Back in 2002 a Canadian sniper set a new record for a long-range kill. I covered the story for the Edmonton Sun but kept it muted in comparison to some of the accounts that appeared around the time. It was indeed a fine piece of shooting but I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate a death. Snipers, and so I’ve just learned, Apache attack helicopter pilots, are amongst the few soldiers these days who get a good look at the faces of the people they kill. That makes it a very intimate type of killing. But even those snipers and pilots don’t know the story that brought that enemy into their sights. Yes, that bad guy had to be put out of action. But no, don’t ask me to join in the celebrations.