Bus
attacks
spur
fear
mongering
By
Jonn
Kmech
-
Whenever
an
event
as
tragic
and
random
as
Tim
McLean's
death
last
month
on
a
Manitoba
Greyhound
occurs,
it
undoubtedly
shakes
our
sense
of
security.
Here
was
a
young
man,
the
same
age
as
many
university
students,
killed
gruesomely
in
a
seemingly
arbitrary,
unprovoked
attack.
Our
national
insecurities
are
on
dis-'
play
in
a
clear
glass
case,
but
we
lose
the
ability
to
examine
them
logically.
Even
in
2008,
we
still
work
ourselves
into
frenzies,
unable
to
separate
rampant
emotions
from
rational
thought,
constantly
jumping
to
conclusions.
Unfortunately,
since
the
incident,
the
Canadian
news
media
has
appeared
more
like
their
American
counterparts
in
fueling
these
notions.
The
first
ridiculous
idea
asserted
is
that
Greyhound
buses
should
have
security
on
par
with
airlines.
Not
only
is
this
idea
impractical,
but
it
also
displays
a
startling
ignorance
of
exactly
how
bus
travel
differs
from
airline
travel.
The
majority
of
stops
in
small
towns
are
at
truck
stops,
restaurants,
or
even
just
street
corners.
Even
if
there
were
metal
detectors
at
Greyhound
stations
and
random
wand
checks,
it's
highly
unlikely
Greyhound
could
provide
an
almost
impenetrable
shield
against
weapons
the
way
airports
with
single
entrances
can.
Additionally,
a
random
attack
of
this
nature
could
have
happened
anywhere
in
society,
not
just
on
a
bus.
Another
shoddy
argument
being
regurgitated
is
that
we
should
give
the
accused,
Vince
Wei-guang
Li,
the
death
penalty
simply
due
to
the
shocking
nature
of
the
crime.
This
neglects
the
fact
that
punishment
for
murder
in
our
judicial
system
is
correctly
based
on
intent,
not
severity,
as
well
as
the
fact
that
Canada
hasn't
used
the
death
penalty
since
1976.
Resorting
to
capital
punishment
would
be
the
equivalent
of
a
revenge
killing
or
a
public
lynching.
Even
more
ludicrous
ideas
have
been
tossed
out
like
confetti.
Opposition
MPs
approached
Public
Safety
Minister
Stock-well
Day
with
a
proposal
for
a
knife
registry.
Why
apply
a
system
that
worked
so
poorly
with
guns
to
something
that
everyone
has
several
of
in
their
kitchen?
A
scissors
registry
or
spatula
registry
would
be
just
as
useful.
Others
argue
the
incident
should
draw
an
eye
to
our
lax
immigration
policies,
since
Li
was
a
recent
immigrant,
as
if
a
Canadian
citizen
could
not
have
committed
this
attack.
People
naturally
consider
extremes
more
favourably
when
they
feel
threatened,
and
the
media
perpetuates
these
ideas
by
surrounding
us
with
them.
The
crime
may
have
"sent
a
Shockwave
across
the
nation,"
according
to
a
CTV
broadcast,
but
how
much
of
that
is
the
media's
fault?
Although
murders
tend
to
make
the
news,
very
few
ramp
up
delirium
as
feverishly
as
this
one.
If
media
outlets
didn't
exploit
such
tragedies
and
plaster
them
everywhere,
would
we
still
be
willing
to
so
quickly
give
up
our
rights
or
buy
into
such
ridiculous
ideas?
It's
pretty
alluring
to
believe
hyperbole
when
you're
constantly
exposed
to
it,
but
we
have
to
be
smarter,
more
discerning,
and
able
to
look
beyond
the
Chicken
Little
effect
of
such
tragedies.
Otherwise,
ideas
like
a
knife
registry
or
bus
security
in
the
middle
of
nowhere
may
start
to
look
worthy
of
wasting
millions
of
taxpayer
dollars
on,
and
losing
our
freedoms
at
the
same
time.
In
a
world
where
we've
never
been
more
secure,
you
still
can't
be
100
per
cent
safe
all
the
time.
While
this
is
unnerving,
we
have
to
see
the
broader
picture;
while
we
can't
control
the
world,
we
should
be
content
with
the
fact
that
incidents
like
the
one
that
took
Tim
McLean's
life
are
extraordinarily
rare
and
don't
warrant
major
alterations
to
security
in
our
society.
The
Gateway
(University
of
Alberta)
EDMONTON
(CUP)
College
of
New
Caledonia
-
Ion
16