Je Suis Charlie

Masked cowards armed with Kalashnikov rifles who killed 12 innocent victims of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris attempted to silence journalists for publishing a caricature of the Prophet Mohamed. This terrorist attack was a deliberate attack on free speech.

I, as a writer, am very sad at the senseless loss of life and send my condolences to their families, and stand steadfast in the defence of such a fundamental freedom we all value so much in the USA, and as a freelance journalist proclaim my solidarity with the people of France where my father lies buried.

These heinous murders are also an odious attack on democracy and specifically freedom of expression and remind me of the reason my father died fighting in WWII. He gave his life defending freedoms, so I pay my respect to the people of France, because today I too am Charlie: Je suis Charlie.