We Will Remain Undaunted

The terrorist attacks that took place in Canada this past week are an attack on our culture, our way of life, Western civilization. Two of our members in the military were murdered: Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in Quebec, murdered by Martin Coutrue-Rouleau, a professed Muslim; and the murder by Michael Zeha-Bibeau of Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who was standing guard at the War Memorial in Ottawa, over those unnamed heroes who had given their lives so that we, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, could continue to live in a democracy.

Canada was shocked. And rightly so. We have collectively refused to believe that there are people who don't believe in our way of life; that there are people around the world who don't love freedom, who don't believe in tolerance of the other, accommodation to different world views, beliefs, lifestyles. There are those in the west who believe that all cultures are equal. Unable to accept the fact that not all cultures are equal, they need to justify the hate so they try to justify terrorism and terrorists. We've been told over the years that there are root causes for these actions. That the young people, mostly men, but there are Western women who've joined ISIS, come from disadvantaged groups-poor, uneducated. And now there are those looking to mental illness as a reason; from editorials in the Globe and Mail to Judy Rebick of rabble.ca, Toronto Star publisher John Cruickshank and the National Post's Jonathan Kay who shared their opinions on the CBC. That none of these people are experts on mental illness didn't stop them from calling the actions of these men "crazy," so these people must be crazy: "clinically insane" to have committed these deeds. That they have no love of our Western culture doesn't occur to any of these journalists. Two NY city police officers were attacked with a hatchet by a man described as a "self-radicalized Muslim convert, who had been in the military and browsed Al Qaeda websites." Apparently this man made anti-Western, anti-government and in some cases anti-white statements on social media. I think he made it quite clear that he doesn't like Western life. He preferred the life described by ISIS members. That life called to him. That ideology that speaks to hate for others, spoke to him. And he was labeled a terrorist by the New York police department.

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Ideology of hate

There is a reluctance, a reticence, to call what happened in Canada a terrorist attack by militant Islamists because the two were not part of an organization. Why does that matter? These two men were attracted to an ideology of hate for the other. They took the teachings of ISIS, which is deeply embedded in hate of the West, and acted on it. They intentionally attacked soldiers, symbols of our country and for all that it stands. They acted like so many in ISIS -- cowardly bullies. We cannot give in to bullies. The Canadian Soldier, man and woman, proudly wears the uniform that is a symbol of our Western culture. It's one of the most important, most visible symbols of our country, glorious and free. I'm saddened that the soldiers were told not to wear their uniforms. Yes, the uniform is a target. But I fear that removing the uniform is to accede to terrorism -- to scare us to change our ways. Each time we cave in we give up slivers of our lifestyle to the point that our lifestyle could slip away with merely a whimper. We must stand together, one family, one people, one country that won't give in to terror, terrorists or terrorism. To those who try to explain away these acts of terror, try to find root causes; enough. There are millions of people in the world -- today -- who hate us. Not because the West went into other countries and tried to bring democracy to their populations. Yes, that plays a role, no question. But in truth they hate us for being us. For our way of life. For our love of freedom, our love of life. We sanctify life. Millions of people venerate death, cheer the martyrs, and dance in the streets when our citizens are murdered in the name of Allah. To deny this is to avoid truth.

Are all those millions of people who belong to Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, al-Nusra al Qaeda and ISIS-are they mentally ill, too?

I find it interesting that Muslims in the West who kill Christians, Jews, and soldiers in the name of their religion are referred to as "lone wolves" suffering from a mental illness. Are all those millions of people who belong to Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, al-Nusra al Qaeda and ISIS-are they mentally ill, too? Or poor? Or uneducated and disadvantaged? When we go down a road of justification, root causes, we deny the fact that these people choose an ideology that promotes hate. Hate fills their needs. It calls to them. Our ideology here in the West is based on an ethic of care for the other as one cares for one's brother. It was revolutionary 3500 years ago and continues to evolve because it isn't a natural response to others. We are born with instincts when not controlled can lead to chaos. There is within many of us the desire to murder those who kill members of our family. Revenge. We find ourselves coveting that which belongs to others. "The grass is always greener on the other side." We steal to obtain what which we cannot afford. We gossip. Monogamy does not appear to come naturally. The Ten Commandments are not so easy. Perhaps that is the reason that so many around the world are attracted to an ideology that condones blood lust in all its many manifestations. Perhaps that is the reason that lone wolves attack police and soldiers-symbols of civility and care-givers of freedom.