American Tourist Scared of Canadians Wants Gun
This letter was published in the Calgary Herald. It was written by an American cop who freaked out when 2 Calgarians wanted to offer him passes to the Calgary Stampede on Nose Hill, a public park on a big hill in Calgary. This is his letter:
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"I recently visited Calgary from Michigan. As a police officer for 20 years, it feels strange not to carry my off-duty hand-gun. Many would say I have no need to carry one in Canada.
Yet the police cannot protect everyone all the time. A man should be al-lowed to protect himself if the need arises. The need arose in a theatre in Aurora, Colo., as well as a college campus in Canada.
Recently, while out for a walk in Nose Hill Park, in broad daylight on a paved trail, two young men approached my wife and me. The men stepped in front of us, then said in a very aggressive tone: “Been to the Stampede yet?”
We ignored them. The two moved closer, repeating: “Hey, you been to the Stampede yet?
I quickly moved between these two and my wife, replying, “Gentle-men, I have no need to talk with you, goodbye.” They looked bewildered, and we then walked past them.
I speculate they did not have good intentions when they approached in such an aggressive, disrespectful and menacing manner. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ they did not pull a weapon of some sort, but rather concluded it was in their best interest to leave us alone.
Would we not expect a uniformed officer to pull his or her weapon to intercede in a life-or-death encounter to protect self, or another? Why then should the expectation be lower for a citizen of Canada or a visitor? Wait, I know – it’s because in Canada, only the criminals and the police carry handguns.
Walt Wawra, Kalamazoo, Mich.
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My sister and my nieces and nephews walk on that hill all the time. It's a neighborhood park where everybody is friendly. I am SO glad that this feral man didn't have his gun on him.
My question is, do you think that he was behaving normally? Do Americans carry firearms with them when they go hiking in public parks in case they encounter strangers who might talk to them?
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/09/walt-wawra/
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"I recently visited Calgary from Michigan. As a police officer for 20 years, it feels strange not to carry my off-duty hand-gun. Many would say I have no need to carry one in Canada.
Yet the police cannot protect everyone all the time. A man should be al-lowed to protect himself if the need arises. The need arose in a theatre in Aurora, Colo., as well as a college campus in Canada.
Recently, while out for a walk in Nose Hill Park, in broad daylight on a paved trail, two young men approached my wife and me. The men stepped in front of us, then said in a very aggressive tone: “Been to the Stampede yet?”
We ignored them. The two moved closer, repeating: “Hey, you been to the Stampede yet?
I quickly moved between these two and my wife, replying, “Gentle-men, I have no need to talk with you, goodbye.” They looked bewildered, and we then walked past them.
I speculate they did not have good intentions when they approached in such an aggressive, disrespectful and menacing manner. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ they did not pull a weapon of some sort, but rather concluded it was in their best interest to leave us alone.
Would we not expect a uniformed officer to pull his or her weapon to intercede in a life-or-death encounter to protect self, or another? Why then should the expectation be lower for a citizen of Canada or a visitor? Wait, I know – it’s because in Canada, only the criminals and the police carry handguns.
Walt Wawra, Kalamazoo, Mich.
+++++
My sister and my nieces and nephews walk on that hill all the time. It's a neighborhood park where everybody is friendly. I am SO glad that this feral man didn't have his gun on him.
My question is, do you think that he was behaving normally? Do Americans carry firearms with them when they go hiking in public parks in case they encounter strangers who might talk to them?
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/09/walt-wawra/
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Replies
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Lol, no we don't. I am from Michigan. Most of us here are not paranoid.0
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This letter was published in the Calgary Herald. It was written by an American cop who freaked out when 2 Calgarians wanted to offer him passes to the Calgary Stampede on Nose Hill, a public park on a big hill in Calgary. This is his letter:
+++
"I recently visited Calgary from Michigan. As a police officer for 20 years, it feels strange not to carry my off-duty hand-gun. Many would say I have no need to carry one in Canada.
