On Guard for Thee

23 October 2014

Cogito Ergo Non Serviam

Lone Wolf Terrorists Hit Canada and Lose

This week, Canada has suffered to lone wolf attacks by Islamic terrorists. The first incident involved two soldiers who were run down by a driver in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. The second, in Ottawa, began with the murder of a soldier on guard duty at the National War Memorial and ended with the Canadian Parliament's Sergeant-at-Arms shooting the killer dead as MPs scrambled for cover. Thus far, Canada's response has been everything one expects from one of the world's most civilized and tolerant societies.

The CBC says that on Monday, the first terrorist (whom this journal shall not name so that he can go anonymously and unmourned to his grave) "struck two members of the military with his car in a St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., parking lot in what CSIS has described as 'the violent expression of an extremist ideology.' One of those victims, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, has since died." Warrant Officer Vincent, 53, was a 28-year veteran of the Canadian Forces. He had been stationed at bases across Canada. The police then shot the killer dead "following a high-speed chase as he fled the scene." The murderer, say authorities, "waited in the parking lot for at least two hours before he drove his car into the soldiers -- one of whom was in uniform."

In Ottawa yesterday, a small time criminal turned radical "Muslim" struck. The BBC concisely stated, "The attack began on Wednesday morning, as two soldiers guarding the memorial came under fire from a man carrying a rifle. One soldier, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, died of his injuries. Three other people were treated in hospital and released by evening. Minutes after the attack at the memorial, dozens of shots were fired inside the parliament building. The gunman was shot dead by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, 58."

Margaret Wente wrote a brilliant piece in this morning's Globe and Mail that sums up who Mr. Vickers is:

Mr. Vickers is the reason why terrorism doesn't have a chance in this country. He has made a career of reaching out to Muslims, Sikhs, First Nations, and others who haven't always been included in this country. When the Idle No More movement marched on Parliament Hill, he formally exchanged tobacco with a First Nations chief and said, 'I understand your frustration. I understand the conditions in which you people live and I also understand the importance of tobacco and what it means as not only a gift, but as a sign of respect for your people.' After the Quebec National Assembly banned the kirpan, he made sure the ceremonial dagger would be allowed in the House of Commons. As he told one gathering of Sikhs, he doesn't like the word 'tolerance.' 'No,' he said. 'As head of security, I am going to accept and embrace your symbol of faith within the Parliamentary Precinct.'

Of course, the attacks mean that Canada will have to re-examine its security arrangements. Unlike the United States Congress, the Canadian Parliament is not a bunker for legislators. During Canada's fleeting summer, it is not uncommon to see Frisbees flying on the lawn in front of the building. How the nation can reconcile security with that kind of liberty is hard to say, but Canada is determined to try.

The editorial board of the Globe and Mail closed its piece today with "Canada isn't going anywhere. Nothing about what makes us, us, is 'over.' We have had a bad week. There is much loss to mourn. But we are still here. We are still standing. The True North remains, strong and free."Agreed.

© Copyright 2014 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.



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