The problem with "us/not us" thinking

In the wake of the atrocious terrorist attack on two Mosques in Christchurch yesterday it is understandable that we all try to find words to express our horror and grief. But I do think there are dangers in being quick to talk in us/not us terms. As Dr Paul Buchanan helpfully pointed out in a TV 1 interview, these kinds of attacks are motivated by fear of the other.  So as soon as we are quick to label some people as "us" and others as "not us" we can unwittingly generate exactly the same "fear of the other". It's just a different "other" this time. Of course it is true than in general New Zealand and the majority of New Zealanders are welcoming and accepting of different ethnicities and religions. So to say "This is not who we are" may be a helpful reminder and rallying cry. But it is a short step from there to divide people into the "us" and "not us" categories. Hard as it is to admit, there are in NZ, many people who fear and (therefore hate and attack) various groups as "other" than themselves. Think of gang violence for instance. These people are part of the corporate "us" of NZ. Of course that doesn't mean we condone or in any way support their actions. We automatically put ourselves into the "us" group that is good and without blame.  Maybe we need to think a bit more about Alexander Solzhenitsyn's quote that "The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being."