It seems like New Zealand needs a bit of a reminder.

Yeah, I understand that...

But when people act like assholes, that's actually the most important time to remember that they're human just like everyone else. I'm NOT defending those comments, they are vile.

But for the most part, they don't honestly think your friends don't deserve to live here. Like all irrational dislikes for strangers, dig a little deeper and you'll find that the racism is actually a front for some genuine fears. They're mean because they're scared about something - everyone (every creature!) acts very differently, and often cruelly, when they're scared.

It feels good and right to lash out at them for being racist jerks (for things they say - if they take actions it is a totally different story and I'm not touching that) but doing so makes things worse rather than better - attacking them makes them even more defensive and scared, which in turn reinforces their own tendency to blame the people they view as "the threat."

Absolutely no one, including you and me and your friends and them, can live peacefully or think rationally while they're afraid.

The only way forward is to get to the bottom of their fears, and address them. We can't ever do that if people give up on talking to each other. And the reality is we will eventually do that ... the only question is how long and how nasty the hostilities will be before then.

Btw I really don't mean to sound all superior and crap - I frequently get exactly the way you feel right now too. But in this particular minute I'm having a unusually zen moment and am just a bit more objective than I am 99% of the time. I think it might be over though, I'm getting kind of sleepy :)

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