Editorial: On Yesterday’s Attacks in Paris

I was originally going to simply report the tragic news that unfolded yesterday in France, since, after all, it is a relevant story for a cartoon news site. However, by now you all know the story: three masked assailants forced their way into the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, and cowardly executed 12 people, including eight journalists, two police officers, a maintenance worker, and a guest. The reason? The group the three men represented took offensive to drawings & stories published by the outlet that satirized Islam, in addition to other faiths, and religion in general.

When I made the decision to be a cartoon journalist, it was partially because I was sick of reading about – and couldn’t fathom writing about – all the violence & negativity in this world which is plastered across print, TV, and web media. That’s what sells today, and I couldn’t be content as that kind of salesman.

However, we must not forget that the journalists that report the important issues and events of our time are essential to our livelihood. Without this uncensored access to information, we might as well just start calling ourselves Northwest Korea.

The men and women who perished yesterday, as satirical political journalists, have as essential a role as any other in the industry, and the others were there in support of their efforts. They point out the problems, the absurdity, and the wake-up calls that a lot of the world needs to be aware of. And they did so under the constant threat of violence, as well as real attacks, such as the November 2011 firebombing of the Charlie Hebdo offices.

Soldiers, police officers, firefighters, and medical personal get a lot of praise as heroes living among us – and rightfully so – but we must not forget that purveyors of the printed word – be it the journalists, the writers, the poets, etc. – deserve our utmost respect and gratitude as well. They are the defenders of the little guy, the enemies of tyranny, and the protectors of one of the most important things we possess: our freedom of speech.

Let us not forget that every single person that was unjustly killed or terrorized during this event – even if we didn’t know them personally – were valuable, irreplaceable human lives. They were parents, siblings, spouses, colleagues, and heroes. They were one of us. And we are one of them.

Je suis Charlie.