Je Suis Paris

Today writing just anything seems out of place, out of my thoughts, after last night’s events in Paris. I spent most of my life traveling Canada and the United States, but have never been to Europe. It is no secret that I have always wanted to go to Paris to experience the beauty people speak about. Instead, today, I mourn Paris with tears, as the usual scenic views looked like a battlefield on television last night.

 Islamic State said in a statement.

“To teach France, and all nations following its path, that they will remain at the top of Islamic State’s list of targets, and that the smell of death won’t leave their noses as long as they partake in their crusader campaign,” said the group.

There is no doubt this was a guerrilla type attack and they picked their venues carefully. Is there any real way that exists to fight such a strategy? France has a vast Muslim population. Even if a modest percentage of France’s 4.5 million are radicalized, that still means a lot of people ready to commit or materially support terrorist acts, and even more who may unwittingly support terror. The French have thwarted several attacks of late. Was it just a matter of time until their luck ran out? 

The reason that this will never end is because violence has created this mess and this monster has been around for centuries What is now going on in France can’t be compared to Hitler, because that was a nation of people that shared his beliefs in uniforms.  This army doesn’t have any borders.

Francois Hollande, has declared three days of national mourning and raised the nation’s security to its highest level, called the carnage “an act of war that was prepared, organized, planned from abroad with internal help.”

So how do we defeat this kind of enemy? We didn’t do it in Vietnam, nor Afghanistan. How do we do it now? How do we know the enemy from the friend? Are you willing to accept killing more children and women? The more we kill, the more show up. So, I guess the only solution is to continue this war forever?

I admit we are long past the time for candle lit vigils and hashtags.– and we do need to be more vigilant, and tighten up our country’s security. What happened was horrific, but it is imperative that we pause for a moment for some kind thoughts for the French people and the emotional challenges they are now facing. We can lay blame at another time. Predictably, we will place it at the feet of people we do not support, when in truth, it’s much more complex than that.

Paris, la ville de ma coeur, je suis avec vous.

I will see you all tomorrow night