This truly is a time of deep mourning for all the citizens of France, possibly a whole lot of citizens of many countries around the world. It is scary to think that people are capable of such pure evil, and to think their actions were due to the smallest of offenses which they took to the extremes. I know my heart is with the French citizens who are grieving in this horrific time, and I hope that something like this, though it is naïve to ask especially with the threats we have been facing nowadays throughout the world, never happens again.

Unless you are unaware or need to be reminded about the situation, on Wednesday, three heavily armed gunmen rushed into the main building of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo where these men brutally shot down and murdered, some in a execution fashion, 12 innocent cartoonists and writers after the release of a drawing of Muhammad, the Muslim prophet. In the Islamic culture, it is a wrongdoing to draw an image depicting the prophet Muhammad in any cartoonish form. In return for the editorial releasing the drawing, three Muslim extremists, one surrendered only to be found a teenager, attacked the cartoonists, killing 12, including a police officer in a gunfight believed to be a Muslim as well. They stole a car and drove away. Only the next day, early in the morning in an already frightened yet angry Paris, a policewoman was shot dead while on duty doing regular car checks. Unbelievable, right?

These suspects, believed to be two brothers, are still at large and currently France’s most wanted. Now, what do you think of this gruesome and sad predicament? Really?, right after the season of giving, or solidarity and peace JUST ENDED, some three extremists who believe that drawing their prophet’s image equals death decide to walk into a building and viciously assassinate unknowing cartoonists who are just doing their sole job, being satirical as colourfully and creatively as they possibly can. So these guys believe drawing the prophet, Muhammad is not appropriate. Fine, but I don’t see Christian extremists running around with handguns after every Bible joke is cracked or comic of Jesus fighting in the Rapture is drawn. I don’t see Buddhists getting mad after a Buddha comic is sold. Heck, my classroom HAS a comic book with Buddha drawn in it! And I definitely do not see the Greeks and Romans bombing places because of the numerous drawings of the many Greek and Roman Gods. So I believe that the Muslims, though they are entitled to their own religion, should rethink a couple of their rules.

I am indeed angry, for those just terrible actions performed on the 7th really are just… just… I do not even have words to describe my distaste for the actions of those extremists, for all extremist views aimed at harming those entitled to their opinion, the freedom of speech, and the freedom to depict whatever image they find suited to their liking. Yet, as stated before, I am also very saddened. I am sad for the dead, some of who did not expect death, one of the negative disadvantages of their field of work. Something they definitely did not read about on their job descriptions. I am also sad that people can succumb to the pressure to be like other extremists and do the same. I also feel sorry for other Muslims who had nothing to do with this, for after every wrongdoing of their brothers and sisters who chose the wrong path; they are too labeled by many as possible threats to everyone’s everyday lives, a stereotypical yet unproven myth.

It is without a doubt, probably going to go down as one of, if not the most unfortunate dilemma of the year 2015. This was unquestionably the worst way to start of a year, one many have very high hopes for, but it was an inevitable start for I know those valiant cartoonists, possibly the whole magazine, would never have shot down the opportunity to have their opinions heard. That is just the type of brave people they were. My heart is with France, and I hope that these villains are caught and stopped. I wait restlessly for the day when we are all entitled to our own views, yet I also desire a world where everyone is so close, there won’t be any need for hurtful, possibly violence-triggering opinions.

Boyson-Angelous