Sundberg: In the face of adversity, violence and hate, take pride in being Canadian

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By Kelly W. Sundberg 

Last weekend, at least four Canadians were killed and another 10 injured due to senseless and wanton violence.

On Saturday night in Edmonton, a 30-year-old Somali refugee allegedly ran down and stabbed a police constable, then hours later, ran down another four people before being taken into custody. Apparently, this would-be terrorist had an ISIS flag with him during his attack and was already known by authorities as being a possible extremist.

The following night in Las Vegas, a 64-year-old American businessman fired thousands of rounds into a crowd of concert goers, killing 58 (including four Canadians) and injuring another 489 (six of whom were also Canadian). Reports note that the Las Vegas gunman was unknown to police and seeming lived a typical American lifestyle.

Despite the stark differences between these incidents, both have nevertheless caused many in Canada great sorrow.

 Specific to the ISIS-inspired attack in Edmonton, it is understandable that some Canadians wish for stricter border and national security controls. While Canada clearly could be doing more in the way of refugee screening, it nonetheless is concerning that some of those seeking heightened screening and security do so with xenophobic undertones — even some suggesting that Canada adopt a Trump-style ban on Muslim refugees.

Simply put, to suggest ISIS, al-Qaeda, or al-Shabaab somehow reflect the values and beliefs of all Muslims, would be as ridiculous as suggesting that the Ku Klux Klan reflects the values and beliefs of all Protestants. Yet, before a debate could arise in response to the divisive statements made shortly after the Edmonton attacks, the massacre in America unfolded, ultimately resulting in more Canadians being killed and injured by a crazed gunman in Las Vegas than allegedly by a Somali refugee in Edmonton.

In response to what has come to be known as the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, we as Canadians owe it to ourselves to be candid about why our fellow citizens were killed and injured in Las Vegas. Simply, Americans have come to view their right to bear arms and own high-capacity, military-style assault weapons, as being more important than their right to be safe against mass shootings. 

Consider this, since Dec. 14, 2012, when a mentally ill shooter massacred 20 children and six teachers in a Connecticut elementary school, there have been an additional 1,518 mass shootings in America, accounting for at least 1,715 deaths and another 6,089 people being injured.

While most Canadians wisely avoid weighing in on the American gun control debate, in light of four Canadians being killed and another six being injured as a direct result of America’s reckless gun culture, it is more than justifiable to point out that the vast majority of research shows that lax gun control, combined with high per-capita gun ownership, is the main cause for gun violence and death in America. 

Clearly, the absurd saying, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” is dead wrong. Already this year in America, guns have killed more than 11,773 people — 3,009 of whom were under the age of 18. Still, notwithstanding the research, regardless of the statistics, and irrespective of public outcry, the depressing truth is that many in America will likely come to view the Las Vegas massacre as nothing more than a reference point by which future mass shootings are measured.

Frankly, Canada cannot afford to take the same path as the United States. We must maintain our strict gun control laws and also ensure that our refugee program balances our international responsibility to accept refugees with our need to have sensible and fair security measures in place.

To this end, and in light of the violence and death that unfolded last weekend in Edmonton and Las Vegas, let’s be thankful that the accused attacker in Edmonton was not in possession of the same military-style weapons the gunman in Las Vegas used. There’s a reason so many of us proudly wear a Maple Leaf when travelling abroad: we want others to know we’re Canadian.

Kelly W. Sundberg is an associated professor at Mount Royal University’s department of economics, justice and policy studies.