Yet the police cannot protect everyone all the time. A man should be al-lowed to protect himself if the need arises. The need arose in a theatre in Aurora, Colo., as well as a college campus in Canada.
Recently, while out for a walk in Nose Hill Park, in broad daylight on a paved trail, two young men approached my wife and me. The men stepped in front of us, then said in a very aggressive tone: “Been to the Stampede yet?”
We ignored them. The two moved closer, repeating: “Hey, you been to the Stampede yet?
I quickly moved between these two and my wife, replying, “Gentle-men, I have no need to talk with you, goodbye.” They looked bewildered, and we then walked past them.
I speculate they did not have good intentions when they approached in such an aggressive, disrespectful and menacing manner. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ they did not pull a weapon of some sort, but rather concluded it was in their best interest to leave us alone.
Would we not expect a uniformed officer to pull his or her weapon to intercede in a life-or-death encounter to protect self, or another? Why then should the expectation be lower for a citizen of Canada or a visitor? Wait, I know – it’s because in Canada, only the criminals and the police carry handguns.
Walt Wawra, Kalamazoo, Mich.
+++++
My sister and my nieces and nephews walk on that hill all the time. It's a neighborhood park where everybody is friendly. I am SO glad that this feral man didn't have his gun on him.
My question is, do you think that he was behaving normally? Do Americans carry firearms with them when they go hiking in public parks in case they encounter strangers who might talk to them?
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/09/walt-wawra/
I laughed my self silly when I read about that. We certainly don't need any more guns. Crazy people with guns are what cause the mass shootings, so it makes perfect sense to throw some more guns in to the mix. :noway:0 -
This letter was published in the Calgary Herald. It was written by an American cop who freaked out when 2 Calgarians wanted to offer him passes to the Calgary Stampede on Nose Hill, a public park on a big hill in Calgary. This is his letter:
+++
"I recently visited Calgary from Michigan. As a police officer for 20 years, it feels strange not to carry my off-duty hand-gun. Many would say I have no need to carry one in Canada.
Yet the police cannot protect everyone all the time. A man should be al-lowed to protect himself if the need arises. The need arose in a theatre in Aurora, Colo., as well as a college campus in Canada.
Recently, while out for a walk in Nose Hill Park, in broad daylight on a paved trail, two young men approached my wife and me. The men stepped in front of us, then said in a very aggressive tone: “Been to the Stampede yet?”
We ignored them. The two moved closer, repeating: “Hey, you been to the Stampede yet?
I quickly moved between these two and my wife, replying, “Gentle-men, I have no need to talk with you, goodbye.” They looked bewildered, and we then walked past them.
I speculate they did not have good intentions when they approached in such an aggressive, disrespectful and menacing manner. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ they did not pull a weapon of some sort, but rather concluded it was in their best interest to leave us alone.
Would we not expect a uniformed officer to pull his or her weapon to intercede in a life-or-death encounter to protect self, or another? Why then should the expectation be lower for a citizen of Canada or a visitor? Wait, I know – it’s because in Canada, only the criminals and the police carry handguns.
Walt Wawra, Kalamazoo, Mich.
+++++
My sister and my nieces and nephews walk on that hill all the time. It's a neighborhood park where everybody is friendly. I am SO glad that this feral man didn't have his gun on him.
/
My question is, do you think that he was behaving normally? Do Americans carry firearms with them when they go hiking in public parks in case they encounter strangers who might talk to them?
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/09/walt-wawra/
Oops he was from Kalamazoo? I went through there once.... it was a scary city maybe that is why he is like he is!0 -
Oh please!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only thing we will kill you with is kindness.
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Omg. Does this guy not realize that it's really hard to get a concealed carry permit in Canada? Really really hard. ATT's (authorization to transport) is hard enough to get. You have to be going to your gun club, or moving or have a GOOD reason. I hardly ever hear of anyone anywhere in Canada except Toronto pulling a hand gun and shooting people. Very very few people unless they are really hardened criminals would even have a gun out in public in this country.
