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Shooting At Canadian Parliament

CBC reports that a man pulled up to the War Memorial in downtown Ottawa, got out of his car, and shot a soldier with a rifle. The Memorial is right next to the Canadian Parliament buildings. A shooter (reportedly the same one, but unconfirmed) also approached Parliament and got inside before he was shot and killed. "Scott Walsh, who was working on Parliament Hill, said ... the man hopped over the stone fence that surrounds Parliament Hill, with his gun forcing someone out of their car. He then drove to the front doors of Parliament and fired at least two shots, Walsh said." Canadian government officials were quickly evacuated from the building, while the search continues for further suspects. This comes a day after Canada raised its domestic terrorism threat level. Most details of the situation are still unconfirmed -- CBC has live video coverage here. They have confirmed that there was a second shooting at the Rideau Center, a shopping mall nearby.

70 of 529 comments (clear)

  1. Dear Canada.... by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dont let your idiots in parliment go all panic mode like the Raving Morons we have running this place in Washington DC.

    This was a rare incident by a insane person, nothing more. Put more money into public mental health.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:Dear Canada.... by Galaga88 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree with not going into "panic mode", but we don't know who did this yet. It might be a person who could have been dealt with by improved public mental health, or it may have been a foreign actor engaging in terrorism against the Canadian state.

      We can't call what it is until we have facts. And we have precious few right now. Which is all the more reason not to panic.

    2. Re:Dear Canada.... by DavidCBillen · · Score: 2

      It was more than one guy,

    3. Re:Dear Canada.... by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Days after another Islamic radical mowed down two Canadian soldiers.

      It's not time to panic, to be sure. It's time to deal with radical Islamist extremists.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    4. Re:Dear Canada.... by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 3, Informative

      Canada knows how to deal with terrorists and move on with life.

      Canada doesn't take shit.

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
    5. Re:Dear Canada.... by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, they should invade Iraq.
      That will fix things!

      --
      We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
    6. Re:Dear Canada.... by CaptainLard · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Speaking of facts, what I find most shocking so far is "This comes a day after Canada raised its domestic terrorism threat level". I'd like to know more about a terrorism warning system that might be based in reality and not propaganda/lazyness (ours was "orange" for most of its existence IIRC).

    7. Re:Dear Canada.... by digitrev · · Score: 2

      No word on whether or not the soldier on guard at the Tomb is dead. Latest news is that there is a man being treated for gunshot wounds at one of Ottawa's hospitals.

      --
      Cynical Idealist
    8. Re:Dear Canada.... by cjjjer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No by getting the Muslim community involved and start turning in these idiots, the war on extremists is never going to be won unless the community that they belong to steps up.

    9. Re:Dear Canada.... by dskoll · · Score: 2

      I don't think this was a rare incident by an insane person. There have been shootings at at least three different locations in Ottawa and there apparently are multiple shooters. This is a planned terrorist attack.

      I live in Ottawa and I'm aware of the security of Parliament Hill. The security there was completely inadequate to deal with this kind of threat; it really needs to be increased.

    10. Re:Dear Canada.... by dskoll · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Recognize that the tenets of Islam are incompatible with Western Democracy. Then make it treasonous to promote those tenets.

    11. Re:Dear Canada.... by gmarsh · · Score: 4, Funny

      If rob ford were the PM there would be swift response.

      Like what, a crack-down?

    12. Re:Dear Canada.... by itzly · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Uh, no, there are as many different forms of Islam as there are muslims. Some muslims may be moderate, a few may even be very moderate, but plenty are not.

    13. Re:Dear Canada.... by HatofPig · · Score: 2

      There was a terrorist attack in Quebec yesterday.

      --
      Silicon & Charybdis McLuhan Kildall Papert Kay
    14. Re:Dear Canada.... by Dr+Caleb · · Score: 2

      I didn't say any of that. I said, we know how to mete our own form of justice to those that deserve it.

      We will not go apeshit. We will not allow our government unrestricted control over every aspect of our lives or violate our laws.

      What we will do is find those responsible, and hold them accountable, and very little will stop us until we think this has been accomplished. That is the way we have always done things. (And perhaps burn down the Whitehouse just for shits and giggles on the way home. ;) )

      --
      "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
    15. Re:Dear Canada.... by lgw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      >>> It's time to deal with radical Islamist extremists.

