New Zealand bans publication of murderer's manifesto

[LoboGunLeather]

New Zealand bans terror suspect's racist manifesto; citizens told to 'destroy any copies'

The government of New Zealand has banned the publication of the "manifesto" written by the alleged mosque shooter/murderer/terror suspect last week.

Much, if not all, of that document has already been widely distributed. This makes me wonder what benefit there might conceivably be in trying to censor the document now.

Thoughts or comments?

 

[LVSteve]

Like governments around the world, they suffer from "Gotta do something-itis".

 

[kwselke]

New Zealand bans terror suspect's racist manifesto; citizens told to 'destroy any copies'

The government of New Zealand has banned the publication of the "manifesto" written by the alleged mosque shooter/murderer/terror suspect last week.

Much, if not all, of that document has already been widely distributed. This makes me wonder what benefit there might conceivably be in trying to censor the document now.

Thoughts or comments?

Doing less might encourage other sick folks to kill in mass to get people to read their 'manifestos'. When I was in Junior High I had to get parental permission to watch Hitler's propaganda films from the late 1930s early 1940s in my history class. Body count is not a good reason for your immediate publication. It probably encourages killing for attention. Just my thoughts.

 

[Absalom]

It’s a reasonable move. There are exemptions in the law for reporting, analysis, and such. And nobody will go to jail for having a copy. But if some sympathizer decides to post it on his webpage or print it and distribute it, because he likes it and wants to encourage followers, they can nail that person and stop that.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Maybe in NZ. Pretty hard to unring the WWW bell . . .

It’s a reasonable move. There are exemptions in the law for reporting, analysis, and such. But if some sympathizer decides to post it on his webpage or print it and distribute it, because he likes it and wants to encourage followers, they can nail that person and stop that.

 

[Rudi]

A lot of chatter on the interwebs that it was a hoax. I have watched some of the videos, it sure looks like the empty cases do indeed vanish in to thin air, not out of frame. CGI makes Star Wars look real. I get more cynical in my old age.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Shades of Ted Kaczynski. Of course, his manifesto is what got him caught, when his brother recognized his writing style and snitched him out. Just what the Feds were hoping when they had it published, although I seem to recall some controversy over whether it should be published at all.

I guess I prefer to see these things get an airing, as the First Amendment provides. “Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend.”

Of course, these things could be seized upon by copycats, but I doubt any of them would tip somebody over into violence who was not already pretty far down that path.

 

[Onomea]

I like the move. The killer’s motivation, I assume, was to be heard. Granted, it is already out there, but I still like the effort. I also like how the NZ PM refuses to say his name.

 

[Absalom]

Maybe in NZ. Pretty hard to unring the WWW bell . . .

As I said, the point is not to keep anything secret. People who actively look for it will find it.

But the poison of the web is repetition and amplification, especially to the gullible and impressionable who are the prime targets of this kind of propaganda of any stripe, from supremacists to ISIS.

And if there are tools, that can be fought successfully.

 

[Gundalow]

Saw what appears to be a portion of the video taken by the terrorist. It begins with him arriving at the mosque and includes the massacre at the first mosque. I forwarded to my local law enforcement agency for situational awareness training. If this is indeed the actual video, the terrorist appeared to be well trained and I suspect that if first responders arrived while he was at the mosque he would have taken a few out. However, and in my mind regrettably, our politicians will not allow our citizens to view this video. Not sure why, think of the blood and gore routinely disseminated via television, video games, or movie theatres. The Hollywood created carnage includes recreation of actual events, such as historic battles or serial killers, so why not the real thing, which actually doesn’t have as much gore?
The conclusion I drew from watching the carnage is that one must either escape or attack with whatever weapon is available (chair, coat rack) or bare hands. Huddling in the corner is a death sentence, as demonstrated several times in the short video, a video that our government will not release. While it’s very sad and despicable what happened to innocents in New Zealand, should not the government use this video as part of a training initiative for citizens; demonstrating what may happen if they are involved in a terror attack? Seeing the actual assault will have a more chilling and lasting impression on potential victims than a 1 week story on the news, with an airhead commentator reading from a script as to what may have happened. Rest assured if one views this video, they will instinctively know, and never forget, their only options are flight, and if that is not possible, attack the predator.

 

[Onomea]

Gundalow, I understand your opinion, and believe it has merit, but I disagree.

I think the main reason I do, disagree, is that the victims, unlike the movies, are real people. Were it my child, father, mother, brother, sister, wife... being shot, being killed, I would find it very painful for their deaths, their moment of dying, to be shown on the internet.

In addition, as I commented above, I am in favor of denying, to the extent possible, the killer the notoriety he sought. He was wearing a head cam, was well versed in social media, and sought maximum exposure.

At a minimum, I will deny him my own attention to his name or his video.

 

[Wise_A]

I also like how the NZ PM refuses to say his name.

I think it's absolutely hilarious that people presume mass killers care what "normies" think of them. Yes, they crave notoriety and recognition, but generally within their own extremist or sociopathic circles. Read up on mass shooters and "incel" internet culture. The guys that do the research are wrong in arguing there's some kind of a connection, however--dirt just tends to collect in crevasses.

 

[Breakaway500]

Execute him by guillotine publicly. End of story.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Here's an article from the New Zealand Herald which explains the banning of the manifesto in good detail. I've been reading the Herald randomly since the shooting, and find it to be a pretty good news source. I'm sure Kiwi Cop could offer a better position on its reliability.

Alleged Christchurch terror attacker's manifesto banned - NZ Herald

 

[Telecaster]

On the same basis we should ban the Koran and Mein Kampf. What other books should we burn?

Words don’t kill people, people kill people.

I watched the video, and I thought it was odd that not a single drop of blood was visible.

 

[Telecaster]

I have no interest in reading his manifesto, but I’ve read Steven King novels and that guy is a sicko too.

 

[Gundalow]

Onomeo

Fully understand and respect your position on this horrific event.

 

[GRT3031]

they (heads of state in France, Canada, NZ, Germany, Australia etc.) don't want his manifesto out there because the guy is a total leftist / socialist like they are, and he claimed he did it because he wants gun control in NZ and the US.

Instead they want the messaging to be that the bad guy was a conservative white nationalist.

 

[GRT3031]

I honestly can't believe the responses here. If you don't want to see it, change the channel or don't look it up on the web. If you don't want to read the sicko's manifesto, then don't.

Why is video of the 9/11 attacks played over and over again, where people leap to their deaths to avoid being burned to death, and no one calls for that to be censored?

That NZ PM is an abomination.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

I sometimes make fun of the First Amendment, advocating that it be given the same respect as the Second (30-day waiting periods, background checks, may-issue permits, offer not valid where prohibited et cetera), but I think it is generally best FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE