Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

Have you ever smiled when hearing a favourite quote or instantly liked someone because of the book they happened to be gushing about? Language connects us and words are powerful. The way we use them says a lot about who we are as people and as a society. Personally, I'd love to live in a world where insulting or belittling others is unncessary and hurting others using words is a thing of the past. A world where people talk to each other, accept and respect others as they are and do not feel the need to try to change people just because they don't happen to think or believe as we do. I am very much in favour of free speech and believe it is extremely important that people are able to honestly say (and write) what they think or feel, without having to fear for their lives. However I also believe that it is important that we respect others as they are, without belittling them using words or actions and without the need to insult the choices people have made in their lives or be...

I don't have the words to condemn attacks against people who express themselves peacefully. Whether one agrees or disagrees with another, to murder them for their opinion means murdering them for who they are. How many more need to die before we realise that violence and terror will not make the world a better place?  "Terrorism Turns My World Upside Down" "Because if you don't stand up for the stuff you don't like,  when they come for the stuff you do like, you've already lost.”  ~ Neil Gaiman

Vanmorgen is er in Parijs door meerdere daders een aanslag gepleegd op de redactie van satirisch weekblad Charlie Hebdo . De daders zijn nog steeds spoorloos. Er zijn meerdere gewonden en minstens twaalf doden. De aanslag is volgens ooggetuigen opgeëist door Al Qaida Jemen; de daders riepen 'Allah Akbar' en gaven aan de aanslag te plegen om de profeet Mohammed te wreken. Het satirisch weekblad publiceert spotprenten, onder andere over de islam. Charlie Hebdo is al vaker door moslimextremisten bedreigd, bijvoorbeeld in 2006, 2011 en 2012. De Volkskrant meldt: "De gedode journalisten zijn tekenaars Cabu, Charb, Tignous en Wolinski en econoom Bernard Maris, zei [openbaar aanklager van Parijs] Molins. Van de drie andere vermoorde journalisten zijn de namen nog niet bekend. De twee agenten zijn Franck D. en Ahmed Merabet. De laatste werd buiten het gebouw gedood. De gedode receptionist is Michel Renaud, de identiteit van de genodigde is niet bekend."   ~ Twaalf doden...