News-Record.com

Congratulations to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other authorities for their weekend arrests of individuals allegedly planning terrorist attacks.

Their targets, authorities say, were Canadian landmarks like the Parliament buildings and Peace Tower in Ottawa and the CN Tower and stock exchange in Toronto.

Most of the suspects reportedly are Canadian-born.

This was a frightening plot because, even if you believe terrorists want to attack the United States in response to U.S. foreign policy, it's hard to find a similar rationale for targeting Canada.

Except that Canada is a Western democracy with Western values.

In the ideology of radical Islam, that's apparently reason enough.

Just as disturbing is the idea that these people, born and raised in Canada, could hate their own country enough to seek its destruction.

I've been to Canada a lot, and I don't find it a nation that anyone should hate. I mean, it's just a nice country.

But then, I haven't indoctrinated myself into a religious ideology that compels me to hate those who don't share my values.

It's reassuring, at least, that the Canadians are on the job, because it wouldn't be hard for terrorists on their side of the border to slip into this country.