Nous sommes Charlie! The death of freedom and innocence

If anyone doubts that the attacks on Charlie Hebdo were personal, they are deluding themselves. This hate crime has rightly shocked the entire world, and it sounds a wake up call that the people of the world need constant vigilance in the face of terrorism.

While some may think that the French State could have done a bit more to stop these attacks, we see that they are making honest efforts to curb the liberal attitude that makes terrorism such an effective method of attack. Many people are mobilising to do more than just condemn terrorism, but to take an active role in weeding it out and ensuring the future prosperity of humanity.

These barbarous attacks are not only personal, but are a full frontal assault on freedom in general, and freedom of speech specifically. This terror attack has been specially designed to terrorize people into self-censoring, and that we cannot allow! No person should ever have to live in fear of speaking out against evil. Especially religious and nationalistic evil.

The phrase: I am Charlie, is a reminder that while those poor people died that afternoon, as long as we live in the shadow of terror, we are dying too, a little bit, every day. Every time we have to live in fear of more terror, and more attacks, we die. We are Charlie, every man, woman, and child in the western world is Charlie, today, and sadly, perhaps forever.

How can we, as a nation, as a people, as a civilization ever recover from the loss of innocence? There is something about this attack that is perhaps more horrifying than even 9/11, though that attack on freedom was horrible enough. We thought it couldn't get any worse. We were wrong. Now we know how bad it can be. The personal nature, armed gun toting terrorists running into a quiet office where cartoonists are busily readying their next edition; these masked weapons of hate moving from room to room, cubicle to cubicle, mercilessly killing our freedom. What monsters! What horrific demons could do such a thing? What men could do it?

We should all pause to give that some thought. The irrational hatred of the radical terrorist, his unquestioning belief in his doctrine of terror, his poise and calm as he murders our heart and soul, our freedom.

These here are now the shots heard round the world, here are the anguished cries of a dying era. Gone forever is our innocence, it is drowned in blood; it is a puddle of life below the fallen guardians of law and goodness: Those brave men and women who gave their lives to try and thwart an act of terrorist tyranny. Our hearts go out to those valiant French Police, whose ultimate heroic sacrifice stirs within us an unquenchable lust for justice.

Our hearts go out to the victims, to Charlie, but let us not forget also those shoppers at the Jewish Market, let us never forget any of this. Ever.

How must we do that? By remembering that We Are Charlie.