In light of recent events...

I'm sure my astute readers have all heard of the events in Canada this week. Two soldiers were run down (one later died) in Quebec by a person believed to be a radical Islamic militant, who was later killed by the local police. Yesterday, a young Army reservist was shot and killed while standing guard at the Canadian War Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa. The shooter then entered the Parliament building and was himself shot and killed by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Parliament, a former Mounted Police constable, in an exchange of gunfire. This morning there have been shots fired at vehicles along Highway 401 east of Toronto. This third item may not have anything to do with the first two, but the timing alone makes it suspect, if the event is real at all. I cannot offer any confirmation at this time.

Some ask "What is happening?" This is the reality of the modern world. Some voices blame members of certain religious groups. Others see a plot by governments to limit individual rights and gain more power and control. Some are jumping to horrendous conclusions with meagre evidence. I don't wish to do any of these things.

I'm glad to note that the Canadian Parliament is back in session this morning and is taking care of legislative business as much as it ever does. That is probably the best thing that could happen in that place. Refusing to be disrupted is an act of resistance and business as usual is a defusing of terror. Things will not be the same as they were before all this and yet there is no reason to panic. (I've been told that some schools in the US are closed for fear of the ebola virus. A comedian jokingly and realistically reminded us that more Americans have married Kim Kardashian than have died of ebola. Note the emphasis on Americans; for Africa, this in no laughing matter. For the USA, panic is far less realistic.)

Why am I saying this? Speaking out of a black mood, I remind myself that whatever I might say is of little worth in the great scheme of things. My musings on painted bits of metal, resin, and plastic and how I push them around a table-top is a self-indulgent exercise. Important things happen around me and I surely have little awareness of them and even less control over them. I am a small person in the midst of much larger events. I will continue to "blog" what I usually do but always with the memory that what I write about is... less important.

I wanted to say this before I blog anything else so that anyone who reads this will know that I take serious things seriously and I'm as confused as anyone else.

God help us all. God be with us all. I pray for ALL those who have lost their lives and for their families.

Rest in Peace, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo
Argyl and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada