Tragédie à Paris

One of the better political cartoons I have seen, fair use claimed, full cite below. 

 Greetings All:

We've all been reeling from the shock, then anger at the events in Paris of the past week.  Over a dozen souls were lost in murder due to the demented logic of a few demented men.  

I have been gently accused of writing blog posts that are w-a-y too long.  To that charge, I plead guilty.  After all, I am an attorney and an only child.  It's a challenge not to go on (and on and on) about subjects that matter to me.

And trust me, this one does.

First off, I'm angry.  I am angry at the cowardly act that occurred in Paris.  There is neither courage nor honor (any effort, for that matter) of walking into a building of unsuspecting, unarmed civilians and emptying the clip of an AK-47.  That's not courage, just a muscle movement.

Second, I'm frustrated.  I am frustrated that we live in a world where such horrors can occur.  I'm frustrated that while the whole world was slugging down the "Big Gulp" of constant cable news of the Tragédie à Paris, there were but a precious few drops of news about the hundreds, if not thousands murdered in Nigeria at the hands of the cowardly thugs known as Buko Horan.  (Not sure if it's spelled right and don't care, they don't deserve spell-check.)

So here we are, about a week removed from the carnage in the "City of Lights."  What have we learned?  That's a question I'll kick back to those with higher GPAs than me to answer.

Here is what I will say:  We're not going to let these bastards win.  We're not going to cower, to give up, to stop living our lives.  I (expletive-deleted) love it that over 3 MILLION people showed up in Paris in peaceful, powerful protest to the bully jihadists and said, "Here we are, do what you will."  

A photo from Paris after that massacre, New York Post, fair use claimed, full cite below.

It is a tragedy that which befell Paris last week.  It is easy to be both angry and frustrated, as I've admitted to.  And yet, let us not play into the terrorists (lower case on purpose) plans and over-react.  Let us not let our anger and rage and grief cause us to lash out against those whom have harmed us not.  Let us not punish those whose only crime is to be Muslim.  And that, my friends, is exactly what the cowards want.  

So yes, let us grieve.  Let us recall this tragedy.  Let us be angry but move forward.  We simply do not have the luxury of seething rage.  Instead, let us fight back with honor and in the spirit of our principles.  We can win and in doing so honor those who fell in Paris...and in the distant jungles of Nigeria.
 
être bien mes amis,
Jeno 

Sources:

Opening cartoon, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11331506/Cartoonists-show-solidarity after-Charlie-Hebdo-attack.html 

http://nypost.com/2015/01/08/je-suis-charlie-message-unites-the-globe-after-paris-attack/