Paris: One Year Later | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

Paris: One Year Later

One year after the massacre, we remain in a global war for our survival.

14
Paris: One Year Later
Twitter

Friday, November 13th, 2015: It was just another ordinary night in the lively city of Paris, France. Parisians were enjoying their Friday night watching a football (soccer) game at the Stade de France football stadium in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis or jamming to the Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan Theater. Shortly after 9 pm local time, the excitement was shattered, and all Hell broke loose.

More than a year ago, 130 innocent Parisians were brutally slaughtered by ISIS members embedded within the French national population. They shot up kids, the elderly, the disabled, all without any mercy. As an ISIS member would later remark to his Yazidi victim in 2016: They are Kafir (infidels, nonbelievers); you should be happy that they died. Any attempt to paint ISIS as anything more humane than a 7th century death cult should be denounced as an affront to human suffering. In their eyes, every non-Muslim (and many less extreme Muslims) deserves death, and so they dealt it out wholesale that night with Kalashnikov rifles, hand grenades, and suicide bombs. The path of death and destruction also caused 368 injuries and countless indelible memories of the bloody horror of that night. This was France’s worst day since the end of the Second World War.

In the year since then, ISIS and other Islamic terrorist groups only continued their endless brutality, delivering death and horror to every corner of the globe: Paris again repeatedly, San Bernardino, Orlando, Dhaka, Baghdad, Kabul, Istanbul, Munich, Brussels, Medina, Nice, and other countless sites of unfathomable bloodbaths. Between the start of Ramadan in 2016 and the night of President Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, 1169 people lost their lives to Islamic terror (supposedly more before the night ended) in 21 different countries across the globe, 16 of them Muslim countries. The total body count in Baghdad alone exceeded 300 before the summer ended.

The world has reacted with a strong nationalist mindset since then, culminating in the two largest political shocks of this year: Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as the future President of the United States. Globalism has failed in the eyes of many voters: screwing over the working class while favoring large corporations. Open borders in the European Union have led to millions of economic migrants flooding into the Continent from Muslim countries, turning once tolerant countries into powder kegs of conflict between hostile Islamist groups imposing Shariah law and Far Right nationalists seeking to reclaim their countries, no matter the costs. Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Front political party, is surging in the French national polls, now possibly a leading contender to be France’s next President. German chancellor Angela Merkel’s approval rating has plummeted, and she might be facing a tough reelection next year. The right wing Freedom Party of Austria, founded by former Nazi and SS officer Anton Reinthaller, is now the country’s third largest in terms of number of seats held. Hungary has deported large numbers of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa. The Czech Republic President Zeman has urged a complete and total ban on migrants entering the country and for citizens to start arming themselves with guns. Vigilante groups have sprouted all across Sweden and in many other European countries.

If you are an arms dealer, there has never been a better time for you: gun sales are up in Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic as a response to the migrant crisis. For everyone else, we should reflect on all that has transpired since the fateful night in Paris more than a year ago now. President Obama won reelection in 2012, proudly declaring that “GM is alive, and Osama Bin Laden is dead.” He tried to paint a rosy picture then of the civilized world, with America at the forefront, winning the fight against the savagery of Islamic terrorism. Boy was he wrong, and he paid for it heavily: President Trump could easily erase every inch of Obama’s legacy aside from marriage equality and Obamacare, both of which he has stated that he will keep. We must all realize now that we are in a fight for civilization, for the preservation of our world. Our enemy is a virulent ideology hell-bent on conquering and eradicating the planet.

The New York Times recently featured retired General Michael T. Flynn on its cover. Flynn is likely to be either Trump’s National Security Adviser or possibly his Secretary of Defense. The sub-headline recounted Flynn as describing Islam as nothing more than political ideology. Given the New York Times’ political leanings, it is perhaps trying to paint Mr. Flynn as a bit of an extremist and a controversial choice for a national security or Cabinet position. But Mr. Flynn is right on the political nature of Islam. If you doubt him and all the Islamic scholars who agree with him, perhaps you should pick up a Quran yourself and read it all the way through. Wake up to the global danger in our midst before it is too late.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
sex and the city
Warner Bros. Television

1. You don't have to feel guilty about flirting with customers for tips (or just for shits and giggles).

2. You can be obnoxiously flirtatious with anyone you want. You are free to be that girl that flirts with everybody and makes 'em all smile (it's especially fun when the guy is as cute as Collin Jost). No shame.

