Pile of semi-random thoughts ahead. Please know, I don't personally claim to have any answers to some of these important and big questions being asked. These are just some thoughts.
Some have said that we shouldn't discuss politics so quickly after this horrible event. I really see the heart to honor the dead. It made me wonder, after horrible losses of life in WW2, did the people debate politics? They kind of did, at least when they had the freedom to speak without the threat of death.
Politica is really about power. Who has the power and how and why, and by what means. Authoritarians want a central figure it institution to have it. Libertarians want the people to have the power. And there are a million other views on politics and when people die, it makes sense to talk about it and figure out how do we respond as people and as nations.
People who are scared tend to start to be attracted to someone having the power, they sometimes will start to be attracted to unhealthy means of control and safety.
ISIS and other extremists do not generally give crap about immigration laws, gun laws, etc. are those things bad? Maybe not. Sensible regulations that seek security without taking away the power of the people seem like a good idea to me. Should we look for all our fear to go away by more and more control and regulation by the government? Probably not.
People ready and wanting to kill will find a way. Paris has tons of gun laws and they have been stepping up security everywhere and it appears the attacker found another way. Found another city and another means to kill.
I believe that countries do need to work for secure borders, and reasonable measures to keep people secure without engaging in scapegoating or taking away freedoms.
We have to be so careful to not scapegoat, now and in the coming months and years. This is all likely to get worse before it gets better in the "western world" and there is a lot of unholy horrible history of scared people in pain, nations who above endured horrible loss, finding someone to scapegoat.
The US is already not far from repeating rhe horrible mistake of Japanese internment camps.
In the US, some leaders are reacting to this horrible event in Nice by scapegoating. Newt Gingrich is calling for all Muslims to take a test to see if they believe in Sharia law or not. Those that believe would be kicked out of the country under his plan. This is scapegoating. This is against the freedoms the US was founded on...
We have got to find ways to peacefully defeat dangerous radicalization and other dangerous trends - including scapegoating, even when these horrible attacks occur - and they are likely to keep happening for some time.
Have you seen what's happening in Turkey? We don't seem to be far from WW3 if not already in it.
What do people do now to protect against scapegoating? Against more radicalization? I don't really know.
I did read about a hashtag that in frbech said something along the lines of #opendoorsNice. It was the everyday citizens of that city opening their homes to people, strangers, stuck, wounded, mourning, or otherwise affected by this horrible event.
I want to be someone that when the sh*t hits the fan and pain and loss and horrible things happen, I find a way to join with those who want to help, who want to never give up on love. Who refuse to give in to hate or stay stuck in fear, but who instead help those who are hurting. Maybe even when they still very scared and very much hurting.
Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes it hold out an open hand.
I'm amazed by the French people and I hope that people heed this powerful example by ordinary folks to help one another get through this.
