No Open Carry In Calagary :(
 

A letter to the local paper from a visiting Michigan cop:

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 allowed 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.



Much hilarity on Twitter ensued....

Better stay out of Canada Walt, it's dangerous, scary place.

As a resident of Edmonton which is a three hour drive north of Calgary, I feel bad you that to had to experience a negative encounter such as this. Being a policeman you likely projected a superior attitude which the two dudes likely could not handle. It was great that nothing came of it. Conversely if you were in the US where there are more guns and if you had a concealed gun in a similar situation and they had a gun/guns would the outcome be the same?

Fortunately nothing came of it. Normally the violence in our cities involves, knives, fist fights etc but guns can still be involved. The last supposed violence I "experienced" was back in 1984 and some drunk idiot was hanging out of a half ton truck and wanted a fight. He got out of the truck and followed me.While he was falling over cars at a red lite, I went into Macdonalds and he decided I was not worth pursuing.

I feel safer because tourists aren,t allowed to carry guns here. I would feel more threatened by Mr.Wawra as he took the agressive stance in the meeting described above.

ummm......you come up to my wife and i aggressively and you are going to meet your maker......and i doubt he's canadien......

I have to take Mr. Warwa's side in this. A firm attitude like that they were not expecting. It took them off guard and they backed off. Problem solved.

Hey They were walking in a park in broad daylight in a city famous for it,s stampede. like asking them if they have been to Disney World yet. I wasn,t there but it hardly seems agressive to me . Still glad tourists aren,t armed.

so what is this stampede? and why would it be so important for them to ask about it aggressively to someone they didn't know?
and comparing it to disneyworld isn't probably the best analogy lol

The calgary stampede is a big rodeo type event. It lasts about a week I think. It has been a tourist attraction in Calgary for decades held every year if not like Disney world then maybe like a superbowl . Lots of tourists were in town and asking someone if they have been to the stampede would be a normal greeting in Calgary during the stampede.

That is the way life is. Mr. Warwa is with his wife. Unless she has a black belt, then he is outnumbered. Perhaps our culture is different from the US but Mr. Warwa is taking a defensive approach. I don't let strangers get within my comfort zone. Each person chooses to behave in a certain situation. He did the right thing because he had no idea what the intention of the two youths were.

Good ole boy Walt - a suspicious/over-zealous??? AMERICAN cop - overreacts to a couple of Calgary yahoos trying to be sociable during Calgary's big party & becomes the laughing stock of Canada. I understand he is planning to write another letter explaining himself. Don't bother. We got it.

BTW . . . bring your gun across the border & you can now get a 3 year paid vacation. :D

Ian

If I was a policeman, I think that it would be a case of conditioned response. I think that it is a tough job. It is a mindset. We have a friend who is a policeman. Never see him smile yet. He is a married to a policewoman. They don't even lock their doors. With two glocks in the house, I guess there is no need to.
Mr. Warwa does not need to reply. He has lots of support. I rate the police up there with the medical profession. Thank you for keeping your people safe.

And if he had a gun would he have brandished it to intimidate them? Just standing his ground you know. Here a police officer has to file a report every time he draws his gun whether used or not
Mr Warwa is not here as a police officer but as a foreign tourist. Does Florida or any other state allow visiting foreigners to carry concealed weapons? Perhaps a security detail for a visiting dignitary but an ordinary tourist I doubt it. Some states don,t even recognise the validity of a carry permit from another state let alone another country

Same here. There are just enough wacko's in this world that gun or not, they very well might try to do something silly. England banned pistols, so now the criminals carry guns... guess they forgot that they are banned. As well now they have banned having a knife in your pocked. I grew up with a pocket knife and will prolly die with one in my pocket. Whats next over there? Cricket bats or kitchen knives? You CANNOT legislate safety!

Law abiding citizens should have the ability to protect themself and as the officer mentioned above, the police cannot be everywhere all the time.

"When seconds count, the police are minutes away"... you guys who have let the Govt take your weapons away from you are betting your life on this.

At least America still has the 2nd admendment... for now.

Most Canadians don,t want guns here. I also repeat we don,t want armed tourists either. It,s not a question of the gov,t taking them away.

I think Mr. Wawra should behave himself and watch his attitude, especially when in a foreign country.

He should have replied "Stampede, yeah, having some beers first then I'm part of it."

Just like the Spartans, Canadians trained their children to be tough.
From the time of birth, they are fed spaghetti made of razor blades and barbed wire.
Elementary school fight involving claymores and handheld 105mm howitzers were actually quite common, but because they are so tough it usually ends in little more than paper cuts.

By the time they reach adulthood, most Canadians have lost their eardrums from concussive shock.

Eh?

Both my kids will have their black belts at 16.

I certainly have concussive shock. Even though I spent my first 7 years south of the 49th. ;)

Ian

True story:
Went to summer camp in Canada one summer in my youth.

Black flies the size of small mice would swarm in the woods.

Raccoons would push open doors barricaded by rocks the size of basketballs, tear open backpacks, eat a whole pack of oreos, and excrete on someone's sleeping head.

Campers would stay awake with hockey sticks to wake up, turn on lights, and beat aforementioned raccoons to death.

Lighting cans of OFF or any other flammable container was commonplace.

Had a pycho metal-head suddenly chuck a bowie knife 15ft across the room and imbed itself an inch into the bunk between my legs (the only 'merican).
He went back to playing cards with a group.
Their conversation didn't change.

Favorite pastime was getting a group to jump on the top bunk until it collapsed.

Councillors would have belly-flop contests off the high dive for fun. Repeatedly.

Canada is slightly crazy.