Nothing can stop them

While happy for Charles Montgomery and Matthew Surridge, the reporters whose efforts to get the information under chaotic circumstances can best be described as above and beyond the call — especially Charles, who was also honoured by the QCNA for his news photos taken at the scene — I wished that we had not won, because, of course, I wish that the whole thing had never happened.

But happen it did, and in recent weeks we have been reminded of this grim page in Westmount's history on two other occasions: last week, when Dawson held its annual graduation ceremonies, and two weeks ago, when the campus was once again overrun with local media for Premier Charest's announcement of the tabling of new provincial legislation that would, among other things, restrict the transportation of firearms.

They call it 'Anastasia's Law' in honour of the sole fatality that horrible afternoon.

Some of the restrictions are no-brainers, such as banning guns on public transport and in schools. But part of the law requires gun club officials, doctors, teachers, and others to report any erratic behaviour that might indicate a potential 'shooter'. This would open up a huge can of worms, of course, and lead to no end of trouble for many innocent people — not to mention the expense involved in following up on so many red flags raised by armchair psychologists.

The Liberal government is certainly on the right track with this new law, and they are sending a very strong message to Ottawa on Quebec's stand on the issue. But however laudable it may be, the unsolvable problem is that so many firearms can never be properly monitored or controlled, and of course deranged gunmen are not apt to obey the law.

As one student very soberly pointed out during Charest's appearance at Dawson, the new law does nothing to actually prevent any future shootings. And if it were to happen again, she said, it would only lead to further legislation that they could name after the next victim.

We can applaud Premier Charest for stepping into this terrible quagmire, though we all know that no laws can ever prevent what happened at Dawson, or anywhere else.