When they’re trying to silence you, YELL EVEN LOUDER!
By ALAN VERBITZKY
On Wednesday, January 7th, 2015, something repulsive and disgusting happened in France. On that Wednesday 12 souls were taken away only for telling an uncomfortable truth to the world. On that Wednesday the free speech suffered a tragic downslide.Today, because of that event, our world is a more dangerous place.The time has come for every single one of us to make what we can in order to restore the peace of mind we once had.When we encounter these levels of intolerance, it is a clear-cut sign that something needs to be done.When somebody is willing to kill masses of people just because they express their opinion in a social issue, you know something needs to change.This heinous crime doesn’t help the perpetrators’ cause, but on the contrary, it diminishes it. It only proves to the whole world that all the previous opinions expressed in the cartoons about them were completely and absolutely right.Violence is used when the other side feels threatened and without any rational argument to defend themselves.These “people” used violence because they didn’t like that other people with a real value for life were raising their voice about what is correct, about how radical Islam knows nothing but violence and death.This is a signal that not only we should continue to raise our voice, but we should increase our protests.If they did something like this, it is only because on some level they know this is already working against them, and should we continue to do it, they will eventually be defeated. Let’s not give them what they want; let’s never stop standing up for what is right.If we do that, then they win, and the lives of these 12 brave people as well as the lives of all other victims of radical-Islam, including the four Jews who were killed last week just for going get Kosher food for their families, would have only been lost in vain.Lets not allow this under ANY circumstance!I invite all of you to raise your voice and stand up for what is right, whether is by drawing cartoons, writing on blogs, organizing protests, whatever your strength is, whatever you heart tells you to do. But do something; don’t be stopped by fear. Those brave 12 souls weren’t. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once correctly said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.Let this tragic event not intimidate you; rather, use it as a motivator. Use it to realize that if there are people willing to do this, it is only because they know that what these brave people were doing works very effectively against them, they know that other people speaking the truth works very effectively against them, they know it and they are terrified. Do not let anyone intimidate you, and realize that if they try to do so, it’s because they are very aware of the kind of threat you represent for them.When they’re trying to silence you, YELL EVEN LOUDER! That’s the only way of standing a chance against radical people like them.Let’s pray all together for the victims’ souls, for their families, and for a speedily recovery of the wounded. These people where just doing their job, they were doing what they love the most. They were addressing society’s problem in a humorous way. They were feeding our souls with humor while at the same time making us more conscious of the problems our society faces. The other ones where just buying Kosher food for Shabbat, and they were being "too Jewish" for some; let us NEVER apologize for what we are! and may this attack just strengthen exactly the opposite of what these fanatics were trying to weaken. may we double-up our efforts to raise our voice against Radical-Islam, and may this only strengthen our Jewish Identity and our Jewish values.Let’s keep up with these people's legacies and multiply our efforts in their honor and in order to prevent more tragedies like this one.