I have been deeply busy in copy-editing my novel and as such I have neglected this here blog. Now I am sick with flu and my head is in a perpetual dizzy state. However I will attempt to put down at least some of the thoughts that have been running through my brain since this horrific attack in Paris.

1. These murderers are nothing more than vicious, savage barbarians. An attack on free expression is an attack on civilization. The slaughter of unarmed people is not an act of war, or courage, or defiance. It is barbarity.
2. The writers, editors, and artists at Charlie Hebdo, in my opinion not speaking as to French law, have a right to free expression and being insulting, offensive, or blasphemous does not restrict or rescind that.
3. Some have argued that it is wrong to ‘punch down.’ That is to mock or satirize people from disenfranchised or marginalized populations. I disagree. There is no state of being that immunizes anyone from mockery. Any idea is subject to ridicule.
4. That said I am sure that there are those would who advocate I should use the blog to reproduced the images that some found so offensive as symbolic stand for the ideal of free expression. I can stand for the ideals of free expression without being obligated to reproduce content with which I disagree.
5. From what I have seen the images in question are neither worthy in an artistic or satirical manner. Simply being insulting isn’t satirical, being offensive doesn’t mean you had anything interesting to say. I particularly do not agree with images that mock the entire religion. The trouble is with radicalized fundamentalist at war with modernity, not the entire 1.8 billion followers of that religion.
6. Throughout the world there is a problem with fundamentalist thought and mind-set. In my country is it Christian fundamentalism in politics that is the trouble. All religions have such extremist, not all are violent, but more than most people generally think.

Those are my thoughts on this flu fogged day.