Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Not about games today.

I was preparing a normal post today but am holding it while I salute 2 Canadian soldiers killed this week in non-combat situations by homegrown terrorists. My condolances go out to the friends and families of these soldiers and my gratitude and respect go to all our soldiers and policemen who have answered the call and are putting their lives on the line. 


Picture from National Post article
Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent a 28 year veteran in the regular forces was run down in a mall parking lot in St Jean Quebec. 
Picture from CBC news website
Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, a reservist with the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada was on guard at the National War Memorial when he was gunned down at point blank range. That is normally considered to be a post of honour, not one of danger.

Both attacks occurred in places I am familiar with which adds an air of surrealism as does the video footage of a gun battle in the halls of the House of Commons but they serve notice that this time, this is not some news thing happening far away. This time, we are at war. 




15 comments:

  1. You have the sincere and deep sympathy of your neighbors to the South as well as our thanks for you past and present assistance at home and abroad. It is so often hard for us to understand the motivations of the perpetrators of these crimes.

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    1. Thanks. In this case both perpetrators were troubled young men from broken families looking for a way out and they took the wrong exit.

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  2. My condolences and sympathy to Canada and to those soldiers and their families.

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  3. I am sorry both men had to die because others want our country to change! I am a proud Canadian who will wear my poppy in defiance of those who wish to make us afraid

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  4. Ross Mac,

    These are truly shocking events, and something that must have sent a shock wave through the people of Canada. I think that every sane and right-thinking person that I know would join me in sending our condolences to all Canadians and in particular the families of those soldiers who have been murdered. For his to happen so close to the day that is set aside in memory of those who have died in the service of their country increases the shock we all feel.

    I live less than a mile from the place where Lee Rigby was killed by two 'radicalised' young men and I was in Norway just after Brevik's attack. Both instances were shocking, and because of the nature of the attacks they had a deep and lasting impact. The same self-questioning - why did this happen? - will no doubt occur in Canada, but as long as we remember and honour the men who died, their unnecessary deaths will not have been in vain.

    Bob Cordery

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    1. So far politicians, media and the public all seem to taking the right sort of Carry On approach.

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  5. Our thoughts are with the families of the two slain soldiers , Tony

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  6. I would also like to express my sincerest condolences and sympathy to the soldiers and their families, as well my deepest felt support to not only an exceptional ally for over a century but, more importantly a neighbor and friend.

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  7. Ross- Our thoughts and Prayers are with You and Your Country- and all Nations and Peoples who are jointly active against terrorism- With deep Sympathy- Regards. KEV. AUSTRALIA.

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  8. Thanks Ross. I was just in Ottawa on Sunday and talked to a young reservist from the Nova Scotia Highlanders who was fielding questions about the guard mount there. The guard mount was a mix of reservists and Regs from 2RCR, and they looked smartly turned out and strong. It was hard yesterday to see one crumpled and dying. A lot is going to change in Canada, I think, but maybe we will learn to take our national institutions more seriously as a result.

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    1. I've marched in Remembrance Day parades there in the 70's. Its a good reminder of what has gone before and as good a rallying point as any. Hopefully institutions such as the House will remain "our" institutions and not be walled off not that a little more security would hurt..

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  9. Canada has the sympathy of the United Kingdom, Ross. The really horrible thing about these murders is that they appear to have been carried out by other 'Canadians' - de jure if not de facto. We in the UK have had exactly the same thing, with supposedly 'British' citizens murdering real Britons in the 7 July bomb attacks and the foul murder of Drummer Lee Rigby. And they have plenty of supporters - the sort of swine who burn poppies on Remembrance Day. Things need to change, we need to protect our democracies, imperfect as they are.

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    1. In this case these were "real" Canadians, Quebecois, troubled young men with problems looking for an answers to their problems and getting it wrong without getting the sort of help that could have turned them right.I don't see much support for them, not at home anyway.. .

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  10. These events have caused profound shock and sympathy over here in the UK. Canada seems to represent the best of our values and that's why it seems all the more shocking. But I'm sure that Canadians will react in the best possible way.

    Ross, your words that the perpetrators were, "troubled young men with problems looking for an answers to their problems and getting it wrong without getting the sort of help that could have turned them right", perfectly illustrate what I mean.

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