Patrick Gower: ‘I was ashamed and embarrassed[…]
[…] in 20 years, I’ve not done one story on white supremacy.
Honestly, me and many other Kiwi journos didn’t see it as a real threat.
[…] But, I should’ve known.
I should have known there are heaps of uncles, and nephews, and aunts, and sons and while we laughed, they just got stronger. And armed.
I should’ve known last year, before sitting down with Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern.
I underestimated them, I was underprepared and they steamrolled me.
I should’ve known the stuff I’ve heard just the past few weeks.. the voices in white supremacist chat rooms and on far-right podcasts spit this vile stuff with Kiwi accents
I should’ve known terms like “Identitarians” or “Replacement Theory” or “Accelerationism”
But I didn’t know. Because we didn’t look into it.
You’ve should’ve known too and, if you don’t, then I have failed you.
It’s time to get this right. It won’t make up for past but might stop future threats coming at us like a freight train.
I get it now, and I promise to do better.
And to all the young journos: these guys are a real threat to New Zealand.
Dig in, investigate, and don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Do your job.
And, I’ll tell you another thing– I’m ready for a rematch with Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern.
newshub
I can’t believe how today’s face of the day has smeared Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux as white supremacists. WHAT A (swear word). As for his contention that there is a seething underbelly of white supremacy in New Zealand… what a work of fiction. This is a reporter looking for a mountain, finding a mole hill and calling it Mt flaming Everest!
