60 Seconds.
Our leaders tell us. Just 60 seconds for the police to respond.
So much happened in 60 seconds. Time to take a knife. 6 hospitalised. 3 critical. All in a name.
Others avoided. Ran for their lives. Some tried to do something. Anything to stop the madness, to save the injured.
Lives changed forever. Those attacked, those that witnessed, families, community. Impact on a nation, to be seen by the world. All played out in 60 seconds.
Ample time for horror, trauma, confusion, fear and pain. To cause suffering and sorrow, and anger. And why?
Time to remember that we’ve been here before, and to sigh, not again.
60 seconds that dominate our minds and our hearts. One minute. That will be investigated, justified, defended and argued. That will be remembered, marked and questioned. That will be capitalised on.
But they’re not saying a minute. Minute is longer than a second, and it was just 60 of them. Excellent and sufficient for a response time, it is suggested. For a threat that was known, and had been a known threat to the public for sometime. Under surveillance, being followed.
60 seconds that could have been avoided. 60 seconds that let us down.
60 seconds that stay with us. Make us think and hope for the injured. All who were directly affected and their families. That make us hold our loved ones tight, and question the safety of our community.
All from 60 seconds.
With love
Tim
Copyright© Tim Tipene, 2021.