Editor:
Re: Police were heavily armed at Hats Off Day. Not everyone is happy about that, NOW blogs, June 1
When I read this (opinion piece) and of the reaction to the sight of heavily armed RCMP officers at the Hats Off Day Event, I was of two minds. The first being thank goodness we live in a community and society in Canada where the sight of police officers armed to this magnitude is unusual and rare. This is because our culture is mostly safe and free of violence.
My second reaction is one of sympathy for the delicate people who were "disgusted" and otherwise offended by their own naivety. It is possible these people have never traveled or experienced another country's environment where not everything is a 10/10. The threat of violence is real and with the PM in attendance, (even) more so.
Do you recall how unprepared Parliament Hill was in reaction to a lone gunman's attack some years ago? Imagine if something similar happened on Saturday and there were no police equipped to deal with the response. Those same people offended by the sight of rifles on officers today would no doubt be among the first demanding answers as to why security would have been so lacking in this hypothetical.
What I am saying is, you can't have it both ways. Security without the means to back it up with meaningful action is simply theatre - wishful thinking.
Robin Wong
