Like many people, I didn't know anything of Charlie Hebdo prior to last week. I am sure I heard the name in passing, and probably saw some of their cartoon drawings at some point, but none of it was particularly memorable. After the terrorist attack on their office in Paris, I Googled their cartoons and was appalled by what I found. Anyone who knows me, can tell you that I am an incredibly sarcastic person. I like a good snarky comment, and have been known to enjoy an Onion or Duffle Blog article here and there. The Charlie Hebdo cartoons, however, were sacrilegious, offensive, and not at all amusing. Don't get me wrong - I am NOT condoning the terrorist attack. It is NEVER ok to kill someone because he is mocking you. And I do believe in freedom of speech. So, I do mourn with France in there loss - I mourn the deaths of their citizens. I mourn the loss of their innocence. Before now, they didn't know the enemy was within their borders, but now they do, and nothing can change that. September 11th did that to the US, allowing the average citizen to peek behind the curtain and see the darkness that some spend their lives hunting down. But unlike the millions of supporters with their Je suis Charlie signs, I am NOT Charlie. I do not agree with the things they publish, and hope to never treat the religion of another with such disrespect.
