by Martha Curi
I want to start off by saying that I admire the courage and spirit of the French people. Shortly after the terrorist attacks last week, life in Paris resumed to “normal” almost instantaneously. Throughout the city there has been an overwhelming sense of community and a lot of love, despite the hateful/ignorant rhetoric of some political parties around the world (including the US) against refugees and in matters of gun possession in the aftermath of this tragedy.
In response to this rhetoric of these political parties I have to say that they scare me more than the terrorists themselves because they continue to instill fear in people even after the attacks. Fortunately, I have learned from this event that it is OKAY to feel afraid, but it is NOT OKAY to let it dictate your life and how we interact with other human beings who are escaping the same horrific reality. We are fortunate enough to have the capability of critically THINKING about these issues and coming up with solutions. We have the POWER to make decisions that will make this world a better place. Decisions that are influenced by empathy and meaningful thought instead of hate and fear.
A few days after the attacks I visited the Rodin Museum and saw his famous sculpture Le Penseur (The Thinker) and I think it physically embodies what I had been feeling up to that point and what I am trying to convey in this blog post. I only hope that people in the world, especially my generation, think about everything that has been happening and whether they want reason or fear to dictate our future.
