UNFATHOMABLE LOSS

Yesterday was a black day for Alberta.

Four Mounties murdered after a grow-op stakeout turned
lethal.

Their families are no doubt in a state of shock after realizing their
loved ones will never walk through the door again.

This tragedy brings home the reality that, for the men and women who
serve and protect us, there is no such thing as a routine day on the
job.

Every officer who buttons up his or her uniform in morning knows they
might have to put their life on the line before the day is done.

It is a dangerous business -- the kind of job that carries an
ever-present risk most of us simply cannot comprehend.

We go to work, do our jobs and go home.

Stressful as the working world might be for us, nothing compares to
what a police officer might face in a single shift: A knife attack by
a crazed lunatic high on drugs or an assault by a career criminal who
doesn't want to go back to the slammer.

For the four RCMP officers slain yesterday, it was the ultimate
sacrifice in the line of duty.

In the coming days, the events that led up to the final moments of the
lives of those four Mounties will be dissected and second-guessed.
There will be lots of questions asked about James Roszko, the longtime
criminal who gunned them down before ending up dead himself.

Some are already questioning Canada's drug laws in light of
yesterday's shooting while others are questioning Canada's firearms
registry.

All are legitimate questions surrounding this terrible tragedy that
will be dealt with in due time.

Right now, the only question the families care about is why their
loved ones had to die.

We have no answers, but we share their grief and we mourn the loss of
the four killed in the line of duty -- who, like thousands of police
officers across Canada yesterday, were just doing their jobs.

"This terrible event is a reminder of the sacrifice and bravery of the
men and women who serve in our national police force, and of the
dangerous circumstances which they often confront, in order to make
Canada a safer place," Prime Minister Paul Martin said last night.

Indeed.

Our hearts go out to the families of the four slain
officers.

They are in our thoughts and our prayers.