When you opened up the covers you knew [translation: love is stronger than hate] at some point your sensibilities would be messed with, that was part of the joy. Yes it is left wing and reverence is something they held in low esteem, but it definitely made you think. These were not low brow cartoonists and writers whose only idea was to shock, they wanted you to think and of course to laugh. They were household names and for good reason since they said what many were unwilling to say and nobody was beyond reproach.
When people you have known for years through their writings and drawings they become a part of your life; virtual dear friends as it were. This makes this barbaric attack all the more painful for so many here in France because it feels personal.
As yet I have little to add except my tears to the pool of those already shed in today. This is the appropriate response to such heinous acts: Cartoonists around the world respond No doubt there will be many more to come in the following days
When small minded people with heads full of fear and loathing gather together this is the end result, the only way to respond is to bring them out of the shadows and highlight their puerile longings for power and control. I don't care who they pretend to worship nor what religion they seek to pervert, belief bathed in loathing is no faith at all; just the very essence of the worst we can be.
My fear is now that our own brand of crazy extremists will profit from the carnage, they are no better since they espouse similar forms of loathing to drive the fear.
So those of us who believe in the rights of all should keep shining the light into the deep dark corners that the worst of us feed off. Never stop condemning, never stop fighting back, never acquiesce, speak out.
Tears will do, for now.