INNOCENTS KILLED
Thursday Oct. 23, 2014
Yesterday shocked and saddened Canadians.
We’ve seemed immune to these events of crazy reality.
We’ve seen it now.
Two consecutive days, two evil-doers, two evil deeds.
First, a soldier run down. Killed.
Yesterday, another assassinated.
Neither in combat, but going about their business, doing their jobs on streets of our country.
They were innocent. Murdered.
Two people killed two people in two days.
One apprehended. Another, chased. Killed before he could harm others.
Two soldiers. Dead.
We are indebted to them – and to heroic acts of those who made sure it ended there, then.
Yet this is no end …
Rather, a beginning of heightened awareness, fear, vigilance and changed ways.
As observers, Canadians have watched and witnessed our allies, friends and neighbours attacked. Seems now, we are no different than any other – subject to extremists, madmen, terrorists and mayhem – bent on making our land a stage for their rage.
As I watched coverage of yesterday’s shooting activities on our Parliament hill, I recall walking by that war memorial – site of a soldier’s slaying. I know that hallway in Parliament’s main building – I’ve walked down it, that place where the killer was killed by a heroic RCMP officer, the Seargent-at-arms, keeping parliamentarians safe from harm.
We are all no longer innocent.
The days when we can – in the land of the true north, strong and free – walk around our nation’s capital, visit its institutions as citizens and tourists without passing through security or metal detectors, without armed guards – those days are likely gone.
They are the past.
Times changed, yesterday – so swiftly.
They were innocent.
We were innocent.
Then we were not.
Mark Kolke
column written/ published from Calgary
morning walk: 8C/47F, gentle breeze. Moonless and cloudless sky – as if we could reach up and touch the stars that seemed so much brighter than usual. Hmmm. Gusta browsed, I walked, no critters, not much notable – but we saw two cars on our street, each with lights left on, their batteries fading … their lights dim, soon dead … like some metaphors, parked there in some karmic message.
