Just yesterday, I got home from a class trip to France. Just yesterday, another attack took place just hours after I got home. This week hasn't been particularly good for France. First, their team loses the final in the Euro Cup against a team they clearly should've beat, Portugal. Having watched the game with my host family, it was abundantly clear that the other team just had more luck. Second, in Nice on Bastille Day, a truck ran into a celebrating crowd and killed at least 77 people, injuring dozens more. Another act of terror, so it would seem.
Another terror attack seemed highly unlikely to many people, seeing as there were military personnel everywhere. Champs-Élysées, for example, was littered with groups of scattered army men with guns. Although that should make people feel safer, it ultimately provides a deep level of fear as to what could happen. At any moment, another attack could strike. And so it did.
With the recent attack, there will be undoubtedly more military roaming the streets, protecting the people. At every major attraction we went to, they were there. At the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Each one of these places also have metal detectors now, and many levels of security. Though, this begs the question, do they really protect anyone? How is it possible to protect against an unknown attack? The only possible solution would be the fear they instill on those who wish to attack again. The terrorists want to instill terror into citizens, and the army want to instill fear into the terrorists. It's an ongoing game of chicken, it would seem, and so far the terrorists are winning.
That isn't to say the good guys can't win. And they are trying their best to protect the people and the place they love. It's better to have all the military there than none at all. But the problem is, there are more bad guys than good, and they are more sneakier than the good guys. The security, in my opinion, is top notch, but there are always people who will figure out the way around the system. For instance, instead of attacking a major place with a large bomb and many shooters, they attacked with a truck into a crowd of celebrating citizens. The fact that they did so on France's Independence Day makes it all the more impacting.
This world is full of terrible, awful people who do terrible, awful things. Everyday, another tragedy strikes somewhere around the world, whether we hear of all of them or not. It's a reality we simply can't escape. The trick to fighting the terrorists is to not be scared. To believe in the good and believe we will be protected and, one day, safe. The bad guys want you to fear them. They want you to stay in your homes, to hate the world. Don't let them get to you.
Pray for a better future.
Pray for France, and those who died yesterday, and those who will die another from a different attack, whether in France, or in another country.
