Monsters, Intl.
by Tom Sullivan
Newt: My mommy always said there were no monsters – no real ones – but there are.
Newt: … they mostly come at night. Mostly.
France is in a state of shock this morning in the wake of a near-simultaneous rolling attacks at six different Paris locations Friday night by gunmen and suicide bombers. The situation is still fluid and details are coming in by the moment. More than 120 have been killed and dozens are in critical condition in hospitals. The latest word as I write this is that the Islamic State claims responsibility. That claim is unverified. The identity and nationality of the attackers as well as victims is still being investigated.
Paris, great newspaper town w/so many courageous journalists, has experienced horror. Here are today's front pages. pic.twitter.com/UrF04hzwgg— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) November 14, 2015
Some early reporting will turn out to be nonsense, as usual. Germany claims to have arrested a man from Montenegro last week who was found with machine guns and explosives in his car. A Bavarian police spokesman called claims of a link to the Paris attacks “pure media speculation.” The detainee refuses to speak in prison. French police claim one of the Paris suicide bombers was carrying a Syrian passport. Perhaps he bought a 5-day City Pass to the terrorist attack too?
French President Francois Hollande called the attacks “an act of war” in a public statement:
Hollande blamed the carnage on what he called “a terrorist army, the Islamic State group, a jihadist army, against France, against the values that we defend everywhere in the world, against what we are: a free country that means something to the whole planet.”
Amidst the carnage, statements and symbols of solidarity from across the world:
When the City of Lights goes dark, the world lights up in support🇫🇷 #ParisAttacks #PrayersForParis pic.twitter.com/scTgIhyLA8— Sarah Mattison (@SarahMatt97) November 14, 2015
And the usual trolls were out last night in the United States. Mother Jones collected a series from Twitter. Not all of the monsters carry guns and suicide vests. Some wield weaponized stupidity:
How's that Syrian refugee resettlement look now? How about that mass migration into Europe? Terrorism is alive & well in the world. #No— Rep. Jeff Duncan (@RepJeffDuncan) November 14, 2015
Um, the refugees are fleeing Syria to get away from this kind of violence. But then, I make sense. Sorry.
Sen. Ted Cruz found time to talk tough with a statement worthy of Sarah Palin:
We must make it crystal clear that affiliation with ISIS and related terrorist groups brings with it the undying enmity of America—that it is, in effect, signing your own death warrant.
Yuppers, that will have them quaking in their suicide vests.