Today, I write for Charlie Hebdo

So...a group of political cartoonists were killed in France today. No, I didn't know them. No, I wasn't a fan of the magazine. No, I had not heard of them before today. But...cartoonists? As a rule, we laugh at what they create, but someone found it SO offensive...so DID NOT get the joke...that MURDER was an appropriate response in their minds?

I take this to heart a little bit, because comics have been a lifelong obsession for me. I wanted to draw them before I decided I could write better than I draw.

Political cartoons are the well respected older brother of comics- the one that did well in school, captained the football team, went off to war, and came back a hero, with a broader worldview and still a sense of humor. And when that older brother dies, everyone shows up to the funeral and pays their respects.

No, it wasn't ALL political cartoonists who died today. But for everyone who has ever shared their passion, and for everyone who has ever taken the time to appreciate what they do, a little piece of us died with those four today. And lest we forget, eight others died with them. May they rest in peace.

-cb 1/7/15, 7:59PM

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There's a fine line between bravery and arrogance. They weren't the first to attempt this critique and they won't be the last. Sadly, pouring more oil on a fire only reminds us how slowly the world can burn.

@dngn4774: I don't know the magazine or the artists, and I don't even care if arrogance was their motivation. It's a political cartoon. It doesn't warrant a murderous attack by multiple gunmen. And it's not an accurate way to honor the religion the gunmen were "defending." Religion shouldn't even be a context for this. It was murder- outright. They should be treated as murderers. And for the public brazenness of their actions, they should be punished to the full extent of the law.

A moment of silence for all the innocent lives senselessly taken in this bloodshed.

Good blog, cb. Good blog.

F**K Sensitive-ass religious people and especially who murder in the name of religion. F**K EM.

<SWAG>

@alexander_wolffe: Thanks.

As a sensitive-ass religious person, I would like to politely decline your invitation to sexual intercourse, swag or no swag.

Very insightful comment. Very.

I think Mr. Hebdo would be saddened if he knew many people used his legacy as a pretext to hate on other people with different beliefs.

I think Mandarinestro would be correct in his thoughts about this.

@alexander_wolffe: *Reads two very different posts from the same user.*

You're a complex character Mr. Wolffe.

Who's hating on anyone's beliefs? I'm hating on murderers.

Edit: Or were you referring to the comment by MadeinBangladesh?

@cbishop: No, I was referring to a few people earlier in the off topic talking about militant this and militant that. And of course the biased news channels of each country.

@mandarinestro: Ah, okay, gotcha. I was completely confused on what you were referring to. :/

One of the upcoming contests should be about this.

@dimitridkatsis: Or just make it a tribute thread and get to it. ;)

Cool eulogy.

@cbishop: Yea, I was probably being kinda cryptic as well.

Bump

@cbishop: Merci !

And for @mandarinestro:

-Mr Hebdo doesn't not exist, it's a nickname for Hebdomadaire, meaning "weakly" in French.

-I'm very confused about your use of "the biased news channels of each country" : No, the media are still not biased on this particular occasion. Same question that I asked you in the other thread: do you have any doubt about who the "good guys" and "bad guys" are in this situation?

(you remind me another user, Gymgoer or something like that, that was claiming false medical information and that I systemically corrected each time I was confronted to his affirmations)

Anyway, this picture is awesome and thanks again for it.

@bullpr: Lol, I know what Hebdo is. Also can you keep our discussion in the other thread?

@mandarinestro :(Mr Hebdo was from you, message number 8).

Yep. That's why I concluded my message the way I did

Again, thanks to @cbishop for his awesome job.

I appreciate it, but just in case it wasn't clear from the caption on the picture, I did not draw that picture. It was done by Martin Vidberg. I saw it in an article linked to Facebook, and it perfectly stated what I was feeling, so I used it for this blog.