We bring our 22 rifle, which looks like a M16 on some of our hikes. Just in case....Bears, coyote, wolves, ect. We ran into some boys that were up from city, somewhere USA. They took one look at us and nearly *kitten* themselves. Funniest thing ever. They asked us what we were hunting. We said skunk. I wanted to say hikers....but my husband stopped me.
Americans amaze me every time. I'm a crack shot. With a rifle. I'm a great shot with the hand gun. And I'm an okay shot with the revolver. Even if I had all three, I don't think I could have stopped that crazy in the movie theater with one shot. And taking someone out with one shot is the only safe way in that situation. It's not like in the movies. Not at all.0 -
That is funny! I live near Calgary and I would have gladly taken the tickets they were offering. Did this guy not know that us Canadians are polite to a fault? Maybe these two 'thugs' were a bit too aggressive in wanting to make conversation, but geez, give me a break!0
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The thing I wonder is when you live in a big city, like New York City, you don't make eye contact, you don't talk to people you don't know. I never had that feeling in Chicago, though I know that if you go into certain inner-city neighborhoods with gangs that anything can happen, especially if you live in one gang's territory and need to cross over into another's. I wonder if this is the kind of environment this police officer would know. So when these two guys did their Alberta thing, he freaked out.
But what I wonder, is when we visit the USA and take a walking trail someplace, and some guys come up to us, should be think they might have guns? Like, how common is this kind of thing?0 -
reading that i could have sworn it must be an Onion article.
that guys gives Americans a bad name.0 -
Actually I am one of meanest Canadians around LOL!!! I will help out a fellow Canadian here if they are in need of help not sure if I would do it in the states especially NY.0
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I live in Texas. I'm likely the only person here that doesn't carry a gun.0
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If we take a hike/walk, we are armed. We have bears and coyotes. And criminals. We carry always.0
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AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
Oh my that is WAY too funny....I live just below Nose Hill...just a second while I laugh again...HAHAHAHAHA
there is NO NEED for a gun in this neighborhood...
ahhaha "been to stampede?" that is like asking "have you been to a good party lately?"0 -
It was in the news here in Quebec. The news presenters had a good laugh!0
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Sounds like he should have stayed at home in the US where it's nice and safe and everyone carries guns but no one gets shot.
Oh, that's right - they do get shot.
He should still have stayed home.0 -
Note to self, never ask a random person if he has been to the stampede, he may bear arms against your as*. Though I agree sane people should always carry a gun, that guy isn't one of them.0
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I'm also in Texas. Some people carry guns everywhere!0
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Us Canadians wouldn't know what to do with a gun! Where do you pour the maple syrup?!0
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I dont see what the big deal is. You use the gun if you need to, you dont if you don't need to. Really a win-win situation. I plan on getting my concealed carry license when I move back to the states.0
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On a serious note, I don't think the area matters, we recently had a woman raped and murdered while jogging in one of the richest neighborhoods around. You can be attacked anywhere. At least in Florida.
Any sane person should be carrying if they want to be safe. Or the government should just break off the whole state and let it sink into the ocean, whichever is easier.0 -
I am in Colorado and we carry open and concealed. It is SO nice to know you are protected.0
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I live in New Zealand.... the letter writer scared me! I wouldn't want to meet someone whose first inclination was to pull out his gun....0
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That's just nuts. I'm so glad we don't have a paranoid gun culture in my country.
All semi-automatic and automatic weapons are banned and you cannot carry a concealed weapon of any kind.
There might, just might, be a link between that and the fact that our gun murder rate is 10 times lower than the US.0 -
Yikes. Talk about hair trigger. This guy is a police officer? Really? I've seen a police officer draw a gun on someone exactly once that I recall in all the many years I worked around them.
