10 people are dead and 15 others were seriously wounded in a vicious attack yesterday in Toronto. It happened around 1pm on a busy commercial street as pedestrians took advantage of the sunny spring weather.
The attacker accelerated to over 40 miles per hour and swerved up onto the sidewalk, methodically mowing down person after person. Witnesses saw the white Ryder rental van zigzagging back and forth, deliberately trying to hit everyone it could.
At the end of his killing spree, the driver jumped out of his vehicle and pointed what appeared to be a gun at law enforcement, yelling “KILL ME!” The Toronto Police took him into custody soon after, miraculously, without anyone else getting hurt.
We’ve had two attacks in North America in the past few days where multiple people have been killed. Can you guess what they had in common? I’ll give you a hint. It wasn’t the weapon they used. The Nashville attack involved a naked SHOOTER with a history of mental problems. The Toronto DRIVER ran over innocent pedestrians before attempting suicide by cop.
Everyone that knew him thought he was a recluse and weird, but they could never have guessed he’d do this. We now know that he made a Facebook post glorifying the Isla Vista, California killer who shot and killed 6 people back in 2014. His post said, “The Incel rebellion has begun! All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger.”
Incel is a term meaning involuntarily celibate. It seems both the Isla Vista shooter and the Toronto driver were both 1. Sexually frustrated and 2. CRAZY.
Mental health is the common denominator in both recent attacks. In fact, it’s the common denominator in nearly 100 percent of mass casualty attacks, but that NEVER gets the publicity, other than the weapon used --- that is, if that weapon was a gun. Now, why is that? If a mentally unstable killer attacks people with a gun, it’s instantly, “BAN THE GUN!” But if a mentally unstable person kills with a vehicle it’s, “Sad day today... Ok, maybe just this once we’ll offer ‘thoughts and prayers.’”
Mental health is the common denominator in both recent attacks.
In the UK, gun attacks in both 1987 and 1996 led to a firearms ban. In Germany, gun attacks in 2002 and 2009 led to heavily restrictive firearms legislation. The attack in Australia in 1996 led to another firearms ban. That’s three countries that focused on the weapon and not the real problem.
A timeframe spanning 22 years in which 98 people were killed by mentally unstable people. Now, look at this statistic. In the past THREE YEARS ALONE, 140 people have been killed in both Europe and the EU from vehicle ramming attacks. ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY PEOPLE IN ONLY THREE YEARS!
Vehicular-based attacks are rising at a rate higher than mass shootings, but has anyone AT ALL blamed the cars in these attacks? Of course they’re not. That’s just plain idiotic. But when it comes to guns, they’ll blame the firearm EVERY... SINGLE... TIME.
We’ve become a culture that is losing its respect for life at a rate equal to its deteriorating mental health. THAT’S the problem. How long will it take for us to realize it?
