On October 22 there was a dreadful shooting in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. A lone gunman gunned down a reserve soldier standing at ceremonial guard at the remembrance. The gunman then hopped a fence and entered the parliament buildings 150 m (165 yds) away. No one is sure as to what happened. A tremendous amount of terror and confusion occurred and the gunman was dead in moments.
The whole incident was a horror. A young reservist was dead and people in the parliament buildings were in complete shock.
The incident has not been fully described as it's difficult to piece together such a terrible chain of events.
Much has been said about this incident. The government has jumped all over this and turning itself inside out to come up with laws that will protect us as they say from terrorists. They speak far too soon.
First there is an alarming lack of coordinated security on Parliament Hill and what is there doesn't work. How in the world could a crazed gun man enter the Houses of Parliament? How could he kill somebody a 150 m away and still get into parliament with out somebody catching on? How could he walk down the street with a long gun and no one would raise any questions? People who had a duty and responsibility were not there. Three different police forces have responsibility for this small area...RCMP, Ottawa city police and a parliament security force. None of them can talk to each other as their radio systems do not operate on the same frequencies. How inept?
The government has been quick to jump on this and label the guy as a terrorist. He was a confused sick loser. They have to know what animal shot the place up before they make new laws for our protection. This guy was well known to police. He had drug problems, mental health issues and had committed a number of crimes. Somebody should have been keeping their eye on this guy and treatment for mental health should have occurred.
Only one thing needs to happen. The guys who are supposed to look after the place had better get their act together. This guy could have and should have been stopped long before he shot the soldier. Everybody was asleep at the switch. Now I know it's easy to criticize from this far away, but much has to asked about how security was doing their job.
I do not like the confusion that our government is showing on the handling of this incident. They are barking up the wrong tree and trying to make themselves look good more than anything else.
the secret service went through similar 'uh ohs' with fence jumpers gaining access to the white house, but at least (that time) no one got hurt or killed. truly sad for the reservist/guard.
ReplyDeleteSecurity has a big challenge but they get paid for it.
DeleteWhat is wrong with this world today? There was a shooting at a school here in washington. My nephews went there, knew the gunman! 4 people dead, 2 barley alive!
ReplyDeletePeople are so afraid to discipline their children, to pay attention to their surroundings....it's pathetic! Then this BS happens and then it's the blame game....sorry if I ranted, but really!
Cheri
We have to rant once in a while. I would hate to be a parent today. It's not easy. Just the same I wouldn't want to be a kid today.
DeleteNormally, we don't expect for such a thing to happen especially when there is no precedent. That said, for a parliament building the securities have to be tightened and alert at all times.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a crazy world where we cannot even be safe in our own homes.
The stories scare us but I don't feel unsafe.
DeleteIt does seem a very confused situation. I just hope it never happens again.
ReplyDeleteIt could happen here but I would like to think that we have a bit more experience of such atrocities.
I expect well all the ducking and diving is over you will have a more efficient security system.
I'm sure that the drawing boards are being used overtime. There's certainly much more that could be done to improve the situation.
DeleteWe have heard about this here in the UK Red, a dreadful incidence, and indeed a horror that could have been prevented. You have also told a less edited version of events that governments don't appear to want us to hear. Thank heavens the internet lets us all communicate eh?
ReplyDeleteHope all is well.
My less edited version may also be more biased.
DeleteI think the security is everywhere the same, when needed they are to late. Now our parlement is more secured because of your attack, but on the other hand, one cannot live in fear for what should have going to happen. There will be always lunatics around, it is only strange they can buy weapons everywhere.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part we are very safe. One incident can frighten us.
DeleteI think his mental illness took over. Very sad when anyone does something this stupid.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely mental health is an issue as well as street drugs.
