Editorial –
The violent events of last weekend have brought home the importance of a strong, safe and resilient community to us all.
A place that values peaceful citizens going about their lives without the intrusion of violence and ill-will that we see in numerous other places around the globe.
One prominent local figure – John Singleton – and his extended family and friends have been dealt the cruelest of blows by discovering that John’s beloved daughter Dawn Singleton was one of the victims of the Bondi murder spree.
The Singletons, including Dawn, have had a generations long association with the Central Coast.
According to the Killcare Surf Lifesaving Club, generations of Singletons have been members and supporters of the club.
So many families are grieving as a result of these terrible acts and by extension, other families are feeling the empathy that our great Australian community feels at such times.
The shocking events in Sydney have rallied communities to build a better society, by coming together calmly and with resolve to prevent and protect against such events in the future.
We also lend our thoughts to the people on the front line of such tragedies, the brave community members, the paramedics and our police whom violent people all too often single out.
However, one thing the violent extremists never take into account is the strength and resolve Australian communities such as the Central Coast show in such moments.
After the important grieving, our culture always remembers the fallen and we bounce back stronger than ever before.
Now, in the run up to Anzac Day let us all commit to supporting all those families and friends who have lost loved ones through the generations.
David Abrahams, Managing Editor