Nov. 13, 2015. Chances are, you're thinking: "Friday? What of it?" Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

This is a politically fueled article, so if you think you and I have different political views (I'm registered Independent with hard socialist views), then I advise you stop reading now.

Nov.13, 2015, is a day not many will likely forget anytime soon. On this day, at approximately 9:20 p.m., shots began ringing out in three separate locations of the French capital. In total, 140 were killed and more than 200 were injured during the attack on the City of Lights.

I don't think I need to go back over the events step by step -- I'm sure all of us followed the situation to some degree. What I do want to touch on is what this means for us, our citizens, and our country as a whole. It's no doubt that we all condemn the Paris attacks; I would like to go on the record and say I equally condemn the attacks in Afghanistan, Beirut, Iraq, Kenya, Palestine and Syria on or around the same date. There is also no doubt that this now affects the world and not just France. The planet is gripped in fear. Countries are upping security measures and closing down borders. An entire continent is on high alert, and part of another one is getting the shit bombed out of them every 15 seconds.

Though we recognize that terrorist organizations exist, when will we look at the destruction we're causing and say, "Enough"?

We're angry -- I get that. We're scared -- I get that as well. But we are also being ignorant. We are handling this entire situation the incorrect way, and taking that fear out on people who ran from the same group that we fear so much. A local Muslim student who attends a community college at which I work, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated, "Those people are not Muslim," when asked for her thoughts about the Paris attacks. She continued, "They aren't Muslim, and no one should look at [me] different because of their [choices]." Wishing to remain anonymous, for her own safety, says so much.

We want someone to blame, a person or organization to fault, but what we have not seemed to realize is that we have one. Hate the organization all day, every day! That is totally OK! But taking out our anger on citizens or political refugees is cruel and shows a level of ignorance this country doesn't want to be stigmatized for.

Here's the thing: in September more than four million refugees had already fled Syria. That was just in September. Where are they going to go? (And before you snatch your undies up ya' crack, let's take a minute to logically think this through.)

1. Let's just be kind with the number and stick to those from September. Let's say that four million people are fleeing their country in search for political asylum. No country in their right mind would harbour all 4 million people.

2. Since no country could sustain a population flux, the burden must be shared. Turkey alone has harbored more than two million refugees. Other countries on the list so far include: Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Germany, France, Austria, UK and Sweden. Now remember that this was two months ago. Now with the République Française closing its borders to everyone, that's one less country on the list that are willingly accepting refugees.

3. Countries open to receiving refugees include : Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, England, France, Gaza, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, The United States, Turkey and Uruguay. Now you're thinking: "Oh yeah, righteous! Look at all those other countries willing to take refugees, we don't really need to take any, do we?" The question shouldn't be, "Should we?" It should be, "Can we?"

Sit back people, 'cuz I'm about to eff y'all up with this truth-bomb.

According to the U.S. Department of State , in 2013 we admitted 70,000 refugees. Seventy. Thousand. And guess what? More than 32,000 of those were from the Middle East. *Gasps dramatically* I'm sorry, I couldn't hear your shock over the deafening silence of how quiet this country was about the "refugee crisis" last year. Hmmm.

My point is that we're afraid and that's OK! It's totally OK to be afraid and to fear the unexpected from a group who specialize in terror! But we're focusing this fear all wrong. I should not have a student scared to go grocery shopping in a hijab because she's not sure how the public will react. A Muslim woman should not have almost died after being pushed in front of the subway in London. A life-vessel should not be overturned and sunk with humans in it!

I personally have yet to form a fully educated opinion on whether or not we should allow (more) Syrian Refugees into the country or not -- I just haven't. But I think we should be open to the idea of helping every way possible. There is a huge ass nine-step process to even enter this country as a refugee. And that gives me a sense of security -- it does. But at the same time, I am still gripped with just as much fear as the next citizen. I live in one of the largest financial hubs in the country. The best way to cripple a country is to take out its finances. So yeah, I'm cautious. But am I going to purposefully walk on the other side of the shopping aisle if I see someone in a hijab? Am I going to ask them, "Why your people did this or that?" when I see them in public? Am I going to convince myself that all of "those people" are out to get me? Will I allow myself to fall prey to the fear mongering? No, because I am a logical and intelligent person capable of differentiating between terrorism and fleeing one's country.

I'm not sure where I fully stand with refugees entering the country because I do still have that fear, but more than that, I have a desire to help. I have a gene in my sequence that innately reaches out to those in need, with a longing to assist any way I can. So I strongly believe that we, as Americans, have the potential, time, finances and opportunity to show the world why we're so great! My entire point of this long rant is that we are handling this wrong! We need to consider how to assist these countries and refugees before it becomes an even larger issue.

Let's touch on the popular arguments, shall we?

"We can't risk any of them being terrorists! Don't let 'em in!" While understandable, I guess, by that premise, you shouldn't take Tylenol. Acetaminophen poisoning kills about 150 people per year. Dude, I get it. You don't want a terrorist sneaking into the country. But just rest assured, that out of the refugees taken in by the country since the 9/11 attacks 14 years ago, only three have been arrested with terrorism charges. That's a pretty low number, y'all. According to the Washington Post , 2015 has seen 294 mass shootings in the country. So you're more likely to be shot by an American-born citizen than encounter a terrorist. Also, rest assured that top E.U. officials have stated multiple times that the Paris Attackers weren't even refugees; rather, they posed as refugees.

"We shouldn't worry about refugees when we have homeless of our own!" Ya know what... ABSO-FRIGGIN-LUTELY! But wait a second -- where was all of this concern a week and a half ago? I see everybody on Facebook posting about this, but I didn't see a single thing about worry for the homeless two weeks prior. Odd.

Let's dissect this a bit, yes? Why are there homeless? The top causes for homelessness are traumatic life experiences, mental illnesses and PTSD. What?! What about the veterans? Good question, Logan. I'm glad you asked! in 2014, 49,933 veterans were homeless for at least one night. That's inconceivable. It's horrendous. But what are we as American citizens doing about it? The United States military spends about $2.7 billion each year , or $9 million each day. Why do we need to spend that much money on the world's largest military? What if we redistributed that spending, just a little, just a smidgen. Let's say, cut that spending by $1 million each day. Siphon that money into the VA or a fund to assist with homeless veterans, and the problem would be solved. (Okay, I know there's bound to be more to it than that, but you catch my drift.) Vacant housing outnumbers homeless individuals six to one. In 2007, banks foreclosed on 8,000,000 houses... and the number of homeless sits around 600,000. That seems to be a self-resolving issue. Homelessness is a social disease with no unified funded program, whereas assisting refugees basically comes with its own state department.

I am not saying forego our own to help others; I'm saying that there's a solution to both.

My entire rant has brought me to this point: this is the United States of America. We sit atop the world and have done so for the last century. We, as a country, need to exude the character we expect of the world. The entire planet is watching us right now, and we need to act like the supporting big brother this planet knows us to be. If the attacks on Paris should teach us anything, they should teach us to ban together, Solve a problem and help our fellow humans. Fear can divide a planet, but hope and devotion can unify one even faster. Compassion is something I believe this country forgets from time to time, but what greater teacher to remind us than the City of Love?

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."