Anyone who does not live under a rock should be aware of the terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris late last week. A terrorist group, ISIS, claimed responsibility for the slaughter of over 120 people in random shootings and suicide bombings in heavily populated venues. Not only did this event shake the people of France, but people all over the world. Even those who have no connection to France have broken hearts over the devastating events that happened in a city known for its romantic qualities.
In case you do not know what happened, here is a quick recap. The first explosion took place outside the Stade de France near an entrance during a friendly match between Germany and France. The plan from the terrorist was to set off the bomb inside the stadium, but they never made it inside. Following this there were shootings with assault rifles at three various restaurants and a bar adding 39 to the death toll. Meanwhile, there was a second explosion at the Stade de France. Finally, there were shootings and bombings at a french venue, the Bataclan, that was hosting an American band. The death toll here was initially reported at 89, but five more were later reported from outside the venue. Although I cannot find a definite number of deaths, you should understand the general idea of what happened.
During times like these people often ask, "Why pray for Paris?" Didn't religion cause this? Also, why do so many bad things happen to such good people that do not deserve this? I'm not saying that anything about this was good because events like this shouldn't have to be a concern to begin with, but it brings out the good in people. Before I even knew what happened I saw a quote by Fred Rogers on my Facebook news feed that said:
"“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
So as I sat in shock reading about these terrible events that stuck in the back of my mind, at first I just thought of the first responders and doctors in hospitals working overtime to treat people. I thought of the people whose job was just to fix these things and keep everyone calm, but as news emerged I heard other stories of normal people doing amazing things. I heard about the helpers.
ISIS, known for its heinous acts of terror, is, as I've said, the group claiming responsibility. This has caused an Islamaphobia throughout the world. (Side Note: If this instilled a fear of Muslims in you, you need to do some research on what their religion actually is.) What people chose to ignore during this chaos was a man named Safer. He was a bartender at one of the restaurants that was invaded by gunmen. While they were still shooting, he dragged two injured women to the basement to keep them safe from even more harm. He was a Muslim and he did his best to protect others.
Another great display of human kindness that arose during this was #porteouverte. This was a hashtag used by Parisians following their address which indicated that it was a safe place to stay. Shelter for one stranger from another in one of the scariest moments in France since WWII. They just got brutally attacked, and then opened their home to total strangers while the suspects were still out. If that's amazing, I don't know what is.
The events that unfolded in Paris just showed that the world might have more good than we realize. Watching the news has become an exhausting task for most of us, but I believe that the human race can recover from all the evil in the world. All we need to do is look for the helpers and if you can't find one, be one.
