You've Got Mail: terrorist attacks on Paris

“I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out. I’m not proud.” – Stephen King

King has figured out that the easiest way to get to people is through fear. It engages, provokes, inspires, and above all else makes people think. Terror is the world’s greatest weapon.

Currently all the biggest headlines are about the ‘Paris attacks’. Articles are constantly being updated live with stats: number of dead, injured, suspects…

These hits were calculated; they touched as many people as possible. And they did exactly what they were meant to: send a clear message.

The IS (Islamic State) militant group targeted specifically places of leisure, where people relax. They did as much damage as possible in as little time as possible to instil chaos. Now they’re getting all the attention they need to spread their ‘message’.

They want people to know that they will do whatever it takes to defend and spread their values. They’re trying to scare the general population into following them. War is great for publicity.

Media today is all about the negatives; we focus on all the terrible things that are happening in the world. A sappy story about a dog saving his drowning owner will make you feel all warm and mushy inside, but terrorism stories leave you on the edge of your seat.

You want to know more.

We remember disasters for a longer time. Subconscious paranoia remains well after you’ve forgotten that dog ever existed. And that’s exactly what the IS group is counting on.

This event won’t go away any time soon, and it’s giving them the recognition they crave.

When trying to spread a message, fear is the fastest vessel. It catches and jumps from branch to branch until nothing can stop its growth. The only thing left to do is to wait for it to burn out.

Fear is a fire that catches in your heart. It leaves nothing in its wake save ash and charred remains. There’s no way to avoid responding to an attack like this because someone has to try to extinguish public panic. You can calm it, but it never seems to fizzle and die.

Fear takes hold the moment we’re born; people and groups like this IS group aren’t sparking it up, they’re simply throwing a fresh log into the pit; fuel to the fire.

Please link image back to http://pickacard6.blogspot.ca

Terrorism is a clean white envelope, signed, sealed, delivered with a stamp on. The medias are the ones who crack it open and read it aloud to the world, setting it ablaze.

What happened in Paris is awful, and my heart goes out to anyone touched in some way, shape, or form by these events. However, that doesn’t mean we should play right into terrorists’ hands.

If you don’t know what’s going on, inform yourself. Go to your favourite news site or the one I just linked (in my research I found it had the most information).