      How? Declare Islam a thought-crime?

      The problem has never been "Islam", and wanting to eliminate terrorists has nothing to do with being anti-religion. The problem is, as has happen so often throughout history, a bunch of people who self-identify with a particular religion are being steered by leaders who claim that religion as a tool to get followers.

      The problem must be solved within the leadership of Islam. The honest leaders of the religion need to become more vigorous about this - expel those inciting violence, denounce them as heretics, cause a schism, all the same shit that the Catholic church had to go through in centuries past.

      National leaders who are not religious leaders need to do what they can to support that. When someone with religious authority denounces a terrorist religious leader as such, of course that terrorist group will try to kill that authority. The state can offer protection.

      Completely separate form religion, we should be bombing the fuck out of assholes who start conquering, looting and raping their neighbors like it was the middle ages! America still has some strength, and there's a growing territory where women have become property, and are being raped daily. Where men re being executed out of hand for having the wrong religion. Where they're partying like it's 999. We can't let that cancer grow - humanity mustn't slide back into barbarism.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    16. Re:Dear Canada.... by Yaztromo · · Score: 4, Informative

      No by getting the Muslim community involved and start turning in these idiots, the war on extremists is never going to be won unless the community that they belong to steps up.

      Thus far, in every case that has occurred within Canada, the first alerts received by police about radicalized Muslims has been from Imams at various mosques.

      The Muslim community has stepped up, and has been doing exactly what you extol. However, holding radical ideals isn't against the law in Canada; unless you can prove that a) an illegal act is being planned, or b) support is being given to an illegal organization, there isn't much the police can do except monitor the people involved.

      The attacker from Monday's attack in St. Jean-sur-Richaleau was being monitored by police, and had even recently been questions by them. They had confiscated his passport, as he had booked a flight to Turkey (purportedly to cross into Syria to join ISIS/ISIL), but as he hadn't broken any Canadian laws, were unable to detain him. I have little doubt the way police were alerted to this person in the first place was via people at his local mosque.

      Unfortunately, the police don't announce how they find out about the radicals they are tracking (news today has it that the RCMP is tracking 90 people for radicalist activities), in part to protect their sources. This is why you don't hear about it much in the media, but people on the inside know that it's been the leaders of Canadian mosques who have been at the forefront of reporting radical Islamic activity in this country.

      Yaz

    17. Re:Dear Canada.... by Dan667 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      not scared of islamic radicals who are thousands of miles away. I am worried about the number of crazies like this guy and the complete lack of adequate mental health services due to decades of budget cuts.

    18. Re:Dear Canada.... by T.E.D. · · Score: 4, Funny

      ... or it may have been a foreign actor engaging in terrorism against the Canadian state.

      What kind of loser terrorist attacks Canada?

      Seriously, was the puppy room at the Petsmart too heavily guarded or something?

    19. Re:Dear Canada.... by pubwvj · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It doesn't really matter who did it. We still don't want to over react. Whether it is the actions of a terrorist, a serial killer or an insane person do not change the fact that we should not over react. The response should differ, somewhat, but all of those responses should already be in place. Nothing new.

    20. Re:Dear Canada.... by pubwvj · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "It's time to deal with radical Islamist extremists."

      That sentence could be simplified to:

      "It's time to deal with extremists."

      Simplicity is beauty. And tends to get at the core of the problem.

    21. Re:Dear Canada.... by Nemyst · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Panic mode? Nah. Harper must be filled with glee right now, this is exactly the sort of excuse he needed to start cracking down on personal liberties in the name of fighting terrorism or being "tough on crime" so we jail those horrible monsters, alongside drug users, copyright infringers and other such nefarious criminals.

    22. Re:Dear Canada.... by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2

      let's not get all excited there. Gosh is a bit strong of a term to use.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    23. Re:Dear Canada.... by meta-monkey · · Score: 2

      First, how can something be "very moderate?" How do you be more moderate than normal moderate?

      And while there are some moderate flavors of Islam, there are also violent, fanatical versions that have a not insignificant number of followers.

      Just saying, of all the religions in the world, and there are many, it seems like 99.9% of religious violence comes from Muslims. But no, no, they're "very moderate."