DeleteIt doesn't seem to matter what happens in our world today, the word "Terrorist" comes to play. The Media loves the word and the government loves to use it. There are a lot of sick people in our world, violent and capable of anything. Our government has taken us to unmentionable countries as killers not peacekeepers - the word "Terrorist" is the meddling result of the once known peaceful Canadian peacekeepers. The basic problem with all of this is that there is NO KNOWN LAWS for law breakers. They either cowardly shoot themselves and die or they get to sit in a cozy prison, being fed great food and kinda like living in a 5 star hotel, with TV, Gym, get to vote and if they can buy a big guard, live a rather cozy life, all to the expense of tax payers. Laws won't change enough to keep the bad guys at bay. Whatever happened to the "good ole hanging tree"? ........and don't even get me going on Stephen Harper!
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of what you say but I will have to respectfully disagree with some of your stuff. Let me tell you, jail is no picnic. It's far from cozy and the food is lousy like hospital food. Everybody wants out of jail and nobody wants in. It's not a picnic. I'm not some sympathetic softy. It's just reality. I've supervised prisoners on work outside. I wouldn't want capital punishment where the state commits murder
DeleteDon't get me started on Steven Harper. He gets worse everyday.
About Jail Time - I guess my experience comes from the jail in Saint John - I volunteered there for 7 years and saw the meals prepared, also supervised prisoners on release programs, so my opinion on jails comes from there. I guess the conditions are different in every jail and perhaps jail here in the east isn't as harsh as other places. Thanks for your thoughts Red. I appreciate your opinion.
DeleteI think all that politicians care about is using these events to their advantage. I hate to say it, but I think it's true. How very sad for the guard. His position was ceremonial, I understand, and he was not even armed. I agree that somebody should have been keeping an eye on that guy, who was NOT a terrorist, but mentally ill. What is the world coming to?
ReplyDeleteYou have a long association with the military. These things hit home. My son was a reservist and stood guard for various things. I know how devastated I would have been if I had lost him.
DeleteThing is, they were on his tail, 20 sec. behind him. There is much video footage, and they know what happened. The whole thing took 3 minutues or so.
ReplyDeleteThey must balance access for the public with protection.
They plan to simply lock the front doors. Yoga on the lawn will continue, as well as frisby. That's a good thing. Too many nutbars about.
We have to come up with some procedures to deal with the nut bars. Too many are untreated.
DeleteYou've presented some good arguments here, Red. I think you may have struck to the heart of the matter with your assessment of the three different police forces. Each of them probably thought the other had eyes out.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree- the gunman was no terrorist. It's too easy for authorities to attach that label.
The forces were too busy thinking about their own territory and not about their responsibility.
DeleteFirst I want to let you know that many of us in the country to the South mourned your loss. A tragedy! I do think we will have to accept diminished civil rights if we are to begin to track these people. Or take away their rights and begin to put them back into institutions. We like to label them and terrorist means we have someone to blame whereas disturbed person means we must blame ourselves for letting him fall through the safety net.
ReplyDeleteRight now we are ignoring these people to our peril.
DeleteThis is definitely a security issue. There are people assigned with the responsibility to keep these places safe. None of them will ever admit fault, but someone screwed up. Big time.
ReplyDeleteAs for the shooter: drug problems, mental health issues and a number of crimes... I'm guessing that would describe many individuals in this country. It would be next to impossible to follow all of them around. I think they should be treated so that you never have to reach this point.
The reserve soldier is what truly saddens me. His death is tragic and heartbreaking, and I sympathize with his family.
You make three excellent points that I fully agree with. Well said.
DeleteI feel badly for Canada, which as I understand it is not a gun-totting society like America. America has long been hobbled by its gun culture and now I fear Canada will follow a similar path. The times are dangerous and complicated, but I think both countries would be well advised to look more closely at funding mental health programs.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that we have a serious mental health problem which we are ignoring.
DeleteI agree with you 100%! The government's reaction is completely overblown. This guy was mentally ill.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Sad.
ReplyDeleteMy son went to the area In Hamilton and gave his respects and stood and saluted for the young guard who was shot. . It was just so sad. He was too young to die.