#thehashtagsiege

For a country that I've always thought of as West Virginia with beaches, Australians' response to the hostage-taking in downtown Sydney has been inspiring.  Australian Muslims wasted no time in condemning the attacker and the phoney ideology he presented, while white Australians have publicly taken a stand against anti-Islamic backlash.  Combined with the bravery and professionalism shown by emergency responders, Australia has shamed the rest of the world by showing us that it's people are stronger and wiser than the corrosive us-vs-them mentality that the terrorists try to implant in us.  An unexpected bright spot among the terror and the tragedy across the globe.