A song of hope
Last year a home-grown Norwegian terrorist killed 77 people to "save Norway from multiculturalism."
At his trial, Anders Behring Breivik specifically mentioned the song "Children of the Rainbow" as an example of "Marxist brainwashing" that he wanted to stop.
Today, in response to Brievik's comment, tens of thousands of Norwegians gathers in Oslo and other cities to sing the song together.
Heckling?
News reports mostly use the word "defy", as in Thousands defy Norway mass killer Breivik in song (newsday.com). Other headlines say "denounce" (yahoo.com), "annoy" (cnn.com) and even "heckle" (npr.org).
When I watch the video I don't see people heckling or denouncing the accused killer. I see them coming together to affirm their belief in the value of embracing people of all colors, races and religions. The message is hope amidst sadness, not anger.
There's a big difference.
I think that the immediate response to the 9/11 attacks in this country could have gone in this direction but sadly didn't. Those in power focused on anger and revenge, we went along, and we're still paying a huge price for it.
