I am sitting in a Starbucks in downtown Wasilla, Alaska, drinking a vanilla latte and waiting for the snow to let up a bit before I head out to go on with my life. I like Starbucks. Although I usually prefer smaller, more local coffee shops, it’s convenient and has a decent atmosphere. I look around, notice the family of four to my right; the little girl is laughing with a ring of hot chocolate around her small mouth. A man chats with one of the girls at the counter, both of them smiling large, toothy grins. There’s a group of older women sitting at a round table, all holding the same book. It looks like it’s some sort of book club meeting. They laugh and I can hear bits and pieces of their conversation. It’s full of passion and of warmth. It’s toasty inside and soft music plays from overhead. Like I said; it’s a decent atmosphere. The people who gather here are part of the community. They are the daily visitors; sharing much more than coffee. They’re sharing their life stories, their opinions. Sometimes they simply share each other’s company.

This is the image of Starbucks all across the world. It is continuously popular for it’s easy to order drinks and merchandise, but it is also somewhere both convenient and pleasant to visit. It’s certainly not a place you’d think to look for terror attacks, intolerance, suicide bombers, or fear. Yet Thursday morning, militants associated with ISIS began an attack near a Starbucks in central Jakarta; the capital of Indonesia, which is a predominately Muslim country. The attack lead to the death of two civilians, along with twenty-four injured. The attackers stated that the operation was not intended to harm Indonesian citizens, but rather to target foreigners against ISIS. They wanted to send a message; a message indicating that people who oppose the ISIS mission are not safe, even on ‘Muslim lands’.

The attack was intended to send fear, rippling across continents and through households alike. Instead, citizens of Indonesia are standing up against the radicalism by using tags such as #KamiTidakTakut, which translates to "We Are Not Afraid."

That message, simple, yet so clear, is what can unite us as humans. Radicalism is not based on religion or race, and we cannot blame these acts of violence solely on these factors. They are radical ideas taken to the extreme. We must stand together, no matter our religion, race, or opinions in order to show that human kindness can and will prevail.

I've finally finished my vanilla latte. I get up to throw it away, and as I do so, that little girl with the hot chocolate all around her face looks up at me, smiles, and waves as I turn to leave. Humanity is capable of amazing things, and it all starts with something small; like waving goodbye at a coffee shop.