Don't Let Terrorists Win - Get Some Perspective

On November 13^th, 130 people died from terror attacks.  That's a horrible tragedy, but a bigger tragedy is the way we have reacted to the terror attacks.  Let’s get some perspective here.  That night 89 people were killed at the Bataclan Theatre; that’s a terrible tragedy, but it’s only 6% of the story.  In a packed concert hall that holds 1500 people, 3 terrorists shot at unarmed concertgoers for 10 to 15 minutes, then two of the terrorists blew themselves up, and yet 94% of the concertgoers lived.  That week 77 French people died in car accidents, almost as many as were killed at the concert.  In fact, the same day that terrorists killed 130 people in Paris, 200 Frenchmen died as a result of tobacco related illnesses; many of them died long, slow, painful deaths.

As a result of the terror attacks Paris was closed down for several days, the President of France has been given special powers, and there is talk of changing the French Constitution to give the French President additional power to deal with emergencies.  In America, the media has kept the story going because it sells papers.  Huckster politicians have used this as a way to get attention by the time honored method of scaring people.

In an average year there are well over 30,000 deaths from auto accidents in the United States, but fewer than 7 deaths from terrorism.  That’s nearly 5,000 deaths from auto accidents for each death from terrorism.  Yet, the fear, publicity, and political rhetoric are about terrorism rather than car crashes.  In fact, as a result of the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, many Americans are calling to stop allowing Syrian refugees immigrate to America because some of them could be terrorists.  We don’t owe them anything, right; why take the risk?  It’s amazing that many of the people espousing these Ideas consider themselves Christians.  The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) didn’t owe anything to the man who fell into the hands of robbers, but he went out of his way to help the man at great cost to himself.  If a friend was in a burning car would you watch them burn or would you try to help them - at great risk to yourself?  How about a stranger?  What if the stranger was Syrian?  Right now there are millions of Syrians trying to get out of a burning country.  They don’t have homes, they don’t have jobs, they don’t have food; they’ve lost everything.  They’re just trying to get out of a war and make a new life.  They don’t have any less right to come to America than my great, great grandfather did; really.  Could some of them be terrorists? Of course, but you’re far more likely to kill one of them in a car accident than they are to kill you with a gun.

Terrorists won’t win by killing tens, hundreds, or even thousands of innocent people.  Terrorists will win because people allow themselves to be terrorized.  When it comes down to it, you aren’t safe.  You won’t be safe no matter what our blathering politicians do. 

Suck it up and deal with it!