Editorial: Racism isn't always a punch in the nose

March 15 has magnified how we talk to each other, and what we say.

Many things changed on Friday, March 15, 2019.

Like a stone in a pond, the ripple effect will be felt for some time.
As a country, most of us are now less tolerant of cultural and racial prejudice.

We live in a climate of heightened sensitivity.
And March 15 asked us to greater analyse the tone of our racial and cultural conversation.

It influenced the Hastings District Council's debate last week over whether or not to have tangata whenua representatives on its standing committees. They did.

As it did the Hawke's Bay District Health Board's debate last week over whether to alter a strategy statement from "Equity for all" to "Equity for Maori". They didn't. But agreed to take particular heed of the latter.

Every day, mainstream media outlets - used to dealing with public tolerance and sensitivity - consider the new landscape.

Mainstream media is the litmus test of what NZ will and won't take.

More than one NZ media outlet contemplated April Fool's Day and wondered "too soon to have a laugh?". The sensible conclusion is that it's okay, healthy even, but take care.

We all grieve at a different pace.

Facebook - the world's largest information platform - does nothing to regulate its content.

Councillor James Casson's thoughts posted on his political Facebook page have created angry debate. Photo / Supplied

Its defenders argue the platform promotes freedom of speech.

The problem is, it also allows the promotion of hate speech.

Some of this racism is blatant. And some of it is more subtle.

Saying, for example, "one of my best friends is a Maori" isn't a get out of jail card to say something racist.

What happened on March 15 was fed by blatant racism from bigots and cancerous erosion from people you and I work or socialise with, that would never consider that they are promoting hate speech.

But it all floats down the same putrid stream.

Interesting times. As a country, we are still grieving.

The five stages of grief that are commonly referenced are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Perhaps, right now, we are working through the bargaining process, testing each other out as to what our new cultural climate looks like.

The last phase is acceptance - it will be interesting to see where we land.

But it's clear we still need to be able to listen to views and opinions that go against the grain.

Whether we tolerate those views is a different story.

Racism isn't always a punch on the nose.

It can also be a ripple on a pond.