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    24. Re:Dear Canada.... by Glarimore · · Score: 2

      ...we should be bombing the fuck out of assholes who start conquering, looting and raping their neighbors like it was the middle ages! ...... We can't let that cancer grow - humanity mustn't slide back into barbarism.

      Hahaha... Do you read what you write? These statement are about 3 sentences apart!

    25. Re:Dear Canada.... by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 2

      Compare and contrast the First Commandment with the First Amendment.

      Not to incompatible really the first commandment is aimed at the believer him/herself for their personal exercise not to be inflected on others. The first amendment is aimed at government and society so that we will tolerate each others existence. In fact all of the ten commandment are aimed at the believer and limit their actions. The only one of the ten commandments that says anything about what others may or may no do is the one about the Sabbath which read;

      "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
      — Exodus 20:8-11

      Which while relating to others just says they shouldn't work for you the believer on the believers holy day or sabbath.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    26. Re:Dear Canada.... by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 2

      Just deport them to the USA. Dearborn, MI is the largest concentration of Muslims in the world outside of the middle east.

      Actually Indonesia is the largest.

      Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia, which also has a larger Muslim population than any other country in the world, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslim (88.2% of Indonesia's total population of 237 million)
      ---wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Where Dearborn is only 40% of Arabic decent many of whom are Lebanese Christians called Maronites, and Armenian Christian immigrants also a large part of Dearborn Arabic population.

      The city's population includes 40,000 Arab Americans... In the 2010 census, Arab Americans comprised 40% of Dearborn's population; many have been in the city for several generations...
      The first Arab immigrants came in the early-to-mid-20th century to work in the automotive industry and were chiefly Lebanese Christians (Maronites). Other immigrants from the Mideast in the early twentieth century included a large Armenian-American community, who are Christian. Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs have also immigrated to the area. Since then, Arab immigrants from Yemen, Iraq and the Palestinian territories, most of whom are Muslim, have joined them. Lebanese Americans are still the most numerous group. (they are the Christian ones just saying)
      ---wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      I think you have been watching to much Fox News and thats coming from an admitted conservative.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    27. Re:Dear Canada.... by ScentCone · · Score: 4, Funny

      About 6 billion of the world population are muslims, that's around 23% of the world population.

      I'm going to bet that even some of the most jihad-obsessed radicals, fresh from what passes for school Taliban-land, are better at math than you are.

      If there are 6 billion Muslims, and they make up 23% of the world population, that means the world as a population of over 26 billion people.

      Do you know some secret place on the planet where we're hiding almost 20 billion extra, previously unknown people?

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    28. Re:Dear Canada.... by styrotech · · Score: 2

      Why wouldn't it work in practice? It would be easy enough to shut down all mosques, ban the Koran, ban Muslim symbols, etc. It would be easy enough to hamper travel to Muslim countries, and in particular ban the Hajj.

      Then what? How does that fix anything? Are people going to change their beliefs because "it's the law"?

      It sounds like you're playing right into hands of the dickheads wanting to radicalise and recruit impressionable kids who feel they are being persecuted and alienated - because now it's actually reality. They no longer need to select for the impressionable ones.

    29. Re:Dear Canada.... by fche · · Score: 2

      That naivete is darned charming.

    30. Re:Dear Canada.... by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Yes he did. Most of what he said is very quotable in the Anals of stupidly funny crap said by leaders.

      Specifically in this case the timeline is as follows:

      - Australia joins the US lead attack on IS.
      - ASIO steps up the local terror alert.
      - IS publishes a video saying Australia will pay for what they are doing.
      - Tony Abbott said straight from the G.W.B book of stupid crap: The IS threat has nothing to do with Australia's announcement, "They hate our freedom, our tolerance, our democracy."
      - The government runs out and arrests some 63 muslims claiming to have foiled a massive terror plot.
      - The courts free 63 muslims the day after saying there's no evidence of wrongdoings.
      - Tony Abbott's government announces a reduction on our freedom by means of Patriot Act style laws, presumably he does this to foil the terrorist plots since they can't hate us if we no longer have freedoms right?

    31. Re:Dear Canada.... by meta-monkey · · Score: 2

      When leaders of their religion say "go kill infidels" and then the followers of that religion go and kill infidels, that does imply causation.

