Incredible Parisians!!!!!
Following the November 13th, 2015 terror attack in Paris, I spent nearly 72 hours, not writing or working on Ghost, but glued to the news. I remember how I felt when 911 occurred (all attacks were within a two-hour driving distance from me). All of those feelings of sorrow came flooding back to me when I saw what ISIS did to your lovely city.
I am mad. I rarely get mad but moreover, I'm furious. You guys were having such a wonderful time last Friday. Out at a concert, a football match, in a coffee shop. And then terror came on in the flash of a few seconds. My heart was with you for that 72-hour time frame in which, I did nothing but watch the major American news stations. The more I watched, the more my heart filled with grief. As my heart filled with grief, my grief turned to ire.
I saw the carnage, the videos, the pregnant woman hanging from a window yelling for help at the concert venue, Parisians dragging their injured friends to safety, those who were running from gunshots and the mainly, the fury of French President François Hollande.
But then I also saw interviews with Anderson Cooper (CNN). One interview in particular pulled at my heart strings and made me realize that you are a power house of people. It was a man whose wife was killed. They have a 17-month old son. The father, even so close after the shock of losing his lovely wife, was determined not to let hate consume him. He spoke of how if he showed hate, that his child would learn to live with hate. His story touched me to the core. Parisians are clearly a much more peaceful people than those I've grown up with in America. You are simply amazingly kind and lovely, even in your grief-stricken state.
When it comes to hate, I do not hate anyone. I do not like that word. I do not like those who use it, because I feel they are filled with emotional toxicity. But how can I not feel some sort of negativity about ISIS? I cannot use my sense my sense of humor as a way to cope. This is not funny at all. I do not feel sorry for those who are recruited and are brainwashed by the ISIS mentality of "we are the chosen, and all others are the infidel." I do not feel sad when they are killed by law enforcement.
As you might know, our President Barack Obama has decided that 10,000 "refugees" will be allowed into the United States. Yes, we do welcome nearly everyone here, but I also have a problem with the President's announcement.
A quick lesson in American law: The Federal Government can enact a bill, such as the one recently announced by Obama. However, each individual State has the option of accepting or rejecting that bill. Pennsylvania, where I live, is one of a few states whose governor will be accepting these "refugees" into our Commonwealth. Most other states have locked down their borders.
Clearly most Americans, after seeing what happened to our Parisian friends, do not want these people here. We are a people who tend to become very defensive of our friends. And we consider the French our friends.
There are too many holes in their backgrounds and we are not stupid. Clearly they are sneaky and are using the cover of poor, innocent civilians from Syria to make their way here. They pose as innocent Muslims, thus giving peaceful people a bad reputation.
Our churches will provide them with housing, food and cash assistance. And then some of them will turn around and terrorize our cities.
I have no problem with the Muslims currently established here and living a law-abiding life, side-by-side with Americans, but it's time to lock down our State borders.
I was happy to see your air strikes. I was happy to see the proficiency of your police, and I'm happy that the US and other countries are sharing intelligence with you.
I've been confused and worried over the past week as to how I am going to emotionally deal with your situation as well as the inevitable fact that America along with Great Britain, Spain, Etc., will soon be under attack by ISIS. More attacks are coming; I'm certain of it. I do not like feeling angry and I've been looking for a way to rid myself of such negativity.
But I've decided that I'm going to take a lesson from you. I will not let fear consume me. That is exactly what ISIS wants. I will continue on with my life, my work and my happiness and healing. That is what ISIS does not want.
Please know that I think of you, and little else each day since 11/13/2015. My hope is that the West can form a great and powerful coalition to eradicate ISIS.
Thank you so much for showing me, by example, how to be strong and deal with crisis with the dignity that Parisians have over the past week. I hope to visit your lovely city one day. <3JM
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the One World Trade Center spire will be lit blue, white and red in honor of dozens killed in the Paris attacks.
Following the November 13th, 2015 terror attack in Paris, I spent nearly 72 hours, not writing or working on Ghost, but glued to the news. I remember how I felt when 911 occurred (all attacks were within a two-hour driving distance from me). All of those feelings of sorrow came flooding back to me when I saw what ISIS did to your lovely city.
I am mad. I rarely get mad but moreover, I'm furious. You guys were having such a wonderful time last Friday. Out at a concert, a football match, in a coffee shop. And then terror came on in the flash of a few seconds. My heart was with you for that 72-hour time frame in which, I did nothing but watch the major American news stations. The more I watched, the more my heart filled with grief. As my heart filled with grief, my grief turned to ire.
I saw the carnage, the videos, the pregnant woman hanging from a window yelling for help at the concert venue, Parisians dragging their injured friends to safety, those who were running from gunshots and the mainly, the fury of French President François Hollande.
But then I also saw interviews with Anderson Cooper (CNN). One interview in particular pulled at my heart strings and made me realize that you are a power house of people. It was a man whose wife was killed. They have a 17-month old son. The father, even so close after the shock of losing his lovely wife, was determined not to let hate consume him. He spoke of how if he showed hate, that his child would learn to live with hate. His story touched me to the core. Parisians are clearly a much more peaceful people than those I've grown up with in America. You are simply amazingly kind and lovely, even in your grief-stricken state.
When it comes to hate, I do not hate anyone. I do not like that word. I do not like those who use it, because I feel they are filled with emotional toxicity. But how can I not feel some sort of negativity about ISIS? I cannot use my sense my sense of humor as a way to cope. This is not funny at all. I do not feel sorry for those who are recruited and are brainwashed by the ISIS mentality of "we are the chosen, and all others are the infidel." I do not feel sad when they are killed by law enforcement.
As you might know, our President Barack Obama has decided that 10,000 "refugees" will be allowed into the United States. Yes, we do welcome nearly everyone here, but I also have a problem with the President's announcement.
A quick lesson in American law: The Federal Government can enact a bill, such as the one recently announced by Obama. However, each individual State has the option of accepting or rejecting that bill. Pennsylvania, where I live, is one of a few states whose governor will be accepting these "refugees" into our Commonwealth. Most other states have locked down their borders.
Clearly most Americans, after seeing what happened to our Parisian friends, do not want these people here. We are a people who tend to become very defensive of our friends. And we consider the French our friends.
There are too many holes in their backgrounds and we are not stupid. Clearly they are sneaky and are using the cover of poor, innocent civilians from Syria to make their way here. They pose as innocent Muslims, thus giving peaceful people a bad reputation.
Our churches will provide them with housing, food and cash assistance. And then some of them will turn around and terrorize our cities.
I have no problem with the Muslims currently established here and living a law-abiding life, side-by-side with Americans, but it's time to lock down our State borders.
I was happy to see your air strikes. I was happy to see the proficiency of your police, and I'm happy that the US and other countries are sharing intelligence with you.
I've been confused and worried over the past week as to how I am going to emotionally deal with your situation as well as the inevitable fact that America along with Great Britain, Spain, Etc., will soon be under attack by ISIS. More attacks are coming; I'm certain of it. I do not like feeling angry and I've been looking for a way to rid myself of such negativity.
But I've decided that I'm going to take a lesson from you. I will not let fear consume me. That is exactly what ISIS wants. I will continue on with my life, my work and my happiness and healing. That is what ISIS does not want.
Please know that I think of you, and little else each day since 11/13/2015. My hope is that the West can form a great and powerful coalition to eradicate ISIS.
Thank you so much for showing me, by example, how to be strong and deal with crisis with the dignity that Parisians have over the past week. I hope to visit your lovely city one day. <3JM
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the One World Trade Center spire will be lit blue, white and red in honor of dozens killed in the Paris attacks.
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