Harper's Canada and the Attack on Parliament Hill

I'm sure you've all seen the pictures of this nightmare day on Parliament Hill, this criminal assault on our democracy. 

So all I have to say tonight is this:

(1) To the crazy fanatics who killed a young soldier today and another one in Quebec the other day: you and your kind will not intimidate us.

And we will remember Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and  Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent​...



Long after we have forgotten their cowardly killers. 

(2) To the Con regime: you said you would change Canada beyond recognition and you certainly have. Turned us into a more violent war-like country, full of kooks and religious fanatics and more guns than you can count.

(3) I don't agree with everything Glenn Greenwald wrote in this column after the first attack in Quebec. But some things cannot be denied. 

It is always stunning when a country that has brought violence and military force to numerous countries acts shocked and bewildered when someone brings a tiny fraction of that violence back to that country. Regardless of one’s views on the justifiability of Canada’s lengthy military actions, it’s not the slightest bit surprising or difficult to understand why people who identify with those on the other end of Canadian bombs and bullets would decide to attack the military responsible for that violence. 

That’s the nature of war. A country doesn’t get to run around for years wallowing in war glory, invading, rendering and bombing others, without the risk of having violence brought back to it. Rather than being baffling or shocking, that reaction is completely natural and predictable. The only surprising thing about any of it is that it doesn’t happen more often.

For there can be no justifying those senseless acts of violence, but when we try to explain how it could happen in a country like Canada, that's where we must start.

(4) The police may have acted swiftly and bravely today, but they are still going to have to explain this one:

Federal sources have identified the suspected shooter as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a man in his early 30s who was known to Canadian authorities. Sources told The Globe and Mail that he was recently designated a “high-risk traveller” by the Canadian government and that his passport had been seized – the same circumstances surrounding the case of Martin Rouleau-Couture, the Quebecker who was shot Monday after running down two Canadian Forces soldiers with his car.

And why a man who had also had his passport seized wasn't more closely monitored.

(5) Let nobody forget that just one day after the first murderous assault, Stephen Harper released this attack ad to try to play politics with tragedy...



And try to make us believe that only he can keep us safe...



When in fact the evidence is that his pathetic posturing for crass political reasons has only made our lives more DANGEROUS.

And he too should understand that like those violent crazies, he will not intimidate us either. Or turn this country into a police state.

Or scare decent Canadians into voting for him. When no leader has done more to harm our democracy.

And this is still true.

This country does not need to change its democratic traditions or surrender to fear. It just needs a new government.

And we will not be safe, and we will not be Canada.

Until the day he is defeated...



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