I will start this column with a confession.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
I like going to teeny-bopper concerts.
You see, one of the many great things about having a daughter is that you can go to see the popular singers of the day and pretend that you are only going because of your daughter.
I’ve been to see Taylor Swift in concert, I’ve been to see Pink! twice and, most recently, I accompanied my daughter to see, and meet, YouTube sensation Troye Sivan.
All concerts were awesome, although the first Pink! concert was the best live music event ever (sorry U2!).
The common thread in all these concerts was that the majority of the audience were young females – with the crowd sprinkled with a few less-cool mums and dads like me.
These concerts are happy places for the girls attending – a chance to sing, dance, laugh and feel special that you are up-close with one of your heroes.
So, when I heard the news of the Manchester bombing at an Ariana Grande concert, I was more stunned than usual.
All terrorism is horrible, but there was something particularly evil about bombing a gathering of young girls out for a special night.
Terrorism is not just another way in which people can die in our society, like having a refrigerator fall on them as was said on Q&A recently. No, it is something worse, something designed to harm people when they are going about their lives – even girls enjoying a concert.
We need honesty from our politicians and authorities about terrorism and I was impressed by Labor MP and counter-terrorism expert, Anne Aly, in an interview on Sky News recently.
Being a Muslim herself, Aly’s comments about the role of ideology and religion in motivating acts of terrorism by groups like ISIS hit hard – but were also refreshing. I haven’t got space here, but I encourage you to look up Anne Aly’s interview online and see for yourself what she said.
Music is crucial to our existence as human beings sharing this one planet – it makes us feel alive. But when terrorism is targeted at young girls – or anyone – enjoying their favourite music, we know we are in a major battle for our way of life.