Freedom and…Murder

Recently, so many bloodied acts have been perpetrated by extremists that the world is not in shock anymore. It lives choked, breathlessly dreading the next terrifying news.

Yesterday, Charlie Hebdo’s cartoonists and journalists were killed by three terrorists. They shouted “Allah Akbar” (Allah is the greatest) while shooting at people.

Those terrorists were welcomed in France, regardless of their religion. They had freedom to come and go. And they murdered free press’s workers!

Freedom ends when it enslaves. Freedom does not allow kills in its name.*

French Revolution’s most famous motto – Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – seems to be relegated to mere words and laid to waste as people shout it without really connecting them and understanding one cannot exist without the other.

Maybe with Victor Hugo’s explanation I can make myself clearer:

Freedom – The sovereignty I have over myself; Equality – The concession which each one makes to all; Fraternity – The protection of all for each one. Victor Hugo, in Les Misérables.

Today, Liberty, Equality & Fraternity have been hurt, but they will never surround if One reminds oneself that Other has the same rights.

I though it appropriate to honor those cowardly killed in Charlie Hebdo’s shooting with an aphorism**: «I don’t agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death yr right to say it.»

Am I Charlie? No, I don’t believe I was Charlie yesterday. From now on, Liberty-Equality-Fraternity, I will be Charlie!