      We can also test a control group. Say, Methodists. Methodist leaders do not say "go kill infidels," and there have been no reported incidents of Methodists beheading anyone.

      Correlation does not imply causation, but that doesn't mean causation doesn't exist. When the cause and effect are easy to define and testable, we can indeed say the Islamic religion is a cause of violence.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
  2. Parliment Hill != The White House by brunes69 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's important for non-Canadians to realize that Parliment Hill is not the White House or US Senate. Parliment in Canada is a public commons. There is no security at all on the ground of Parliment and the space is routinely used for large scale public protests and demonstrations, less than a couple of dozen yards of Parliment itself. It's a different ball game.

    1. Re:Parliment Hill != The White House by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Informative

      It is inaccurate to say there is no security at all. There's plenty of cameras, and both uniformed and non-uniformed security.

      However, it is still a public place, and we do have the right to go there. In no small part because we refuse to treat our politicians like royalty

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:Parliment Hill != The White House by ihtoit · · Score: 2

      when was the Royal Veto effectively abolished in Canada? I can tell you when and by what Act it was abolished in England: the Parliament Act 1911.

      --
      Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
  3. Canada, get your own thing. by wiredog · · Score: 5, Funny

    Crazed shooters are totally our thing.

    --America.

    1. Re:Canada, get your own thing. by gman003 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sorry.

      -- Canada

  4. Blurb is all over the place by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    The blurb is all over the place. The shooting is in Ottawa, Canada, Canada's capital. A man with a shotgun walked up to one of two soldiers posted at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and shot one of the soldiers. He then ran off, got into a car, and drove to the gates of Canada's Parliament Buildings center block (you can't drive to the front door, not since 9/11). He ran in and shots were fired. The Seargent At Arms shot and killed the shooter, but there are more shooters in the building (RCMP and Ottawa police are all over it). The parliament buildings are about 2 blocks from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There is a large hotel about a block from Parliament, the Chateau Laurier. There was a shooter in there also, and there is also a large shopping mall about 3 blocks away "Rideau Center". There are shooters in there too. This all follows a 'lone wolf' Jihadist running over (with a car) two soldiers at an army recruiting center yesterday. He was later shot (and killed by police). Also yesterday 6 CF-18's left Canada to join the war on the ISIS (or ISAL or ass-hole, however you want to call them). Also, today Malala Yousafzai was to receive honorary Canadian Citizenship (she is in Ottawa).

  5. Video has 9 shots, 3 before, 2 perps by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2

    A lot of the video is echos, only heard 9 actual. At least 3 at memorial.

    Have only heard of 2 possible perpatrators, one is down.

    Be safe, remember Canadians will never live in Fear, be strong.

    (and to you in America, Canadians do know what to do)

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  6. Domestic Terrorism Threat Level by canadiannomad · · Score: 2

    So is "Domestic Terrorism Threat Level" a ranking of how disenfranchised the population feels beyond the level of "Peaceful Protest"?

    --
    Hmm, the humour and sarcasm seem to have been be lost on you.
  7. I work at a fed site in Ottawa 7km away from downt by Stavr0 · · Score: 5, Informative

    We are in a total lockdown. No one gets in or out.

  8. Inappropriate by Blaskowicz · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is a War memorial! You can't shoot people here!

  9. Re:Why by StrangeBrew · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Let me say this again, since it deserves repeating. Time and time again, posters on Slashdot talk about the 'fictitious' threat of terrorism that government uses as the excuse for encroachments on perceived liberties. You, the posters are the reason why an actual coordinated attack within a 'safe' democratic country is news on Slashdot.

  10. What is important is.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ....to not overact.

    Could be some IS wannabe loser(s), maybe domestic terrorist or a person with mental health issues. We do not know yet.

    What I do know is the country is NOT in mortal danger (not even close), no they are not coming for you women and children.

    We do not need to give up more civil liberties, no lock-down is required.

    Wait for the facts to surface, then deal with it accordingly.

    If we give in to fear and hysteria....well they win...

  11. Only a few days after one killed south of Montreal by Walking+The+Walk · · Score: 2
    Just a few days ago in a town south of Montreal, Quebec, a man hit two soldiers with his car, killing one of them. They're saying he was "radicalized" and waited in the parking lot for 2 hours before the attack. I haven't seen anyone provide info to tie the two attacks together, but I'm sure the question will come up.

