Families. We all have them in some way, shape, or form. In some cases it may be that the people we call our Family are those we are tied to by blood. In other cases, or family may be friends that we have become so close to that we cannot imagine our lives without. Nonetheless, we all have a family. For anyone of us, to lose a family member would be completely traumatic. We would feel lost and alone. We may not know how we will carry on. This is exactly how dozens of families are feeling today.
Now I know that not many people in college follow the news, so for those of you that have not heard, please allow me to quickly catch you up to speed on the recent events that have occurred. On Friday, November 13, 2015, Paris, France was bombed. At least 128 innocent victims have died in these attacks. The number of deaths is continuously escalating. Just a day prior to that, Thursday, November 12, 2015, Beirut, Lebanon was placed under the attack of not one but three suicide bombers. The bombers planned their attacks to occur simultaneously, in civilian and rural areas.
These events are not something that should be overlooked, however one of the two is. One of these two events is getting full media coverage, a virtually step by step minute by minute update, the other one, nothing. Both events are horrific. Both events should have been avoided.
Everyone is talking about Paris. And what happened there is an absolute horrific event, but everyone is failing to acknowledge what happened in Lebanon 2 days ago. People just assume that because Lebanon is in the Middle East that it is a country solely of terrorists and does not deserve to be acknowledged. Well guess what. Lebanon is not solely terrorists, NO place in the Middle East is. Why is everyone overlooking the recent events in Lebanon when, prior to 1943, Lebanon was under French rule. Not all of the Middle East is terrorists. The terrorist groups are those that may be powerful, but are a MINORITY of the people of the Middle East. Not all Middle Easterners are terrorists and NO ONE should ever have to face loss of loved ones in the manner that those from Paris and Beirut recently have.
I am writing not to lecture about terrorism, but as a plea for peace. We live in a world where there is far too much hatred amongst races, religions, ethnicities, and even people against their own kind. We were all put on this Earth to live together. There is only one Earth and we all only have one life to live. If we keep "living" in the current way of hatred, then none of us will be living. So many people are placed under attack every single day. So many people are killed every single day. So many people are left wanting to do something to change the world, but finding themselves feeling helpless every single day. Every. Single. Day. As seen in these two recent events, a single day can have a significant impact on someones life. We all need to stand together, to educate those around us, to take a step toward peace. If we don't then events of attack will end all of us. The time isn't tomorrow, the time is NOW. I am calling on every single person out their to be ambassadors of peace toward their neighbor, regardless of that person's differences from your own. It is on YOU, on US, to stand up for each other and make a change in the world. One person can create a ripple effect. For all those feeling helpless, this is what you can do. Together, we can all overcome the evils of those who plan to destroy. Together, we can bring peace to the world we all inhabit. This is my plea for PEACE.
