“Murderous mayhem,” is what USA TODAY called the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris on Nov. 13. Stating that there are 132 people dead with hundreds more injured, the use of the phrase seems accurate. Here’s the publication’s quick rundown of what happened:
“Three teams of terrorists carried out attacks at six sites in the city using seven suicide bombs. Eighty-nine people were killed at the Bataclan concert hall, where terrorists triggered explosives and fired shots during a performance by the California rock band Eagles of Death Metal, according to Molins. Other victims were killed at a stadium and at cafes.”
Every day new information comes out, so it’s crucial to keep checking back to different news outlets to learn about new developments. However, reading about such tragedy over and over again can take its toll on the psyche.
“I had to force myself to read up on everything that’s been occurring in France over the past 24 hours,” said one Leader staff member. “I avoided reading about it all at any costs, admittedly, because sometimes I physically and mentally cannot handle the amount of sadness and tragedy that happens throughout the world … I am devastated.”
Social media immediately became a platform for dozens of different conversations. Some wondered why the tragedy in France got nation-wide coverage while the massacre at a Kenyan university last April, which resulted in 147 deaths, generated only a small amount. Then, when Facebook provided the option to turn your profile picture blue, white and red like the French flag, others started pointing fingers. Do we really think changing our profile pictures will help anything?
“National monuments all over the world have been lit up blue, white and red,” said a second Leader staff member. “Mourning after any sort of tragedy is completely understandable. I can only imagine how heartbroken and terror-stricken the people of France are right now. However, leaving the ‘City of Light’ in the dark solves almost nothing.”
The Leader believes that using a hashtag or posting a picture is definitely an appropriate way to show support and shouldn’t be shamed. Yes, there are charities that can be donated to and more direct ways to help. But keeping the conversation going is equally as important.
There should have been more of a conversation about Kenya, and perhaps if social media, in particular, had paid more attention, the general population would have been more aware.
“While terrorist acts have damn near become commonplace for a lot of the world, for some reason the attacks in France are different,” continued the second staff member. “Paris has everything we love: baguettes, wine and romance. Americans (among many other French allies) jumped at the opportunity to show their support for the wounded country.”
So be proud of your tri-colored profile picture, and use “#Prayers4Paris” on Twitter if you want to. Then, if desired, donate time or money to charity. There are different ways to help, and each way plays an important role.
As a third Leader staff member put it, “I hope that as a nation … our support will re-illuminate the City of Light.”
“People need to wake up and see that the world isn’t doing so hot,” added a fourth.
The Leader staff is shocked by the acts of Terror in Paris. One member, who is planning to go to Belgium in January — where authorities arrested three people with alleged connections to the Paris terrorist attacks — is especially fearful. But seeing the outpouring of support on social media, she said, is giving her the confidence to push the fear aside.
“I don’t want to live in a world that I’m afraid to see. I don’t want to ever be afraid to explore,” she said. “But what is nice is the reassurance that people across the globe are sending good vibes, prayers — whatever they believe — to the people of Paris.
“There are more good people than bad on this Earth, even if sometimes it doesn’t seem that way,” she continued. “So, I will go to Belgium. I will fly internationally because I refuse to let fear rule my life, and what better way to stand with Paris than to not let the terror win.”
I think that what’s happening in Paris is truly terrifying and demands attention from France’s allies, as well as general global attention. People need to wake up and see that the world isn’t doing so hot.
Snapchat filters, edited Facebook profile pictures and hashtags like #PrayForParis developed almost immediately. National monuments all over the world have been lit up blue, white and red. Mourning after any sort of tragedy is completely understandable. I can only imagine how heartbroken and terror-stricken the people of France are right now. However, leaving the “City of Light” in the dark solves almost nothing. It won’t bring loved ones back, and it certainly won’t stop things like this from happening again. If the people behind these vicious attacked cared about the feelings of those they’ve affected, they wouldn’t have committed them to begin with. We may never know exactly why these attacks occurred. What’s important right now is that we come together, stand strong and figure out what’s the next best move — be it to fight or find a way to make peace.
