![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Je Suis Charlie
Jan. 8th, 2015 08:20 amI do not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it --Voltaire
Yesterday there was an attack on a satirical newspaper called Charlie Hebdo. Gunmen walked into an editorial meeting and opened fire.
Twelve people died in the attack
They were:
Charlie Hebdo editor and cartoonist Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier, 47, who had been living under police protection since receiving death threats
Cartoonists Jean "Cabu" Cabut, 76,
Bernard "Tignous" Verlhac, 57,
Georges Wolinski, 80,
Philippe Honore, 73
Economist and regular magazine columnist Bernard Maris, 68, known to readers as Uncle Bernard
Mustapha Ourrad, proof-reader
Elsa Cayat, psychoanalyst and columnist, the only woman killed
Michel Renaud, who was visiting from the city of Clermont-Ferrand
Frederic Boisseau, 42, caretaker, who was in the reception area at the time of the attack
Police officer Franck Brinsolaro, who acted as Charb's bodyguard
Police officer Ahmed Merabet, 42, who was shot dead while on the ground
There were three suspects in the shootings. It was originally reported that one was dead but it turned out that he had turned himself into police and informed them who the other two suspects were. They seem to be the equivalent of Timothy McVeigh in terms of connections and motivations. I am not going to name them because those who died need their names remembered not the gunmen.
They didn't like what a newspaper had to say. Now remember that this is the same newspaper that was firebombed not that long ago for the same reason as this attack.
Charlie Hebdo is an equal opportunity satirist. They go for anything and anyone if they feel they have something to comment on. Like the Daily Show, everything is fair game. Sure they skirted and sometimes went over the line of good taste. Yes, they did print things that made people uncomfortable but it got them to think.
And someone decided that they should silence them.
As an artist I am appalled at this.
I have worked with groups who have a political bend to their work. Now I wish I had done it more often.
So yesterday a new tag appeared on twitter and tumblr and anywhere else you use tags #JeSuisCharlie. People have changed their profile pictures to a selfie holding paint brushes or pens or pencils or sculpting tools many with the phrase “weapon of choice”.
We say that the best protection for free speech is more free speech.
A lot of artists have drawn art to reflect their feelings about what happened. I think Lucille Clerc summed it up for me.
(For the VI At the top is a red pencil intact with the word Yesterday above it. In the middle is the same pencil broken in half with the word Today above it. At the bottom is both pencil halves but the broken half has been sharpened with the word Tomorrow above it)
My prayers and sympathies go out to all the people affected by this tragedy.
I will not be silenced. I will not be cowed by threats or promises. I will say what I think and continue to make art that reflects my beliefs.
Je Suis Charlie.
Yesterday there was an attack on a satirical newspaper called Charlie Hebdo. Gunmen walked into an editorial meeting and opened fire.
Twelve people died in the attack
They were:
Charlie Hebdo editor and cartoonist Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier, 47, who had been living under police protection since receiving death threats
Cartoonists Jean "Cabu" Cabut, 76,
Bernard "Tignous" Verlhac, 57,
Georges Wolinski, 80,
Philippe Honore, 73
Economist and regular magazine columnist Bernard Maris, 68, known to readers as Uncle Bernard
Mustapha Ourrad, proof-reader
Elsa Cayat, psychoanalyst and columnist, the only woman killed
Michel Renaud, who was visiting from the city of Clermont-Ferrand
Frederic Boisseau, 42, caretaker, who was in the reception area at the time of the attack
Police officer Franck Brinsolaro, who acted as Charb's bodyguard
Police officer Ahmed Merabet, 42, who was shot dead while on the ground
There were three suspects in the shootings. It was originally reported that one was dead but it turned out that he had turned himself into police and informed them who the other two suspects were. They seem to be the equivalent of Timothy McVeigh in terms of connections and motivations. I am not going to name them because those who died need their names remembered not the gunmen.
They didn't like what a newspaper had to say. Now remember that this is the same newspaper that was firebombed not that long ago for the same reason as this attack.
Charlie Hebdo is an equal opportunity satirist. They go for anything and anyone if they feel they have something to comment on. Like the Daily Show, everything is fair game. Sure they skirted and sometimes went over the line of good taste. Yes, they did print things that made people uncomfortable but it got them to think.
And someone decided that they should silence them.
As an artist I am appalled at this.
I have worked with groups who have a political bend to their work. Now I wish I had done it more often.
So yesterday a new tag appeared on twitter and tumblr and anywhere else you use tags #JeSuisCharlie. People have changed their profile pictures to a selfie holding paint brushes or pens or pencils or sculpting tools many with the phrase “weapon of choice”.
We say that the best protection for free speech is more free speech.
A lot of artists have drawn art to reflect their feelings about what happened. I think Lucille Clerc summed it up for me.
(For the VI At the top is a red pencil intact with the word Yesterday above it. In the middle is the same pencil broken in half with the word Today above it. At the bottom is both pencil halves but the broken half has been sharpened with the word Tomorrow above it)
My prayers and sympathies go out to all the people affected by this tragedy.
I will not be silenced. I will not be cowed by threats or promises. I will say what I think and continue to make art that reflects my beliefs.
Je Suis Charlie.
