6 killed, including 2 police officers "executed in cold blood," in Australian ambush and shootout
CBSJUL 2022
The Queensland shooting is very likely to reveal a worrisome link between extremist violence and fringe conspiracy theories — one of the alleged offenders was even active in so-called "sovereign citizen" forums. Mainstream media and politicians must take action to balance a thin line to prevent anti-establishment violence and curb deranged theories while allowing for safe and legitimate discussions.
Though this deadly ambush was a devastating incident, it's inappropriate to collapse the lens of this tragedy into a simplistic blame game of "conspiracy theories." Often there is a nugget of truth in these theories and complex situations, and silencing diverging opinions only ultimately benefits the powerful. We must stay nuanced and objective when mentally processing how crimes like this can happen.