come for social media companies and other online providers to recognise their power and to act on it."
Ending her address, Ms Ardern acknowledged the need for kindness, and told students to set aside differences with others.
She concluded: "What we do as individuals in these spaces matters too ... we are the richer for our difference, and poorer for our division."
Ms Ardern's government is widely diverse and is comprised of 50 percent women, 20 percent Maori, she added how her deputy is "a proud gay man sitting among several other rainbow parliamentarians".
Following the commencement address, the New Zealand Prime Minister accepted a doctorate of law, as it remains a Harvard tradition for speakers to receive an honorary degree.
EDITORIAL
Distractions and agendas aside, US gun reform can be achieved
The Age's View
May 27, 2022
When a gunman shot and killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook, Connecticut, in 2012, many believed it was an act of such shocking evil, even in light of earlier massacres, that the United States would finally act to tighten its gun laws in a bid to prevent future tragedies.
Crosses with the names of Tuesday’s shooting victims are placed outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. CREDIT:AP
The hope was that its major parties would find the bipartisan will to set aside realpolitik for the greater good. That the United States would recognise that its creaky Second Amendment, enshrining the right to bear arms in 1791, was no longer fit for purpose in a society bristling with modern industrial-grade weaponry.
And that it would broadly acknowledge there was a clear – if not blindingly obvious – link between ease of access to guns and the monotonous regularity of mass shootings that are such a blight on its society.
“We’re going to have to come together to meaningful action on this, regardless of the politics,” President Barack Obama stated at the time.
New York City’s then-mayor, Michael Bloomberg, went even further: “Calling for ‘meaningful action’ is not enough. We need immediate action. We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership – not from the White House and not from Congress. That must end today.”
Ten years and countless shootings later, little has changed.
An 18-year-old was able to walk into a gun shop, purchase a military-style semi-automatic weapon and this week essentially reprise the Sandy Hook massacre, taking the lives of 19 young children and two adults at a primary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Once again, most Americans are demanding change. Nobody wants to live in a nation where children must practise drills in case an “active shooter” targets their classroom. Where gun deaths and gun suicide are now the single biggest cause of death for children and adolescents. President Joe Biden asked: “Why are we willing to live with this carnage?”
And yet. Haven’t we heard this all before? There was a sense of optimism after Sandy Hook, that something good could emerge from such darkness. This time, despite the clamour, there is already a depressing acknowledgement that nothing substantive can or will change.
Part of the problem is the powerful gun lobby, including weapons manufacturers and the National Rifle Association, which provide campaign funding for politicians who don’t rock the boat and hound with attack ads those who do.
As most Republicans in the Senate, according to the New York Times, “represent deeply conservative states where gun ownership is treated as a sacred privilege enshrined in the Constitution”, voting with the Democrats to even hint at tweaking gun laws would be career suicide.
Indeed, while it would be extremely difficult to get the numbers to amend the Constitution, there appears to be little appetite to even discuss what the Second Amendment actually means today, given the torrent of hate poured down on any lawmaker, commentator or even grieving parent who dares to suggest revisiting centuries-old legislation.
After Sandy Hook, a push to enact stronger background check legislation almost succeeded thanks to bipartisan support in the Congress but failed in the Senate. There is little to suggest any similar legislation would get through this time, with Republican lawmakers polled by the New York Times falling back on old tropes such as mental health to explain away this week’s tragedy.
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Explainer
Guns in America
Why can’t America fix its gun crisis?
“I’m willing to say that I’m very sorry it happened,” conceded Republican senator Tommy Tuberville. “But guns are not the problem, OK? People are the problem. That’s where it starts - and we’ve had guns forever.”
Another hurdle is the increasingly toxic culture war in which the gun lobby claims it is defending the inalienable rights of people in the name of freedom or the constitution or the American way, and that any move to curtail the free trade of deadly weapons, body armour and ammunition amounts to an attack on the founding fathers.
Pro-gun advocates have tried to deflect calls for gun control by proposing better security at schools, the arming of teachers and more screenings for mental health. Correspondingly, the investigation into the Uvalde, Texas massacre is focusing heavily on what measures had been taken by the school and police to mitigate the actions of the “active shooter”.
This all conveniently distracts from the broader picture that simply restricting the supply of guns has an immediate effect, as we know from our experience in Australia.
After a gunman killed 35 people in the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, the Howard government engineered a national firearms agreement that cracked down on gun ownership and sales, blocked the sale of certain weapons, required mandatory licensing and background checks and bought back thousands of guns. It can be done, in other words.