    I suppose Facebooks new Safe Check would be useful today - my family have already text me to let me know they're safe, but it would be great to know none of my friends have been hurt.

    --
    A recursive sig
    Can impart wisdom and truth
    Call proc signature()
  12. Re:Why by Walking+The+Walk · · Score: 2

    Well, this comes just a few days after one soldier was killed and another injured in what's being called an intentional attack by a "radicalized" Canadian. That attack was south of Montreal (about 2 hrs drive from Ottawa), so there may be no connection, but it does make one wonder. I'm sure people are worried that these two incidents are related, and might be harbinger of more to come.

    --
    A recursive sig
    Can impart wisdom and truth
    Call proc signature()
  13. Re:Good thing Canada's pretty much a "Gun Free" zo by Teddy+Beartuzzi · · Score: 4, Informative

    Gun free? LOL. We have one of the highest guns per capita rates in the world. We control guns, we don't ban them. And it works very well.

  14. Re:Why by StrangeBrew · · Score: 2

    My guess is you haven't spent any time digging into this story or you'd retract your question. As the story currently stands, the shooter started at the memorial and then ran into parliament to target the sorts of individuals you referenced. You'd also know that there was another attack at a local mall at approximately the same time. You'd also know that a 'radicalized' individual mowed down two uniformed members of our military in Quebec just the other day. These could all be viewed as individual incidence, but reasonable people would come to the conclusion that someone is urging these individuals to carry out attacks, regardless whether or not they were highly coordinated.

  15. Re:Why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ok i c....

    So basically we should give up all our civil liberties, and live in a police state with harsher restrictions than sharia law WITH high tech tools to enforce it.

    All in the name to "feel" safer? That is your solution?

    I lived in Canada all my life. Do you know how many terrorists that wanted to kill me I have come face to face with? 0.
    You know how many statistically speaking I am expected to come face to face with? 0
    The probability of me being killed by terrorists in Canada is so close to 0, it might as well be 0.

    If ever it happens, you know what, it's a tragedy, it sucks, I have the worst luck in the world, but at least I would die knowing he failed to scare us, he failed to take away the rights and freedoms so many others before me fought and died for.

    For us to simply give them all up because we are scared due to a few crazed individuals is a disgrace to those who fought in WW1, WW2 and countless other conflicts, fighting against much more scarier threats....

  16. Re:Why by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Uh, no. You assume that making the country an even larger police state would help. But I'm sure the Canadians already had about as big a police state as it needed.

    And the fuss over incidents involving two persons? Out of millions that live in and travel through Canada each year? Seems like their police apparatus is working pretty well from my point of view.

    You talk as if we could bring an end to the threat of someone doing something nefarious, if only we just did something (think of the chil... soldiers). But you know what? We're doing enough. The actual count of terrorism deaths compared with just about any other cause should convince just about anyone of that. But when your argument is emotional, I guess facts don't matter (but still we try...).

    So, no, neither Canada, nor the US, nor does just about any developed country need a bigger police, monitoring, border-controlling, etc. apparatus. They should probably try a bit harder to make sure that wealth and opportunity are distributed a bit more equitably and that people have a bit more say in what's being done for/to them and that might be a bit more cost-effective, but it's also a tangent along which I will not proceed further.

    What is clear is that freedom is built on acceptable losses. You can debate acceptable loss levels, but the fact of those losses never go away. Talking about acceptable levels and what is needed to achieve those levels might generate a fruitful discussion but, somehow, I don't think you want to talk about things that way.

    --
    That is all.
  17. Re:Why by JMJimmy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's 1, possibly 2 guys with long guns. Even if it is a "terrorist" attack, it's a rather pathetic and poorly organized/planned one. The "radicalized" Canadian was not a terrorist, he was a disturbed individual who latched onto the ideology on his own accord. There were no links to any terrorist organization, no indoctrination, etc - had he latched onto any other ideology (like aliens are real or the boogeyman is going to eat your children) and done the same the conversation would be very different.

  18. Re:Oh noes! Strategic Syrup Alert! by kwiqsilver · · Score: 2

    ...so what ya be needing a gun for?

    How about self defense against against a nut job on a killing spree? The least successful spree killers in the US have all been stopped by an armed civilian, not a government employee.

