Canadian MPs had Makeshift Spears; Congress may do Better

Makeshift Barricade inside Canadian Parliament

In the recent terror attack on the Canadian Parliament,  Members of Parliament (MP)s fashioned crude spears out of flagpoles.   If such an event happened at the American Capitol, it is likely that members of Congress would have more effective weapons.

Members of Congress are restricted from bringing loaded guns into the Capitol, but they can have guns and ammunition in their offices.   In a strange way, the bizarre gun laws of the District of Columbia make it difficult for members to transport the firearms into and out of the building.  From rollcall.com:

Members of Congress and designated employees, acting on behalf of their bosses, can bring unloaded guns into the Capitol. Inside the confines of their offices, regulations set by the Capitol Police Board even allow lawmakers to load the guns. However, carrying the guns through D.C. without a gun license would violate local law.

MPs in the Canadian Parliament had to be content with makeshift spears.  From globalnews.com:

“People took the flag poles with the maple leafs on the end – they’d make pretty good spears – and said ok, if the son of a b***h is coming through the doors we’re going to make him pay,” Edmonton MP Laurie Hawn recalled Thursday.

Some MPs became attached to their makeshift weapons.  From theglobeandmail.com:

Some MPs kept their flagpole weapons as souvenirs.

“Everyone was taking their spears home,” the MP said. “I’m going to frame mine.”

Machiavelli summed up the mindset rather well:

 There is no comparison whatever between an armed and disarmed man; it is not reasonable to suppose that one who is armed will obey willingly one who is unarmed; or that any unarmed man will remain safe.... - Niccoló Machiavelli, The Prince. 1537.

 ©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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