Canadians from coast to coast are shocked and saddened by last week's horrific shooting deaths of three RCMP officers in New Brunswick.
And although the killing of the officers in Moncton comes nine years after the Mayerthorpe, Alta. shooting of four officers, the sense of public outrage is the same, as is the feeling that something must surely be done to prevent such tragedies.
Whether that something means Canada needs to impose much stricter and severe gun control measures remains a deeply divisive and controversial issue.
However, like it or not this latest police killing will certainly reopen the debate about whether a workable balance can ever be struck between firearm ownership and public safety in Canadian society.
For the time being, the focus is rightfully on remembering and honouring the dedicated officers who lost their lives in the line of duty last week.
Canada's national leaders fittingly expressed the feelings of the nation when they called the Moncton shootings both tragic and senseless.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the killings are “a stark reminder that our men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line in Canada every day to protect our citizens and communities.”
While NDP Leader Tom Mulcair called the shootings a “tragic reminder of the dangers police face as they perform an important public service protecting our communities”, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Canadians “unequivocally condemn this senseless act of violence.”
As was the case following the Mayerthorpe shootings, the thoughts and prayers of ordinary Albertans go out to the families of the New Brunswick officers who had their lives taken away in this latest horrific example of murder in a peaceful community.
Just like Mayerthorpe, the Moncton shootings mark a dark chapter in Canadian history that will long be remembered for its futility and waste.
Yet these latest killings also highlight a terrible truth: that even years after the Mayerthorpe tragedy, the dedicated and committed RCMP officers who keep Canadians safe remain at extreme risk from gun-toting madmen.
Law-abiding Canadians want no more Mayerthorpe- and Moncton-type shootings – and that is a message Prime Minister Harper, Mr. Mulcair and Mr. Trudeau above all others need to get loud and clear.
Parliament has the final authority to regulate and control firearms in Canada. As such, isn't it high time MPs put aside their differences and use the power Canadians have given them to do more, much more, to protect our police from gun violence?