  19. downtown lockdown by max99ted · · Score: 2

    I work at 55 Metcalfe st which is the corner of Queen and Metcalfe. I can see the parliament buildings from one of the corner offices. We are still locked down and cannot leave the premises. I think every police officer in the city is down here they are currently doing a grid search of buildings between Queen and Wellington streets.

    --

    Please stop APK.. you're only hurting yourself.

  20. Re:Why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How the hell can any attack against soldiers (of all people!) ever possibly be an act of terrorism? Having your soldiers get killed is certainly something to be justifiably pissed off about, but it's impossible for it to be terrorism. Even if a self-proclaimed "terrorist" does it, the act isn't terrorism. In conventional war (ask anyone, whether they grew up in 1200 BC or 1200 AD or 1812 or 1944 or 1971), soldiers are legitimate targets. The definitions didn't suddenly magically change in 2003 (or whenever it was) that US soldiers started getting picked off in Iraq.

  21. Good thing this didn't happen in USA by tekrat · · Score: 2

    A gunman in a government building? In the USA there's be 100,000 cops, the national guard, a dozen tanks, 50 helicopters, CNN and Fox News screaming into the camera "OHMYGOD OHMYGOWD!!!!" and the area would be in lockdown for 72 hours at least and a hazmat crew sent in afterwards ---- all for one shooter with a .22 rifle.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
    1. Re:Good thing this didn't happen in USA by Guru80 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually...a guy just ran into the White House a couple weeks ago, other than the talking heads on CNN and friends that's not how it went down.

  22. Re:Good thing Canada's pretty much a "Gun Free" zo by RobbieCrash · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you're discounting what you claim the major cause of American gun deaths (illegally owned guns used by criminals) to be, you've got to do the same in Canada. In nearly every category Canada is better off, per capita, than the US in terms of crime.

    Also, citation needed for the not counting gangland violence showing low murder rate. The closest thing I can find is a mis-cited report about Chicago that a US conservative site trotted out, sourcing a CDC report that shows nothing of the sort, via Reddit. Here's a well cited refutation of the idea that 80% of gun deaths are caused by gangs, not even after ruling out suicide is it close to true..

    --
    Keep on knockin'
    https://robbiecrash.me
  23. Re:Why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Given a choice between real liberty and perceived safety, I'll take liberty, thanks.

    The people trying to keep us "safe" by stripping away our freedoms are the ones I really worry about, no matter what political party they're from.

  24. 9/11 changed everything by Phil+Urich · · Score: 2

    You're right, the definition didn't change in 2003...it changed in 2001, because 9/11 changed everything, haven't you heard?

    --
    I remember sigs. Oh, a simpler time!
  25. Re:Why by ultranova · · Score: 2

    Time and time again, posters on Slashdot talk about the 'fictitious' threat of terrorism that government uses as the excuse for encroachments on perceived liberties.

    How many people died in terrorist attacks last year? How many died in the hands of various authoritarian regimes?

    I think even the most cursory review of history shows which threat deserves more attention.

    You, the posters are the reason why an actual coordinated attack within a 'safe' democratic country is news on Slashdot.

    We're the reason why coordinated attacks are rare enough to be newsworthy and why rushing in with a gun now counts as a coordinated attack? I think you give us too much credit.

    --

    Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  26. Re:Why by Your.Master · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He was a soldier but he was not a combatant. Typically, terrorism is about targeting noncombatants, not non-soldiers (though non-soldiers are almost always noncombatants). Ottawa is not a warzone.

  27. Re:Why by tburkhol · · Score: 5, Insightful

    " Do you know how many terrorists that wanted to kill me I have come face to face with? 0.
    Remove the "I have come face to face with" and that answer will certainly not be zero.

    No, that answer will almost certainly still be zero. The answer to "Do you know how many terrorists want to kill a generic Westerner?" would not be zero, but who fucking cares? There's a few white people who would be happy to see a generic black person dead (and vice versa); there's a few Irish who would be happy to see a generic Englishman dead.

    The relevant question is not whether there exist some people willing to kill your countrymen, because that will never be an empty set. The relevant question is whether those people are likely to actually kill more of your countrymen than moose, sharks, or bed sheets. The answer is that you should be much more frightened of bed sheets than either terrorists or sharks.

