Member-only story
Knife attack in Sydney
and some predictable reactions
So Australia had a knife attack in Bondi Junction, Sydney, which has made world news.
Six people were killed, five on the scene at Westfields, one later dying in hospital. A 9 month baby is in critical care after also being stabbed.
There are several stories of heroism around the incident already emerging. From a man who leapt in front of his family to take on the attacker, deterring the attacker, who then changed direction.
There is the so far unnamed “bollard man” who defended the escalator to his level, with an aluminium bollard-like the type you use to fence off seating areas or create a way to queue at the cinema or airport.
Other people rained bollards down from the floor above, having the attacker forced to flee from that area.
Shopowners hurried in passersby to close down their premises so people could find shelter.
Then we have the lone female Police Officer who stalked the knife wielding idiot, ordered him to drop his weapon, and when the attacker came at her instead- took him down dead in one shot.
The story is still developing and us Aussies probably need a moment to pause and breathe, yet there is already plenty of social commentary on Foxnews and the like.
Some of the comments and my responses below.
“This is what happens when you disarm a population.”
Your empathy for us in this situation is duly noted America.
“If there was one good man with a gun, there would have been only one person dead, not six.”
So much to unpack with this one. Firstly, who is the good guy with the gun and how do you know he/she is a good guy with a gun? The only way you can tell the bad guy with the gun is when they start shooting.
Secondly, when law enforcement arrives, they see someone brandishing a weapon and possibly shooting and can easily mistake you for the attacker and you are dead.
Of course, with the prevalence of firearms with all those good guys with a gun, it can also mean the bad guy has not a knife but a gun too. And just because you shot at tin cans as a kid and go deer…
