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| The Eaton Shopping Center on better days than this one. |
There has been shooting in Toronto's Eaton Shopping Center. One man of age 25 was killed instantly. A thirteen year old boy is in critical condition, and a total of five other people have been shot, some of them critically. This is an unusual occurance in Toronto, which is a huge widely spread city in Ontario, Canada. We have many friends in Toronto. One of them is Julia Bentley, whom we are featuring in a video below. We have not yet heard from Julia tonight, an avid shopper. Tonight we pray for Julia, and the other people of Toronto, especially those impacted by this attack. Some have said that this may be due to increasing gang activity in Toronto, although there is as yet, no official confirmation of such.
Julia Bentley and Andrew Gunadie "Canadian Please"
UPDATE: June 3, 2012. The perpetrators or the shootings at Toronto's most famous shopping center have not yet been apprehended. There has been no update from media as to how those who have survived the shootings are doing in the hospital. Articles in today's Toronto "Globe and Mail" speak of how inhabitants of Toronto, a normally very safe and comfortable city are in shock, in much the same way they were in Norway when the shooting there occurred. We have not yet heard from Julia, but have a message out to her.
6 comments:
That illustrates how much good gun laws do with someone who is bound and determined to do evil.
Yes. My own perspective is that many lives are saved each year in many places, BECAUSE people are armed with, and properly trained in the use of a handgun. These stories don't make it to media. I not only have a concealed weapons permit, but I carry a firearm with me, everywhere that it is permitted by law. Outlawing guns, is a lot like outlawing steak knives because someone could get stabbed. "If guns are outlawed, then only outlaws will have guns" and this appears to be the case above.
Jane - we feel terrible for all of those involved in the incident and for their families. however, i would like to stress that most Canadians are happy with our gun laws and usually the only people who don't follow our gun laws are criminals! in addition, this kind of thing does not happen very often in Canada. as you noted, this incident is suspected to be gang-related as a good portion of murders in Canada are gang-related. as we all know, gun laws, whether strict or lesser, tend to have no affect on gang-related activity.
fyi - the homicide rate in Toronto in 2007 was 3.3 per 100,000. Boston was 10.3. i'm just throwing out these stats to make a comparison. Toronto is also our most populated city in Canada.
lastly - for anyone reading this - please listen to the lyrics of the song that Jane posted...if you listen carefully to the lyrics, you will hear why we love being Canadian. here's a clue from the lyrics:
"So you’re thinking to yourself,
“How do I live in this beautiful country?”
Well we’ve got some steps for you to follow…
STEP 1: Lose the gun
STEP 2: Buy a canoe
STEP 3: Live multiculturally
STEP 4: You’re ready, there is no more!"
i think those lyrics kind of back up what i was saying.
also, Julia and Andrew are incredibly talented. i love this song!!!
your friend,
kymber
Kymber, I know that many Canadians, especially those near the cities cannot even imagine owning guns, but this is not true of all of them, even in Nova Scotia. Our home by the ocean in Canada is in Shelburne County. The part of Nova Scotia by the sea that we live in has really large wolves, packs of dogs and occasionally, rabid raccoons, and other animals. It is unlikely that someone attacked could get police there quickly enough to save their lives. I am also recalling the young singer from Toronto, Taylor Mitchell,19, who was killed by coyotes in Cape Breton Highlands Park in October of 2009, during a morning run. Hunting with rifles is very common in Shelburne, and we only have two police officers for a great distance. Many people in Shelburne, particularly in Barrington Passage, Shag Harbour, and as far as Yarmouth were very happy at the prospect of the abolition of the long gun registry in Canada. It may be that the compromise is more liberal laws in rural places in which rifles may be used against threatening animals, and continued handgun moratoria for Canada, for everyone except law enforcement or ultra special case permit.
Yes, Julia is very talented, and so is Andrew. Julia has moved to Toronto from London (Ontario) to develop her career, and so she is no longer working with Andrew, who continues to work in the field as well. They each have a series of very well done videos.
Jane - i don't know of anyone living in rural areas of Canada who does not own a rifle or 20 - many of which have been handed down from generation to generation. we learned our lesson with the long gun registry - it turned out that everyone who registered was a law-abiding citizen and not one criminal turned up from the registry - hence the abolition of the registry. as you expressed - people in the cities feel that they have no need of owning a weapon and i can understand and relate.
i am sad that Julia and Andrew are no longer working together - they seem to work so well together. and i have seen some of their videos and enjoyed them! but "Canadian please" near killed me with laughter. have you heard from Julia yet? i hope that all is well with her!
your friend,
kymber
Julia has not responded to my message, but this may not be ominous. When she is not in Toronto, she has a cottage without internet, and she may be there working on the album.
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