The cowardly attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris resulted in the death of 12 people. (link) 

4 of the victims - Charbonnier, Wolinski, Cabut and Verlhac - were among France's, and indeed world's, most talented cartoonists. They were murdered because they had the courage to defend the right to freedom of speech in a Europe constantly under attack by the Islamic radicalism.

Among the victims, I am particularly familiar with the albums of Cabut, and the satirical cartoons of Wolinski.

Cabut has been part of my growing-up. The poetic, tender and often very funny way he looks at the complicated life of the mid 20th century, shows what a deeply aware artist he is (or was). In a sense, through people like myself, Cabut is still alive.

Wolinski's cartoons have brought me countless laughs. They have also helped me understand our world more than all the TV news or all the US Congress debates that I have watched on C-Span.

You should feel concerned, and indeed very very worried, about these murders because 90% of the materials in RO's galleries would warrant a death sentence for their author/creator according to the Islamic laws.

Please do something, observe a minute of silence, talk to your neighbors about it, call your local radio/tv station to express your outrage, but don't stay silent, Don't let the freedom of speech by choked by religious zealots.

Because otherwise you could be next in line for a terrorist bullet in your head.

 Je suis Charlie

Enough said 

Telling 'Je suis Charlie' isn't enough, because you are telling the terrorists they can come and kill you anytime they want.

What I say to these murderers is this:

Je suis Charlie and I will kick your sorry terrorist asses and I will make you regret dearly what you did.

I am not kicking your asses in the name of the freedom of speech, but in the name of the freedom to warn the world what a bunch of vermines you are. The freedom to tell the world that peaceful co-existence with you bastards is plain impossible, that we will never be able to establish a meaningful dialogue with your kind.

So now the battle-line is drawn. See you in the battlefield, cowards.