KAMLOOPS —With every passing day, terrorism and mass killings seem to be getting closer to home.
The horrible mass shooting in Las Vegas — a short plane ride away in a place where many of us vacation — is the latest example.
No longer are these things something we read and hear about happening only in Europe or the United States, or even eastern Canada.
Unlike the Las Vegas shooting, the Edmonton attack a couple of days before involved no arsenal of firearms, and there’s no reason to think it couldn’t happen right here at home.
In Edmonton, a man drove a car into a police officer, then jumped out and stabbed him before running away.
Later, a man believed to be the same guy was arrested after driving a van into several pedestrians.
There have been the necessary declarations from politicians that we shall not be broken, that we are resilient, that hatred and terrorism will not prevail. And, of course, thoughts and prayers go out.
Those things are having to be said much too often.
Let’s face it, we’re afraid. And what is particularly frightening is that the attackers no longer even have to figure out how to make a bomb. They don’t need secret cells of plotters and they certainly don’t need sophisticated weaponry.
Knives or rented vehicles are common weapons of choice.
Any lone wolf whose values have been warped by the demented logic of the extremists can get in a car or truck and drive down a busy street, taking innocent lives.
And we’d be absolutely foolish to think it could never happen here.
Being afraid and living in fear are two different things, and we can’t, of course, live in fear. “Giving in” is not an option.
But it’s something our own police and emergency services have, without doubt, thought much about. And we should, too.
Stay safe. I’m the Armchair Mayor.
