It’s the NRA’s fault for opposing common sense legislation. ( :dubious: )
In Canada?
It won’t make a difference. The gun control debate is so tired & scripted, you can pretty much just play any random tape from the last few decades. A gun control advocate will call for laws banning eeeeeevil-looking guns (never mind that the gun was already purchased illegally, or the guy’s dad was a cop and it was his gun, or something like that) and the counterpoint will be some NRA guy claiming that more people with guns would have stopped the shooter (never mind that plenty of people do have guns, and none of them did anything to stop the guy). After a week, people will be tired of hearing it and you can put the tape on the shelf until the next time.
Heh. Very true. But the people talking about “random crazies” are mostly hoping that Islamic terrorists had nothing to do with this. But unfortunately ISIS has a well-organized and frighteningly effective recruitment program. Just this morning there was a story on the news about 3 teenage girls from Colorado who were stopped in Germany while trying to get to Syria to join ISIS. IIRC, their families were from Somalia. Apparently, one of their fathers blew the whistle after he realized what was happening.
ETA: The soldier who died was named in the below article as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. RIP
The gunman who was shot has apparently been identified as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, born 1982. Apparently there is some relationship to ISIS. This sucks.
Im saying that posting what you did at a time when it was unknown whether one person had been massacred or twenty was crass.
No doubt a lot of stupid things will be said in the coming days and weeks. I have already heard a TV contributor being asked by a journalist whether or not Canada should rethink its support for the bombing of ISIS. A thread sprinkled with political point scoring when bodies were still lying warm in the street was not Straightdope’s finest moment, was it?
I’ll thank you not to put words in my mouth. The question was asked as to why Canada was attacked, and it was speculated that it’s easier to attack us here because we’re a soft target. My response was that the attacker on Monday was a Canadian resident (I believe he was actually a Canadian citizen). I don’t see evidence that Canada is a “soft target”. It’s just far easier for a person living in Canada to carry out an attack in Canada.
That is what many of us do on the 'Dope.
A nuts Muslim convert shot some soldiers at a recruitment office here in Little Rock a few years ago. A native guy can find an easy target just about anywhere.
Wow. CNN is sure loving this story.
Ottawa’s 15 minutes of fame.
An armed soldier was killed, by surprise, at point-blank range, while on ceremonial guard duty at a War Memorial surrounded by busy downtown streets. The murderer of that soldier was killed as he tried (and failed) to penetrate Parliament. What level of seriousness on the part of the Canadian government do you suggest could have prevented this?
I thought that was when I was there. 
Pick any of the threads about mass shootings in the US and you will see plenty of it from both sides of the argument. Including, I suspect, from members outside the US.
Look for the knees on the right to jerk “OMG! He was a MUSLIM!” “The only way to stop a bad guy with a guy is a good guy with a gun!”
In my estimation the Canadians did about everything that could be reasonably expected of them. Just a reminder that the ISIS nuts can strike anywhere.
The PM, Stephen Harper is about to give a live speech carried by CNN.
Now it’s his 15 minutes of fame.
And you were here for about 15 minutes, as I recall. 
Not armed actually. Ceremonial arms only. (Not loaded.)
Even self appointed “Muslim State” nuts.
Anderson’s here! Well, we’ve finally arrived.