Yesterday, an article appeared in the Herald, with a sensational headline about guns and civil war.

You can read the article HERE

In this article, the police spokesperson said “There is absolutely nothing to substantiate the claims made at the meeting in relation to New Zealanders arming themselves,” she said.

How would she know? Think about this. If they were tapping my phone, they would hear the calls. Thus they are lying.

I know they are not tapping my phone, and I know I am getting calls. So once again, the police are lying.

Either way, the police are lying.

So why would the police be trying hard to play down the reality of people buying guns in preparation for a possible civil war?

The truth of the matter is – and this is what they ought to be paying attention to – is that if free speech is not vigorously protected in New Zealand, and preserved, tensions will continue to rise and the matter of people arming themselves for possible civil war is not only real and actual, but it will escalate.

Free speech is at the heart of the issue.

When people are denied the right to debate issues, to discuss matters of interest freely, in public, without interruption, then bad things begin to happen.

A healthy democracy depends on freedom of speech.

The police are partly to blame for people going out and arming themselves. How so?

They are, with rare exceptions, soft on protestors.

We have had some of our meetings shut down because of protestors.  

We have had our right to free speech cancelled. No one is arrested. No one charged.  No one taken away in a police wagon.  No police seen dispersing the protesters telling them to go home. 

What should the police be doing? How should they respond?

They ought to arrest and impound protestors, charge them, and fine them. They are disturbing the peace and shutting down free speech.

This would send a clear message to protesters that they have a right to protest, but not at the expense of stopping someone speaking freely, and not at the expense of stopping from hearing those who have come to hear the speakers.

For this the protesters have absolutely no right. None at all.

But the police do not do this i.e. what I have described.

Sometimes they actually encourage the protesters.

The media are also to blame for escalating tensions in New Zealand and the proliferation of talk about guns and people arming themselves.

How so?

They don’t defend Julian’s right to free speech. In fact, they whip up public hate and distaste for Julian, always portraying him as a villain who must at all costs be shut down. In other words, they fuel those who are intent on shutting down free speech.

As such, they are disgracefully irresponsible.

Conclusion? People in New Zealand are going to continue to arm themselves, as long as the police and the media fuel the fires.