Fox News anchor Shep Smith opened his program Wednesday by quoting a member of Canadian parliament who said that the morning shooting in Ottawa “changes everything” in the largely tranquil nation.
A little bit later on his show, Smith offered a powerful rejoinder to that very sentiment, saying “we don’t have to change everything about our lives” in the wake of such incidents.
“So, we’re talking about one guy, one guy who has changed the focus of a nation for now and the foreseeable future as Canada will be re-evaluating itself and the way it conducts itself — internally and externally — because of the actions of one man on one morning over a period of less than ten minutes. That’s how fragile it all is,” Smith said, referring to the gunman who opened fired inside Canada’s parliament building.
Reminding viewers that the same deadly scenario that played out in Ottawa could happen anywhere, Smith called for a stiff upper lip.
So at some point, our authorities warn us, at some point somebody, some lone wolf, somebody who’s mad at somebody, somebody who’s following some radical, ridiculous ideology will walk into a shopping mall or into a train station or something that is not tightly secured and start firing away.
And on that day, at that time, we as a collective being must not give in. On that day, we don’t have to change everything about our lives. We don’t have to add things that make us not a free people.
If and when it happens, as our leaders warn that it most likely will, we have to stand brave and tall as hopefully Canadians are doing today and realize if we want to have a free nation there’s give and there’s bend. If you see something say something, but beyond that don’t freak out when it happens.
Easier said than done, isn’t it?
Good for him. “This changes everything” ranks right up there with “This offer is only good today then will be gone forever” and “Baby, I promise I’ll change and always be faithful to you.”
And above all, don’t enact your own version of the Patriot Act, which is precisely where that kind of sentiment leads and lead us. Learn from our mistakes and resist the urge to step towards fascism as though it’s your blanky.
There have been a couple of rational moments on FOX recently. I’m sure the email from Ailes will be out soon to correct that.
Don’t freak out? Don’t freak out?! DOES HE HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE HE IS WORKING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
First, we don’t even know that this had anything to do with ISIS-it could be some guy who was kicked out of the army for being on drugs or mentally ill or broke up with his girlfriend. That actually happened in 1984, when a gunman took over the Quebec National Assembly, killing several employees there.
And even if it was someone “inspired by ISIS” what should Canada change? The RCMP and CSIS already monitor people who are in contact with terrorist groups. Should security around Parliament be beefed up? Sure. I remember going there when I was in school a few times. We walked in-no security or anything. We met the PM without being searched or going through metal detectors. OK, I accept those days are over, but Parliament Hill still belongs to the people.