Canadians In Dreamland

Washington, DV - An observer of things Canadians in the Southland looks upon the Trudeau home break-in incident with puzzled, indeed appalled disbelief.

Canadian failure to appropriately guard its officials literally begs for tragedy.

Justin Trudeau, Liberal Party leader, is arguably the second most important individual in Canada.  .He is the emergent figure in Canada's political landscape!  but in Quebec “you either love him or hate him” as one Quebecois noted.

Yet his family residence was so unguarded that the front door wasn’t even locked.  Thus, according to news reports, a misguided drunk could enter the house, wander about, leave kitchen/butcher knives piled with a note suggesting need for better security, and stack selected valuables at the rear door with another note commenting that these could have been stolen.

Some drunk.  

Although not familiar with intruding drunks (or spent significant personal time inebriated), it is a curious drunk that (presumably) recognizing he was not at home wanders the residence collecting objects and offering literary commentary without disturbing the sleeping family.  One would imagine a “normal drunk” (if one can so imagine) departing the home after realizing that “Hey, I’m not home.”

Consequently, one can also appreciate the rumor storm suggesting Justin’s younger brother had perpetrated the “break-in” to generate sympathetic, horrified “what if” publicity for his brother.  But such was not the case; it was a real and now very apologetic drunk.

Case closed; back to writing snarky blogs about Justin/Liberals with a suggestion that locking doors might be good policy.

But no—not unless Canadians as well as Justin Trudeau—want to dismiss dodging this bullet as confirmation that no volley will ever strike home and they live in the proverbial “peaceable Kingdom” with lambs and lions baaing and purring together.

Canadians have not suffered murders of their national leaders.  The 1868 killing of federal parliamentarian D’Arcy McGee has become a trivial pursuit question.  The 1970 FLQ murder of Quebec Labor Minister Pierre LaPorte is a fading memory of splinter sovereignists’ excesses.

Even more recent incidents are blown off.  PM Chretien and his wife are trapped in the 24 Sussex residence in 1995 while an intruder with a knife roams the building; he confronts Mrs Chretien who barricades the bedroom door while Chretien prepares to defend himself with an Inuit statuette.  RCMP security?  Outside, unable to enter initially because of a forgotten key.  Earlier Disney had obtained the concession for RCMP tourist kitche—RCMP equals Mickey Mouse. 

We assume that security for PM Harper has improved—and the likelihood of a “Toronto 16” think-alike gang beheading the prime minister is minimal.

But is there serious security for Official Opposition NDP leader Mulcair?  RCMP security for Liberal leader Trudeau?  Or for still polarizing figures such as former PMs Chretien and Mulroney?

Over the decades, Canada has had multiple “wake up” alarms.  Don’t hit the “snooze” button this time.