As details of the sinister terrorist attacks on separate sites in Paris last week unfolded, many of us on the West Shore and beyond stopped in our tracks and wondered just how far terrorists would go in their bid to create global chaos.
The way the Paris attacks were carried out was random and indiscriminately violent, a strategy that is becoming the calling card of the group known as ISIS.
Besides the 129 (and counting) people murdered in Paris, other equally disturbing human massacres occurred over the past few days. Suicide bombers killed 43 in Beirut and at least seven died in bombings in Baghdad.
While our leaders insist that Canada is safe from such carnage on our home soil, the weekend attacks are enough to send a chill to those in Greater Victoria who live in relative safety, a tiny blip on the map for those seeking to inflict maximum human damage and suffering.
As our newly elected federal government analyzes the international role it will play moving forward after this latest barrage by ISIS and other groups, some of the discussion has moved toward how Canada should deal with its promise to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees into the country by the end of this year.
On social media and many mainstream news outlets, some have said we should think twice about accepting these people given the news that some of the Paris terrorists may have posed as Syrian refugees.
We’d like to believe the new Minister of Public Safety when he says the screening process for refugees will be “strong and robust.”
We also agree with his later comments that no system is perfect.
In general, the federal government must do what it needs to, as a way to ensure the safety of its citizens on home soil.
While the Liberals may have a different mindset than the Conservatives when it comes to national security, we won’t be surprised to see measures instituted that may make civil rights activists and libertarians in this country cry foul.