Incompetence

"The French resistance during WW II consisted of a few people hiding under the bed listening to the BBC."  So wrote journalist Mark Steyn a few years ago.  I burst out laughing at the time because it rung pretty much true.  We were a long way away from that war when I read Steyn's article, but his words came immediately back to me as I watched "officials" from the City of Ottawa, the RCMP and the Ottawa Police hold an absolutely meaningless press conference yesterday. 

Five hours after the event, they were still in deer-in-the-headlights mode, with absolutely no clue about what was happening on those bloody streets and Parliament Hill in Ottawa?!  In a moment of incredulity, the Ottawa police chief actually blurted out, "We were completely taken by surprise."  Had it not been for excellent coverage by the media, citizens all across this country would have been completely in the dark.

Here are a few obvious questions:

• Why were police and other officials unresponsive for so long?
• Why did security officers on the Hill appear to be hiding behind columns?
• Why was the Hill so completely unprotected?
• Why did officials have no answers when they finally faced the cameras?
• Why did we have to learn from a "tweet" that Corporal Cirillo had died?
• Why did we have to learn the name of the perpetrator from the Americans?
• Why was our Prime Minister unavailable?
• Why did he give absolutely no information when he finally did appear a full nine hours after events took place?

It's all so incomprehensible.  Wonder what Rudy Juiliani was thinking?  Remember him?  On 9/11 he was out in front of everything and everyone, marching fearlessly towards the World Trade Centre -- come what may have.  We didn't do that.  Everyone ran for cover.  You can bet the Americans are pretty much relying solely on the Blackberry video footage shot "par hazard" by a brave Globe and Mail reporter who just happened to be in the hall.

Even more incredible is the fact that caucus members had to resort to piling up chairs against a door to protect themselves!  They trapped themselves in and would not even allow the RCMP to enter to remove the PM.  Well, why would they?  For Hill security, it was Nero-fiddles-while-Rome-burns.  Except for the Sergeant-at-Arms, who sprang into action and saved the day, the rest of the mess simply rolled out in chaos.  Kevin Vickers is a true hero, but it should never have come to that.

In spite of the jumble made by officials, I agree with Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente who wrote today, "We Canadians are steadfast and a bit phlegmatic. These are among our finest traits.  We don’t get that excited, and we won’t be cowed into giving up our freedoms. Also, when necessary, we can shoot to kill.  So long as we retain these virtues, the terrorists don’t have a chance."

Today at the pool Calgarians behaved normally.  No one even spoke of the events.  We simply behaved as Canadians behave.  The saddest photo of all appeared in the Globe today:

Corporal Nathan Cirillo, left, minutes before he was shot.  RIP.