1. SAGE Lecture Spark
[3/24/19]
The Publisher of the Social Sciences

2. Christchurch Mosque Shootings: The Gift of a Safer Future
This article from New Zealand (NZ) highlights unity within the nation in the wake of an attack that killed 50 and injured many more.
It also emphasizes that the Prime Minister of NZ, in banning automatic weapons, is likely looking out for her 9-month-old daughter and the future of other children in their nation.

3. New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Announces Royal Commission into Mosque Massacres
This article is from Australia. A Royal Commission will investigate the shooting to know more about how it came to be.
According to the Prime Minister, "Are our surveillance laws too soft? One question we need to answer is whether or not we could or should have known more. New Zealand is not a surveillance state. But questions need to be answered around whether or not this was the activity of an individual that we could or should have known about. The agencies themselves are welcoming independent oversight and investigation into that very question."

4. Christchurch Gun Shop Sold Rifles Online to Accused Shooter
This article from an American news source focuses on the fact that the shooter was sold weapons online from a local shop.
There is little talk of the shooter, and that he was a white supremacist is mentioned only once.
The article does not explore a potentially unhealthy or violent NZ culture, but rather suggests that this weapon selling and the shooting upend the nation’s traditional safety.

5. New Zealand’s Swift Change to Gun Laws Highlights 25 Years of US Inaction
This article from the United Kingdom focuses on comparing the NZ issue with the longstanding gun control issues in the US.
“In the US, where conservative politicians have blocked even moderate gun control for 25 years, New Zealand’s swift action was greeted as a powerful inspiration – and a reminder of how far behind the country is.”
“Pro-gun activists in the United States said that New Zealand’s aggressive action to ban ownership of previously legal guns, and enact a mandatory buyback, would never be viable in the United States.”

6. Key Concepts Shootings in the Media: Approaches to Violence Abroad
These articles can’t be fully representative of entire countries. However, their differing focuses are notable. American media is notable for often fixating on the weapons themselves and little on wider issues or impact, as some of the other nations’ articles do.
Where should the blame or concern of a shooting be placed? Where is it often placed? Different cultures have different approaches, as reflected in their mass media.

7. Assessment
Writing: What are the parts of this news story that you feel should be focused on the most? What stands out to you as being covered or not?
Debate: Should news around shootings or violence discuss/explore the shooter/terrorist, or should we focus only on victims of these crimes? Explain.
Poll: Should the U.S. enact stricter gun control laws?
Yes, No, Unsure
Short Answer: Have you or anyone you know ever been the victim of religious or racial prejudice?
Current Events Quiz
According to the Australia article, one of the potential solutions for the New Zealand Prime Minister to curb these kinds of issues is:
The American article only mentions the shooter’s background as a(n):
American articles about gun violence often focus on ____, but this article did not.
The article from New Zealand considers the future by mentioning:
The article from The Guardian doesn’t just broadly compare the U.S. and New Zealand, but specifically discusses this group (among others):
Answers
More surveillance
White supremacist
The shooter
New Zealand’s youth
U.S. pro-gun activists

8.
Ted Talk: Why gun violence can’t be our new normal.
Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, makes a passionate, personal appeal for something that more than 90 percent of Americans want: background checks for all gun sales.

9.
Mapping global gun violence | The Economist
El Salvador, Venezuela and Guatemala have the worst gun violence in the world. America's lax firearm laws are adding to their problems.