–I have been a student at Fredonia from 3 and a half years, and I still have no idea what I would do if I were on campus while some act of terrorism transpired. My guess would be that we’d all be asked to evacuate or move to University Stadium, which is out of the way from the campus and less likely to be affected by an act of domestic terrorism. I do believe that there should be a plan in place that instructs faculty, administration, staff, and students as to what we should do in the case of an emergency. Considering that there have been 52 school shootings in 2015 alone, I don’t believe that it’s absurd that we inform our students about a plan of action before action needs to be taken. I think that what’s happening in Paris is truly terrifying and demands attention from France’s allies, as well as general global attention. People need to wake up and see that the world isn’t doing so hot.
–I had to force myself to read up on everything that’s been occurring in France over the past ~24 hours. I avoided reading about it all at any costs, admittedly, because sometimes I physically and mentally cannot handle the amount of sadness and tragedy that happens throughout the world. The fact that such a pointless, terrifying act has been committed against hundreds of innocent people has rendered me shocked and paralyzed. I’ve been sitting in bed for about an hour now, ever since forcing myself to find out what has happened. I am devastated.
-I’m traveling to Belgium in January, and now I’m scared. I’m scared to get on a plane and go to Europe. Traveling abroad has always been a dream of mine, but now I’m not so sure. But I don’t want to live in a world that I’m afraid to see. I don’t want to ever be afraid to explore. But what is nice is the reassurance that everyone across the globe is sending good vibes, prayers — whatever they believe — to the people of Paris. There are more good people than bad on this Earth, even if sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. So, I will go to Belgium. I will fly internationally because I refuse to let fear rule my life, and what better way to stand with Paris than to not let the terror win.
-There is an awful lot of hate in this world. Be it fueled by religious differences, cultural hatred or plain old ignorance — it’s everywhere. We go on living our lives each day, turning a blind eye to the violence; Until something happens that stops us in our tracks. While terrorist acts have damn near become commonplace for a lot of the world, for some reason the attacks in France are different. Paris has everything we love — baguettes, wine and romance. But on Nov. 13, the “City of Light” went dark. When somebody messes with our family, they mess with us. Americans (among many other French allies) jumped at the opportunity to show their support for the wounded country. Snapchat filters, edited Facebook profile pictures and hashtags like #PrayForParis developed almost immediately. National monuments all over the world have been lit up blue, white and red. Mourning after any sort of tragedy is completely understandable. I can only imagine how heartbroken and terror-stricken the people of France are right now. However, leaving the “City of Light” in the dark solves almost nothing. It won’t bring loved ones back, and it certainly won’t stop things like this from happening again. If the people behind these vicious attacked cared about the feelings of those they’ve affected, they wouldn’t have committed them to begin with. We may never know exactly why these attacks occurred. What’s important right now is that we come together, stand strong and figure out what’s the next best move — be it to fight or find a way to make peace.
— My best guess if Fredonia had an attack would be to move all the students to the safest space in the current building, and then evacuate them to a safer area. I’m very lucky that in my four and a half years here, nothing has ever gone wrong. That doesn’t mean that something will. There are times where I wonder “I’m getting up to get an education today. Will this be the last time that I’m alive because someone wants to murder my peers and I?” It’s scary and college attacks have gone from rare to a daily part of our routine. I’m sure Fredonia has a more intricate plan for handling domestic terrorist attacks like these, but to release this information would be deadly because a smart attacker would know how to corner us. So, it’s a 50/50 in that situation. As for the attacks in France, my heart hurts. It’s easy to say these attacks were senseless, but we have no idea what’s going on inside the minds of the people who did this. I don’t have answers, and neither does France at the moment. I hope that as a nation, we’ll support France in the efforts to bring those responsible of justice and our support will re illuminate the City of Light.