As a lifestyle blogger, my topics tend to stray on the light side, talking about food, fashion, travel and the like. In other words, I am not a satirist. Probably the closest thing to “controversy” I ever write about are topics on body image (because I tend not to agree with many activists), feminism and maybe ethnic-related issues (mostly because I often disagree with so-called “liberals” from sites like Jezebel, which I “hate” read with a passion (ha!)). However, when I DO write about these topics, I write about how I feel. And because the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees my freedom of expression, I can do so without worrying that I’d be criminally charged for doing so. I am able to comment on issues that are controversial without being worried. In France, people have equivalent guarantees. That’s what made the Charlie Hebdo massacre so tragic.
Sure, the publication is known for printing “sensitive” and controversial material (not just about Islam, but pretty much everything, from what I understand), but it is also meant to criticize society. And guess what? Criticism is allowed. If we lived in a world without criticism, we wouldn’t able to improve ourselves and how we think. We would just remain ignorant of others and things around us, which is exactly the problem with these terrorists (I also question their mental health situation as I have with mass shooters in general). And while we’re on the topic of criticism, if they really just don’t feel what the publication does is right, there are plenty of other ways to oppose. Why not start your own publication? You don’t even have to have money to do so. Blogs are free if you have access to the internet. If you’re going to criticize or condemn other people, you need to be open to the same thing. It’s only fair. Killing other people, on the other hand, is NOT one of them. And this goes not only for yesterday’s tragedy in France, but radicalism in general. No matter how controversial the publication has been in the past, no matter how anti-religion/insulting it has, what happened yesterday overrides everything in terms of being wrong.
My heart goes out to the family, friends and victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. I stand by all who work in media by saying #jesuisuneblogeuse #jesuischarlie
