I was rushing to catch my flight to Cuba last month and I had 15 minutes to run across YYZ (Pearson International) and make it..I had a carry-on and a small backpack. I jumped onto an escalator going up, and then lost my balance. I was falling backward and it was not going to be pretty. I probably would have smashed my head and/or been eaten alive by the escalator..Death by escalator. The New York Post would have ran a funny story calling me Escalator Man. Just another footnote in life’s travails — but an entertaining one..All of a sudden, I felt two hands behind me!.Somebody pushed me back, and probably saved my life (and my vacation.).After I got to the top, I turned around … he was a small security guard, just a young kid. All he said was, “Take it easy, pal,” and walked away, as if nothing happened. I did catch my flight … one of the last to board..For several days, I had flashbacks. What if he wasn’t there, what if I would have been killed?” God only knows..Monday, a 28-year old biological female who according to Nashville police identified as transgender, armed with two assault weapons and a handgun, killed six people at a Christian school in Nashville. Three children and three adults..CNN is covering it non-stop. It’s the school massacre du jour. But listen to this; the first call to 911, came at 10:13 am. At 10:27 am, police killed the suspect..That’s right … less than 15 minutes later, the officers responded directly to the gunfire taking a page out of the British SAS special forces playbook..On the second floor, no less..Undoubtedly, these officers … these brave officers, saved lives, and should be commended for their heroism.Unlike what happened in Uvalde, Texas, where police followed protocol and waited a full hour for backup to arrive, because they were too scared to respond to the gunfire. Even though that was their job. Something they were paid to do, trained to do, and failed to do..So disgusting, I don’t want to waste another line on them. I don’t. Let them live with that horrific legacy. Children phoned for help, for God's sake, and nobody responded..Personally, I could not live with that. But, as I told my editor, Dave Naylor, you and I are not paid to do that job..I mean, if that, is your job ... you do it. You chose to do it, so do it..You’re trained to do it. You are a first responder. We are counting on you, to do the right thing..And if you are, you had better muck in when it counts. Get in there, and face the music..As Shakespeare would say, there’s the rub. Hopefully, you will do it smartly..Even if it takes a damn smoke grenade or an axe, or rapid fire..Two Edmonton police officers were honoured Monday, after they died in the line of duty..According to reports, they didn’t even get a chance to pull their weapons. They were gunned down by a suspect as they responded to a domestic call..Something that happens every day, every night, in Edmonton and Calgary..These men and women, these brave young men and young women, are truly the best of us. And don’t you ever forget that..They are sworn to uphold the law, and keep us safe..The officers in Nashville just did their job. And in doing so, they probably saved lives..The investigation on how the shooter got their guns is underway..I’m not going to weigh into the gun law issue in Canada. I don’t believe in taking guns away from Canadians, who have already been vetted by the RCMP..I like Canada’s strong gun laws, I do. And I don’t think we need to do anything more. I also don’t know why anybody needs an assault rifle. While I understand the lure of owning one, they probably are not necessary..If you’re a hunter, that’s fine, I got no problem with it. If you’re a collector, that’s fine too. Enjoy the shooting range..It’s hard to get a gun in this country, and that’s a good thing..Besides, the real danger is the illegal flow of handguns into Canada from the US, and according to some police agencies, there’s not a helluva lot anybody can do about that..I commend those Nashville officers for their bravery and quick action. God bless them, because they saved lives..And that’s about all I can draw from this tragedy. As one commentator on CNN said, “We just aren’t equipped for this.”
I was rushing to catch my flight to Cuba last month and I had 15 minutes to run across YYZ (Pearson International) and make it..I had a carry-on and a small backpack. I jumped onto an escalator going up, and then lost my balance. I was falling backward and it was not going to be pretty. I probably would have smashed my head and/or been eaten alive by the escalator..Death by escalator. The New York Post would have ran a funny story calling me Escalator Man. Just another footnote in life’s travails — but an entertaining one..All of a sudden, I felt two hands behind me!.Somebody pushed me back, and probably saved my life (and my vacation.).After I got to the top, I turned around … he was a small security guard, just a young kid. All he said was, “Take it easy, pal,” and walked away, as if nothing happened. I did catch my flight … one of the last to board..For several days, I had flashbacks. What if he wasn’t there, what if I would have been killed?” God only knows..Monday, a 28-year old biological female who according to Nashville police identified as transgender, armed with two assault weapons and a handgun, killed six people at a Christian school in Nashville. Three children and three adults..CNN is covering it non-stop. It’s the school massacre du jour. But listen to this; the first call to 911, came at 10:13 am. At 10:27 am, police killed the suspect..That’s right … less than 15 minutes later, the officers responded directly to the gunfire taking a page out of the British SAS special forces playbook..On the second floor, no less..Undoubtedly, these officers … these brave officers, saved lives, and should be commended for their heroism.Unlike what happened in Uvalde, Texas, where police followed protocol and waited a full hour for backup to arrive, because they were too scared to respond to the gunfire. Even though that was their job. Something they were paid to do, trained to do, and failed to do..So disgusting, I don’t want to waste another line on them. I don’t. Let them live with that horrific legacy. Children phoned for help, for God's sake, and nobody responded..Personally, I could not live with that. But, as I told my editor, Dave Naylor, you and I are not paid to do that job..I mean, if that, is your job ... you do it. You chose to do it, so do it..You’re trained to do it. You are a first responder. We are counting on you, to do the right thing..And if you are, you had better muck in when it counts. Get in there, and face the music..As Shakespeare would say, there’s the rub. Hopefully, you will do it smartly..Even if it takes a damn smoke grenade or an axe, or rapid fire..Two Edmonton police officers were honoured Monday, after they died in the line of duty..According to reports, they didn’t even get a chance to pull their weapons. They were gunned down by a suspect as they responded to a domestic call..Something that happens every day, every night, in Edmonton and Calgary..These men and women, these brave young men and young women, are truly the best of us. And don’t you ever forget that..They are sworn to uphold the law, and keep us safe..The officers in Nashville just did their job. And in doing so, they probably saved lives..The investigation on how the shooter got their guns is underway..I’m not going to weigh into the gun law issue in Canada. I don’t believe in taking guns away from Canadians, who have already been vetted by the RCMP..I like Canada’s strong gun laws, I do. And I don’t think we need to do anything more. I also don’t know why anybody needs an assault rifle. While I understand the lure of owning one, they probably are not necessary..If you’re a hunter, that’s fine, I got no problem with it. If you’re a collector, that’s fine too. Enjoy the shooting range..It’s hard to get a gun in this country, and that’s a good thing..Besides, the real danger is the illegal flow of handguns into Canada from the US, and according to some police agencies, there’s not a helluva lot anybody can do about that..I commend those Nashville officers for their bravery and quick action. God bless them, because they saved lives..And that’s about all I can draw from this tragedy. As one commentator on CNN said, “We just aren’t equipped for this.”
