French terror attacks

[Simfan34]

Yes, the most important thing here is for us to be concerned with hurting the terrorists' feelings.

Yes, but we must remember that Muslims=/=terrorists. CrabCake is right- satirise the terrorists, not the whole religion. Sadly, I am seeing some right wing outlets in the US paint the magazine as a anti-Muslim outfit that affirms their prejudiced views- never mind their strident anti-Christian views.

While it does seem their views were actually at times indeed rather disagreeable, the whole Voltairean maxim of "I may not agree with what you're saying but I shall defend your right to say it" truly applies here. This is a tragedy that strikes at all people who believe in freedom of expression, not just those who agreed with them.

[Simfan34]

Pretty stark contrast between mass rallies occurring in Paris and the total lockdown of Boston, despite perpetrators on the loose

Well that was a mass act of terror that quickly became unpredictable, while this is a more of targeted attack.

[Simfan34]

Everyone please show some decency. This isn't the place to continue old debates and reignite clashes of civilization.

I agree. I think we might have to divide it into a memorial and factual update thread here and a "what should be done" thread on political debate.

What do you think? Should we move thread? This is not going all that well.

I understand the sentiment, but these kind of things do not happen happen in a vacuum or for no reason. To seperate the matter of why from this discussion would reduce it to a series of condolences and not much more, which would not be all that meaningful.