The massacre last week at the French satire publication Charlie Hebdo was a direct affront to our freedoms of speech and expression. Sunday’s march in Paris was an expression of solidarity and the fact that we won’t cower to the terrorist acts of extremists of any stripe. As journalists, we must never allow anyone or anything to affect our right to speak and report freely and to express our opinions. Free speech and expression were a relative novelty on planet Earth at the violent birth of our republic nearly 240 years ago. Patriots who called themselves Americans even before we existed as a nation died for what they believed and we continue to believe to be among the fundamental rights of humankind. And Americans have died ever since protecting and defending those freedoms and those who enjoy them, often perhaps with little thought to the sacrifices or what their world would be like absent free speech and expression. In the wake of the Paris massacre of journalists, Jews and police officers targeted by those who murder in the name of religion, we as Americans must be vigilant, stand like steel and never surrender what is right and what so many have laid down their lives and loved ones to safe-keep for the future of this country and the world.
Among the definitions of terrorism, the best one is: “The use of violence and intimidation against civilians in the pursuit of political gain”. Add religious gain, too. The attack on Charlie Hebdo and the subsequent attack on the Jewish market have left their mark on many people who wonder about their own safety and where terrorists might strike next. For others, it has caused them to ban together and stand up against the violence, to send a clear message that they are, as we should be, unbowed and never to be broken in our defense of freedom against terrorists and their acts of murder intended to bring us to our knees before their misguided, criminal lunacy and twisted, renegade ideologies.
Indeed, in the case of Charlie Hebdo it has had the opposite effect; the controversial and often offensive-to-some magazine hit the stands on Wednesday and quickly sold out 3 million copies (they typically sell about 30,000 of 60,000 printed)—each sale a pealing of the bells of freedom that will drown out the voices of terror, hate and intolerance. Another press run of 2 million is scheduled, with profits going to families of the 17 victims.
The Paris attacks are another reminder that, in addition to being vigilant at all times, we must as a nation maintain an aggressive strategy of counter terrorism and never let our guard down; but also we must be conscious about not becoming too judgmental towards those who may have different religious faiths, skin color or political beliefs. Our freedoms have always been and likely always will be targets of attack; we must continue to stand together to defend them and to keep our country free.