3. Making random men nervous with your superior beauty and intense eye contact just for the hell of it is really amusing and empowering.

4. No one gives two poops if ya legs are hairy (your man shouldn't either but *Kermit the Frog meme* That's none of my business)

5. The toilet seat will remain down.

6. There's more money to spend on yourself.

7. There's always this secret butterfly in your tummy that marvels at the possibility that when you go out this weekend you're gonna meet someone super handsome/wonderful/prince-like and have this moment of dazzling dalliance.

8. Nothing is that serious...you can take it all with a grain of salt...you don't owe anybody anything.

9. You can dance with anyone and everyone...or no one (Hello frat boi w/ glasses, I see you).

10. You don't have to fluff anyone's ego but your own.

11. Free drinks and dinners from single guys (It's not taking advantage if they're offering; a girl's gotta eat).

12. You have more time to learn how to love and improve yourself rather than constantly pouring your energy into another person.

13. You don't have to sacrifice your cheesy Jen Aniston rom-coms and Gilmore Girls for his Fast and Furious/other dumb action movie featuring blonde that is only in the movie to supply a relationship to the male lead and to make him look more masculine/empowered in juxtaposition (In other words, you don't have to deal with a guy being a crabby Patty while you watch your cute movies).

14. You can daydream about what your future husband may be doing right now (and not get stressed/guilty out because you're not picturing your current boyfriend that's crazy about you as your future husband).

15. There is more time to be spent with your girlfriends.

Girls Night In
Milk + Blush

We've all been there - you've been saying since Tuesday after French that this weekend is the weekend. You're finally going to break out those new heels and actually put on eyeliner on and make this Friday night be one for the memory books! That is, of course, until Girls Night Out turned into...Girls Night In.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

What Is Your Zodiac GIF?

Characteristics of the astrological signs, explained through GIFS.

702
zodiac
Wordpress

Whether you believe astrology is a legitimate "science" or not, we have all found ourselves looking at our horoscopes from time to time. The 12 astrological signs all fall under one of four elements: air, water, earth, or fire. Air signs are rational, social, and love to communicate with others. Water signs are are emotional, intuitive, and mysterious. Fire signs tend to be passionate, creative, and adventurous. Earth signs are conservative, realistic, and loyal.

Each sign is determined by the relative positions of celestial bodies to ourselves at our moment of birth, which is said to influence our personalities. Find your zodiac GIF below, based on the traits and characteristics provided by each sign.

***Disclaimer: GIFS are meant to be lighthearted and are based on descriptions of signs from http://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/.

Keep Reading...Show less
camp fire on the beach
www.stocksnap.com

If you haven't read the first part of this, I would highly suggest to, specifically because the Public Service Announcement placed in the beginning of that article still applies. If you don't feel like reading part one, I will try to cover it quickly. Basically, long story short, I am a pretty boring person and lead a pretty ordinary life. Due to this, please do not expect for the things I consider ridiculous to be what others may deem it. I promise that each of these I have done with a complete sane, mildly bored, brain. With all of this being said, please enjoy the semi-absurd things I have been lead to do in the second semester of my freshman year at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

The Importance Of The Friends You Make In College

They're not just your friends, they're your family.

2794
friends
Kristin Buggy

College is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. However, it is also one of the toughest transitions to make. There is so much anticipation and excitement leading up to moving into college. It doesn’t truly hit you until move in day when your parents say their final goodbyes and you see their car drive away. You truly are on your own. I was blessed to meet my best friends within the first week of school. Your college friends are so important and here’s why:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments