Sometimes world events hit close to home. Just a few months ago, an attempted terrorist attack surprised Stockholm. Just this weekend a terrorist attack shocked Oslo. And the world.<\/p>\n
I am not a journalist. I am not going to pretend that this is a news report. As of right now, nearly one hundred people are dead between a bombing in Oslo and a shooting on a nearby island. A man has been arrested and confessed to the killings. It seems the terrorist is a Norwegian man who has rallied against openness and multiculturalism. There is a 1,500 manifesto floating around on the internet purported to be written by the accused. The reasons don\u2019t matter. Not in the end. People have died at the hands of another for the simple reason that he does not agree with them. It is a disgusting display of terrorism.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m in Denmark right now, trying to learn Danish, surrounded by people from the world over. Our group has representatives from nearly every continent. It is multicultural to the nth degree. And I love it. There\u2019s nothing better than finding oneself in a group of people from different countries and comparing swear words. I love learning bits and pieces of different languages, especially the useful ones. I love listening to stories of people who grew up during revolutions, who speak several languages, who have different ideas and cultures. That\u2019s one of the reasons this attack is so hard to handle.<\/p>\n
Terrorism takes many faces. It takes many forms. It does not discriminate. In the past year, the Nordic countries have found themselves suddenly having to face an emergence of extremism. There have been Islamic militants threatening journalists with death. There have been extreme right-wing organizations placing themselves on the main political stage in countries throughout the Nordic region. And now this. I can only hope that this attack opens the region to a greater dialogue.<\/p>\n
At 12:00 today, people, companies, and organizations throughout Scandinavia held a moment of silence to honor the victims. Some people bow their heads to pray to whatever god they believe in. As they should. Some people bow their heads in contemplation. As they should. Some people bow their heads and cry. As they should. However, remember that few things are accomplished with your eyes staring at the ground. So raise your head. In remembrance of those who died, and in defiance of those who have killed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sometimes world events hit close to home. Just a few months ago, an attempted terrorist attack surprised Stockholm. Just this weekend a terrorist attack shocked Oslo. And the world. I am not a journalist. I am not going to pretend that this is a news report. As of right now, nearly one hundred people are…<\/p>\n