I believe the fool who got the gun pulled on him was attempting to assault the officer with a patio furniture table and had already hurled a chair at his head before I arrived.
And the dialogue in the situation is messed up, too, if that's really what his response was. How about backing away with a hand up and saying something along the lines of, "I'm sorry, but we don't know you, could you please keep your distance?" Yeah, you'll look jumpy, but it gets the message across, and if someone refuses to comply, well maybe then there's a reason for concern.0 -
That's just nuts. I'm so glad we don't have a paranoid gun culture in my country.
All semi-automatic and automatic weapons are banned and you cannot carry a concealed weapon of any kind.
There might, just might, be a link between that and the fact that our gun murder rate is 10 times lower than the US.
What's the hockey stick murder rate, though? Sorry, couldn't resist.
Actually, know why I'd hate the gun laws in Canada? Bears. Big, hungry, mean *kitten* bears.0 -
That's just nuts. I'm so glad we don't have a paranoid gun culture in my country.
All semi-automatic and automatic weapons are banned and you cannot carry a concealed weapon of any kind.
There might, just might, be a link between that and the fact that our gun murder rate is 10 times lower than the US.
What's the hockey stick murder rate, though? Sorry, couldn't resist.
Actually, know why I'd hate the gun laws in Canada? Bears. Big, hungry, mean *kitten* bears.
funny thing the gun murder rate is 1/3 that of the US but the general homicide rate is the same....hockey sticks? yep0 -
That's just nuts. I'm so glad we don't have a paranoid gun culture in my country.
All semi-automatic and automatic weapons are banned and you cannot carry a concealed weapon of any kind.
There might, just might, be a link between that and the fact that our gun murder rate is 10 times lower than the US.
What's the hockey stick murder rate, though? Sorry, couldn't resist.
Actually, know why I'd hate the gun laws in Canada? Bears. Big, hungry, mean *kitten* bears.
funny thing the gun murder rate is 1/3 that of the US but the general homicide rate is the same....hocky sticks? yep
Which proves my theory that humans will be humans, a predatory and untrustworthy species that it's best to be wary of no matter where you live or what the weapon laws are.
But I'd still be more worried about the bears than the humans if I were hiking in Canada. I'd hear humans and could duck off the trail out of sight. A bear though? Maybe not.0 -
I'd honestly think they were trying to be friendly.
I highly doubt two guys would approach a couple who were just minding their business to cause trouble with them.0 -
the best part all you have to do is fire off a round into the air, and the bear will run, usually. I don't know about them Canada bears.0
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Weird article. It has to be fake. A stampede? Really? That sounds like something out of the wild west.0
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Weird article. It has to be fake. A stampede? Really? That sounds like something out of the wild west.
The Calgary Stampede is a huge rodeo, with a parade, an exhibition, fair grounds, chuck wagon races and activities all over the city ranging from pancake breakfasts to square dancing. People don their cowboy hats and jeans for the duration. It's been going on for a hundred years.
It is a celebration of cowboy culture commemorating the days when there were no fences or borders from Texas to Alberta and cowboys followed their herds as they grazed across the plains. It has a big Indian component as well, as tribes participate by riding in the parade with full native regalia.
So I guess that you could say the Calgary Stampede is something out of the Wild West, except that in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, created to control the Montana whiskey traders after the Cyprus Hills massacre kept the gun violence from getting out of control. So we get the cowboy hats, the bucking broncos, the Indians in full regalia, with nary a revolver in sight. And during the Stampede, the locals get friendlier with the tourists, with a loud: "Howdy!" as a standard greeting.
If anything, that the guy wrote this letter will alert all Calgarians to be more aware of how this kind of action might appear to others. This officer really strikes me as being extraordinarily trigger-happy and someone to be feared in the community he is serving.
But, from what I'm seeing is that Canadians should be very careful and should assume that Americans are packing heat and be very careful not to provoke them in any way south of 49.0
This discussion has been closed.
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