Today, we are all French

After 9/11, a number of nations said, "Today, we are all Americans."

Today, a day after 3/13, the sentiment is, "Today, we are all French."

I sat in front of the TV and the computer last night and watched in horror as the death toll from six attacks went from 18, to 100, to 140, and currently, the official death toll is at 128, with over 300 wounded.  Six of the 128 were the attackers.  Two of them blew themselves up with suicide belts as the police closed in.

Right now, I have no words.  Just a compliation of facts and feelings that are rather difficult to put on a computer screen.

Yesterday morning, President Obama sat in a chair and claimed that ISIS has "been contained".

Today, ISIS has claimed responsibility for this horrific attack in Paris.  That doesn't sound very "contained" to me.

I do not want to be hateful towards Muslims.  I believe that most Muslims wish to live in peace.  But the current terrorists out there who are causing the most damage are Muslim.  They conquer and kill in the name of their religion, and they show no mercy towards the people they conquer.  You convert, submit, or die.

There are people out there that just do not get it:  You do not negotiate with terrorists.  You do not give them an inch, because they will not only take a mile, they will take more than a mile.  What happened in Paris, what is happening in Syria and in other parts of the world, is the result of what happens when you think you can "lead from behind" and only croak your denunciation, instead of waging a "pitiless war", as French President Francois Hollande has sworn to do.

Last night, I read posts saying that, "This will happen here.  They are coming for us."

I do not want to be afraid.  I will not cower in my house and wait for Islamic terrorists to attack.  But I do feel fear.  It worries me when we either think that we can negotiate or dialogue with these terrorists, or when we mentally decide, there's nothing we can do, and just let an attack happen.

Last night, I remembered a verse in 2 Kings 6.  In this story, the king of Aram was at war with Israel, and the prophet Elisha was telling the king of Israel "the very words [he spoke] in his bedroom."  In response, the king of Aram sent troops to capture Elisha.

When Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw the troops and was terrified.  Elisha's answer was:  "Don't be afraid.  There are more with us than there are with him."

This is what I want to think.  This is what I want to believe.  That there are more with us than with him.  I want to believe that God is with people--that God is with me--and therefore, I don't need to be afraid.

In the meantime, I pray and I mourn with the people of Paris.

Je suis Paris.

Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.