  28. Re:Sounds familiar by jklovanc · · Score: 2

    Saudi's blow up WTC - bomb Afghanistan.

    FTFY

    Quebec guy snipes Ottara - bomb Iraq.

    The decision to bomb ISIS was made before the attack so your connection is false.
    (PS learn to spell Ontario)

  29. Re:Why by Prune · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Mod parent down for lying. Soldiers are only legitimate targets for other soldiers or organized, uniformed (or at least "having a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance") militia members controlled by a responsible commanding officer. I suggest you check Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention for the requirements of being a lawful combatant (there are many others beyond the couple I referenced). And let's not even go into the fact that the person in question is a citizen of the same country the soldier is of and there is not a state of civil war.

    --
    "Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
  30. police confirmed the second shooting didn't occur by Jabrwock · · Score: 2

    Police have corrected that unconfirmed report. There was no shooting at the mall. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

    --
    Magic doesn't work in my presence. My power of disbelief is too strong.
  31. Re:Who saved the day with another gun? by Jabrwock · · Score: 2

    Not only a professional security agent. A professional security agent who on ceremonial occasions rocks a bicorne, lacy shirt, and robes, while carrying a novelty-sized ceremonial mace. This man is a badass.

    --
    Magic doesn't work in my presence. My power of disbelief is too strong.
  32. Muzzies again by Chrisq · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When will people realise that Islam isn't the religion of peace? I suppose one good thing to come out of this is that next time people suggest that we appease the Muslims, that maybe if we just let them take more sex slaves and kill more non-muslims they'd leave us alone we can point out that even a moderate country like Canada is targeted by Muslims

  33. Re:Why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So, no, neither Canada, nor the US, nor does just about any developed country need a bigger police, monitoring, border-controlling, etc. apparatus. They should probably try a bit harder to make sure that wealth and opportunity are distributed a bit more equitably and that people have a bit more say in what's being done for/to them and that might be a bit more cost-effective, but it's also a tangent along which I will not proceed further.

    Because billionaire Osama bin Laden was upset about the unequal distribution of wealth, he attacked the United States?

  34. Islam = Religion of Terrorism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    I am from a country where the majority of the people are Muslims. I know what Islam is

    On the other hand, you guys in Europe, in Canada, in America, in Japan, Korea, or the Argentine, the knowledge you guys have on Islam is what they are telling you - and when I say THEY, I mean the authority, the power that be

    No matter if it is the government of the United States of America, or the British government, or that of France, Germany, Italy, will insist that Islam is a "Religion of Peace"

    Day in, and day out, you are being indoctrinated with the notion that "Islam = Peace" by your own government, and that is not enough

    Even those Muslims will tell you that their religion, Islam, is the Religion of Peace

    That is why I can fault you for thinking that "Islam = Peace", because that is what you have been told

    But for us, we know better

    We have been living under the Islamic cruelty all the time. We have witnessed how cruel Islam is, to what extend those Muslims will go to further their conquest (their ultimate aim is to take over the entier world) and they will kill whoever dare to oppose them

    I have thousands and thousands of examples to show you, but to make this message short, I will show you one - Warning: Please refrain from clicking the link if you can't stand the gory

    In Thailand, they killed children ---

    https://shariaunveiled.files.w...

    As I said, there are thousands and thousands of proofs of the cruelty of Islam. All you need to do is to google for it

  35. Re:That's what happens by Xest · · Score: 2

    You're an embarrassment to your country.

    It was in large part Canada's willingness to stand by Britain and allow it's airmen to support it against Hitler's attempted advances in World War II. Canada was a major factor in helping prevent Britain losing the Battle of Britain, a defining moment which crushed Hitler's ability to spread West outside of Europe (and guess who would've been next if Britain fell?) by decimating his airforce and navy.

    If you think isolation is a solution in an increasingly globalised world you're deluded. It wasn't 70 years ago when America learnt that the hard way at Pearl Harbour, and is most certainly isn't now.

    That doesn't mean every intervention is sensible, effective or just, but absolution isolationism is just complete stupidity - it merely delays the inevitable and makes the inevitable worse because the delay allowed the enemy to gain more strength than they would have if they were just dealt with sooner before they reached your shores. This is reality, and it's been proven time and time again by every nation that's attempted the isolationism that you propose.