I am at a loss to describe the pain and anguish I feel for the families and friends of the slain Charlie Hebdo employees and French police officers. It is times like these that make me wonder if my decision to have children was selfish. My children are too young at this time to discuss these current events with them and while we teach kindness, love, ethics, and morals to them, I hope that they one day realize the true message that I want them to know.

I want them to know that things like what happened today in Paris, France, has nothing to do with Religion and to blame this on the Muslim and/or Islamic faith is to blame an atrocious act on a group of people. None of this has ever had anything to do with Religion. It has to do with power. It has to do with conquest. The people who lead these terrorists are nothing more than cult leaders, using Religion as an opportunity to gain power and for conquest.

We have seen this before. If you look through history, many times, you will see Religion used to dominate and to conquer other nations. It’s one of the reasons why I feel it is imperative that we study all history, the good and the bad, even the history that might be something we are ashamed of.

To blame a culture or a religious population is how things like the Holocaust and acts of genocide are able to occur in this world.

I hope that my children will understand that Religion and spiritual beliefs can be beautiful ways to live your life. I hope that my children will also understand that what is happening all over the world with terrorism is really a cult of people who are using fear to cow people into following them, gain power, and to conquest over those who cannot fight them. I hope my children will believe that regardless of how atrocious an act is or how terrifying the world can be, nothing should censor the freedom of the press.  And if something upsets you or insults your faith or cause, it doesn’t warrant death.

Mostly, I hope my children will realize that these acts of terrorism have nothing to do with Religion, but are the product of evil men who will try to quell rebellion and freedom with blood.  And that they will never allow fear and terror to censor them.

“Aucun acte barbare ne saura jamais éteindre la liberté de la presse. Nous sommes un pays unis qui saura réagir et faire bloc.”

— François Hollande (@fhollande) January 7, 2015

#JeSuisCharlie