The power of fear

What happened in Ottawa was a tragedy. Canadians shouldn’t have to compromise the sense of comfort and safety they have worked for decades to create, but that is unfortunately the route this event will take.

For the woefully uninformed, a gunman opened fire on soldiers standing guard at the war memorial on Parliament Hill. There were many rumours flying around on Twitter and social media circles (as well as briefly alluded to in speeches) that this may have been tied to ISIS. Those rumours are terrifying people. And terror is one of the hardest weapons to combat, especially for a country so used to seeing it happen everywhere else.

Canadians can do something to fight back against attacks such as these, and it is the hardest thing to do when panic is surrounding them. Carry on. It seems simple, and maybe a bit insensitive given the casualties that arise from such attacks, but it is the best thing every individual can do.

It may seem callous to some, and others may accuse you of not caring, but if you alter your way of life because of terrorist activity, then they are accomplishing exactly what they set out to do. Terrorists don’t seek individual lives, they seek to change the mentality of the uninvolved. They seek to anger the masses into sinking down to their level. “If we blink, then the terrorists have won,” is one permutation of the widely-bastardized adage, but it holds truth in that the best defence is to not take offence.

By no means should you not engage in discourse with your peers on the topic. Canadians, after all, have the right and responsibility to defend their ideals and lives, but it doesn’t have to be done under a veil of fear. We can fear for the lives of those involved, and hope your friends, families and fellow students in Ottawa come out unscathed, but tomor- row we should wake up eager to take on the world.

It’s a solemn reminder that we enjoy a different standard of life in Canada.

The idea of violent activity happening in such a public place is unheard of, yet it is a grim, daily reality in many parts of the world.

We should use this opportunity to embolden our resolve; to reaffirm the tenets that make our society great.

To be Canadian means to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

To be Canadian means to assume that everyone else has your best interests in mind, not just you.

To be Canadian means to feel safe around the world, because people from our country have created an international understanding that we are courteous, patient, and tolerant.

To be Canadian means to welcome all citizens with open arms into our seat of government, to see how the sausage gets made.

Don’t let anyone, or any event change what it means to be Canadian.

“Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them.” -Pierre Trudeau