If you ignore the Second Amendment extremists, there does appear to be a broad will to enact tighter laws in the United States. But because of the electoral system they find themselves saddled with, it will take enormous courage on the part of moderate Republican lawmakers to push through change. We can only hope that, somehow, they find the wherewithal before we find ourselves here again.
Gay Alcorn sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week.
Distractions and agendas aside, US gun reform can be achieved
The Age's View
May 27, 2022
When a gunman shot and killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook, Connecticut, in 2012, many believed it was an act of such shocking evil, even in light of earlier massacres, that the United States would finally act to tighten its gun laws in a bid to prevent future tragedies.
Crosses with the names of Tuesday’s shooting victims are placed outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. CREDIT:AP
The hope was that its major parties would find the bipartisan will to set aside realpolitik for the greater good. That the United States would recognise that its creaky Second Amendment, enshrining the right to bear arms in 1791, was no longer fit for purpose in a society bristling with modern industrial-grade weaponry.
And that it would broadly acknowledge there was a clear – if not blindingly obvious – link between ease of access to guns and the monotonous regularity of mass shootings that are such a blight on its society.
“We’re going to have to come together to meaningful action on this, regardless of the politics,” President Barack Obama stated at the time.
New York City’s then-mayor, Michael Bloomberg, went even further: “Calling for ‘meaningful action’ is not enough. We need immediate action. We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership – not from the White House and not from Congress. That must end today.”
Ten years and countless shootings later, little has changed.
An 18-year-old was able to walk into a gun shop, purchase a military-style semi-automatic weapon and this week essentially reprise the Sandy Hook massacre, taking the lives of 19 young children and two adults at a primary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Once again, most Americans are demanding change. Nobody wants to live in a nation where children must practise drills in case an “active shooter” targets their classroom. Where gun deaths and gun suicide are now the single biggest cause of death for children and adolescents. President Joe Biden asked: “Why are we willing to live with this carnage?”
And yet. Haven’t we heard this all before? There was a sense of optimism after Sandy Hook, that something good could emerge from such darkness. This time, despite the clamour, there is already a depressing acknowledgement that nothing substantive can or will change.
Part of the problem is the powerful gun lobby, including weapons manufacturers and the National Rifle Association, which provide campaign funding for politicians who don’t rock the boat and hound with attack ads those who do.
As most Republicans in the Senate, according to the New York Times, “represent deeply conservative states where gun ownership is treated as a sacred privilege enshrined in the Constitution”, voting with the Democrats to even hint at tweaking gun laws would be career suicide.
Indeed, while it would be extremely difficult to get the numbers to amend the Constitution, there appears to be little appetite to even discuss what the Second Amendment actually means today, given the torrent of hate poured down on any lawmaker, commentator or even grieving parent who dares to suggest revisiting centuries-old legislation.
After Sandy Hook, a push to enact stronger background check legislation almost succeeded thanks to bipartisan support in the Congress but failed in the Senate. There is little to suggest any similar legislation would get through this time, with Republican lawmakers polled by the New York Times falling back on old tropes such as mental health to explain away this week’s tragedy.
RELATED ARTICLE
Explainer
Guns in America
Why can’t America fix its gun crisis?
“I’m willing to say that I’m very sorry it happened,” conceded Republican senator Tommy Tuberville. “But guns are not the problem, OK? People are the problem. That’s where it starts - and we’ve had guns forever.”
Another hurdle is the increasingly toxic culture war in which the gun lobby claims it is defending the inalienable rights of people in the name of freedom or the constitution or the American way, and that any move to curtail the free trade of deadly weapons, body armour and ammunition amounts to an attack on the founding fathers.
Pro-gun advocates have tried to deflect calls for gun control by proposing better security at schools, the arming of teachers and more screenings for mental health. Correspondingly, the investigation into the Uvalde, Texas massacre is focusing heavily on what measures had been taken by the school and police to mitigate the actions of the “active shooter”.
This all conveniently distracts from the broader picture that simply restricting the supply of guns has an immediate effect, as we know from our experience in Australia.
After a gunman killed 35 people in the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, the Howard government engineered a national firearms agreement that cracked down on gun ownership and sales, blocked the sale of certain weapons, required mandatory licensing and background checks and bought back thousands of guns. It can be done, in other words.
If you ignore the Second Amendment extremists, there does appear to be a broad will to enact tighter laws in the United States. But because of the electoral system they find themselves saddled with, it will take enormous courage on the part of moderate Republican lawmakers to push through change. We can only hope that, somehow, they find the wherewithal before we find ourselves here again.
Gay Alcorn sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week.
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