Perspective: The Significance of the March in Paris

This is a Letter to the Editor the Bradford ERA published Friday January 16, 2015.

If you haven’t seen the photo of the forty-some world leaders, including several from Muslim countries, marching arm in arm in Paris on Sunday January 11th on behalf of Charlie Hebdo, you will want to get a copy. This is not just historic, it is iconic. It is historic because we have never had such a number of world leaders in agreement and focused like a laser to make a point and iconic because it is democracy defending its primary pillar, namely, freedom of speech. It is amazing because the marchers included not just the Western democracies, but Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, as well as representatives from Jordan and several other Muslim nations. These leaders know that freedom is based on democracy and that democracy in turn is universally tethered to a free and unfettered freedom of the press. They also know that “freedom is not free”, and that democracy must be defended or it is lost. That is why these fearless leaders had the courage to march, in the very city and only days after Islamic terrorists killed Charlie Hebdo journalists. How appropriate that this march occurred in Paris, France, one of the modern birthplaces of democracy, and where the French had their freedom taken away by the monstrous Nazis. This could be a turning point in the struggle with the radical Islamic jihadists. If the key Muslim Imams in the world will continue to link arm in arm with an expanding ring of world leaders, this radical movement can be thwarted. So sad then, that the world’s greatest democracy didn’t care enough to send an appropriate representative. Perhaps sadder were the lame and pathetic excuses. So, get yourself a copy this iconic and historic photo and hang it on your wall next to the Declaration of Independence. It is that big a deal!! Oh, and mention that to Obama, if you run into him!!

Wayne Pearson
Smethport