Muslim family in Canada killed in 'premeditated' truck attack

[Leo Liu]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57390398
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/who-is-nathaniel-veltman-accused-in-alleged-london-hate-killings

This tragedy happened in London, Canada (not the one in UK) where I went to high school. I was totally surprised by the fact that tragic events like this could take place in such a peaceful city populated by a mere of 380 thousands people.

According to a local news source (2nd link), the attacker appeared normal before committing the crime. He was enrolled in a local college (tech school) and got along with people well. The only abnormal sign is introversion, yet it isn't enough to explain his behaviour. As I see it, he wasn't the kind of psychopathic that would fit people's assumptions.

The real question is how we can avoid these incidents before it's too late. The legal system can let him rot in prison, but it will not help with preventing more people from committing the same crime. I believe it is more important to address the root cause that led to this behaviour to achieve the goal. If we don't the family would mostly die in vain. Further to this, it is difficult to physically prevent it since all he needed was a car and a family walking on the pavement around their house.

If it were an attack committed by a muslim against Christian many people (including me) would almost certainly blame it on extremism without thinking twice. However, the people who launched it is a Christian, can we still apply a similar assumption?

I started this thread to discuss the possible causes of this attack. Lastly I feel sorry about this family for what they have gone through, especially for the 9-year-old kid who fortunately survived.

 

[russ_watters]

If it were an attack committed by a muslim against Christian many people (including me) would almost certainly blame it on extremism without thinking twice. However, the people who launched it is a Christian, can we still apply a similar assumption?

I started this thread to discuss the possible causes of this attack. Lastly I feel sorry about this family for what they have gone through, especially for the 9-year-old kid who fortunately survived.

Whenever a person of one race appears to target another, the question (not assumption) is valid to raise. But t's best to try to avoid assumption and just follow the evidence where it leads. These days a Facebook feed should tell us in short order what the motivation is.

 

[hutchphd]

Whenever a person of one race appears to target another, the question (not assumption) is valid to raise. But t's best to try to avoid assumption and just follow the evidence where it leads. These days a Facebook feed should tell us in short order what the motivation is.

I guess I agree with your sentiment .
But have we truly reached the sorry state of affairs where we can feel better that the child murder was not racially motivated ??
I have trouble with the "hate crimes" statutes for the same reason, although I understand they are a method by which the federal government can provide protections in jurisdictions still largely run by the Klan and their resurgent loony friends (notice I did not mention any political party).
I am getting old. Rapidly.

 

[Evo]

There will always be hate crimes and mentally deranged people. There are many efforts to try to stop the hate, but in many families , even communities, etc... the seeds of hate are planted and nourished. Unfortunately you brought up the argument of religion against religion as the cause. Muslims and Christians are largely of the same caucasian, which is now just "white" race, ethnicity, which is not biological race is a mistaken notion many people have and classify ethnicity as race. People think Christians, Muslims and Jews are three different races, and they aren't, they are all mainly what was called caucasian, and all include a mix of other races.

We don't get into discussions of religion, so this thread is locked.