The world stage

It has been a tough weekend for the world. The terror attacks in Paris and other places were heartbreaking to hear about. I can't imagine being there, experiencing that.  The world seems like a much smaller place when bad things happen. As much as we as Americans tend to pick on the French, no one deserves to experience the suffering or terror that was perpetrated in Paris.

I know that I tread on dangerous ground here. I'm going to broach a subject that many will disagree with. As several of my re-enactor friends have been known to say, "No politics or religion in the mess!" Please read what I write with an understanding and maybe give me a little leeway. Stop reading now if you feel like I'll offend you.

The French response to the terror attacks scares me. I am human, I understand the want or need to respond when a nation is attacked by another. I logically understand that Syria is a hotbed for terrorist activity. But it is also a nation where regular people live and work and grow up. Not everyone there is a terrorist. Whether the terror attack was state-sanctioned is information I do not have. I don't know a lot about a lot of things.

I'm not a pacifist, I understand that violence can be a necessary response. But I also know that violence begets violence. I feel like Syria will lash out and their targets may not be military, or even French. We're all fair game. I have friends in the military and also friends that live in large metropolitan areas. Those are the people I worry about this affecting. I worry that the situation will escalate. I worry that we will be drawn into another front on the "Global War on Terror". And I have no confidence in our government to manage the situation effectively.

These are the thoughts I have. I don't know the answers or pretend to understand the repercussions. I know that I've seen a lot of hate expressed for Muslims on Facebook from people that I considered friends. I understand the knee-jerk hate reaction. That doesn't make it okay.

Stop, take a breath. Understand that I'm expressing my fears, not being a hippie or a wuss. Respond if you want. Stop reading if that is what you feel like you need to do.

I'd just like the world to be here when I get back from my hike.