Charlie Hebdo

25

When I first heard about this Charlie Hebdo thing my impulse was to post--and that's what I did on Facebook and Twitter. I didn't say anything here. I wanted to, but I held back. But I can't get the damned thing out of my head. And I was thinking this morning: this is all about us. It's not about politics or religion. It's not even about guns per se. (And I beg you, my fellow assholes, let's not make it about any of that.) It is about an end to senseless violence and the right to say something--to publish words and images--that someone might find offensive without fear of being shot over it.

So what the fuck is it that we do here anyway? Sure there's some ecommerce going on and that's even part of what we talk about in the forums. But mostly we post silly shit. We make fun. We talk trash and have gif wars. We may not be professional artists or journalists, but we are all about the mockery and being offensive. If anyone is Charlie Hebdo, motherfuckers, we are Charlie Hebdo--albeit in a puerile and unprofessional way (with apologies to @JonT and @matthew, whom I'd classify as professionals.

I'll be honest, I'm often hovering on a word or picture choice and I choose offensive just because I can. And because it's fun, of course.

Anyway, I hope that we can stand in solidarity with the folks out there fighting the good fight, that we can speak out on behalf of freedom of expression and for the supremacy of creativity over violence.

And I know if anyone can find some good cartoons about all of this, y'all can (of which then I'll post the best on Facebook and look brilliant, so thanks in advance).

I'm @joelmw. I'm to blame here. And #JeSuisCharlie