So it seems we have lost our innocence; or those who still had it have anyway. The violence and threat of violence that is present around the modern world has hit home for Canadians. The killing of one of our soldiers in Quebec on Monday was a crack in the mask of innocence, but the attack on our parliament yesterday grabbed that mask and shattered it on the ground.
The fact that we are at war with a sophisticated and far reaching enemy has not just been highlighted, but has jumped up and slapped us in the face. For too long, we have collectively had the attitude that the terrorists were not interested in friendly old Canada; who would want to hurt us; we invented peace keeping, we had one of the few non-violent independence movements back in the 1860's. We are the kinder, gentler of the North American cousins.
But we have stepped up and said we will help fight an enemy that most feel must be stopped. To be clear, this is not a fight against Islam...this enemy is very far from the core tenants of the Muslim religion. This enemy is brutal and an affront to human rights, human decency and wants nothing less than the destruction of all who disagree with their extreme beliefs. This fight is not a veiled move to secure oil reserves, or avenge a terrorist attack, as some recent fights have been; this is akin to the scourge that was Hitler and Japan in 1939. We have to help in this fight, it is our responsibility as a modern nation.
But still, even for a witness like myself, who I like to think had no innocence about our vulnerability; it was shocking to see and hear about a gunman (or multiply gunmen) attacking our nations most sacred places. I watched in shock the video of gun fire in the Hall of Honour. As many have, I have walked that hall, I have browsed the front lawn of Parliament...this violence and terror there was shocking.
We live in a world were groups want to attack innocents and where implements of mass murder (guns and bombs) are fairly easy to obtain. Our armed forces and police organizations are not just there to fight overseas and provide security for parades and protests...they carefully train, plan and run security drills for a reason.
Barricades around important landmarks and metal detectors at entrances are common place in most other areas of the world. You cannot get close to the front door of the White House, of Congress, of Buckingham Palace or many other landmarks around the world. In Paris, it is hard to ignore the presence of heavily armed soldiers near all the famous landmarks. Most of the world has lost its innocence when it comes to security and terrorism; now Canada has also.
We are no less safe today than we were yesterday, but we are now more aware of that safety or lack there of. When our military asks for more funding, or our security experts put more barricades and security procedures in place, we will better understand why these things are necessary.
BUT... we will remain glorious and free, and we will remain the friendly, polite, neighbour with the great sense of humour on the world stage. We will still say thank you and sorry and we will still be the one's who soften the American ways and strengthen the European tendencies and personalize the Asian efficiencies. We are still the model for a free, socially responsible and secure nation, and that is why the terrorists want to change us...lets not let them have the satisfaction.
O Canada, glorious and free!
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