I have been working on a special issue of a new journal entitled Social Movements and Change, about social movements and democracy in Central and Eastern Europe. Nothing too profound with this, but I received an email this morning from one of the contributors (who is based in Bulgaria) regarding some updates to her submission. Again, nothing profound here. But she did say at one point that given what has happened with the Paris attacks, that she expects in regards to the original call for papers and thematic of the journal, that I will already have rearranged my priorities. She also expressed her sympathies as she assumed I was based out of Belgium where the journal hales from (I am in the New York area).
Obviously I appreciate her sympathies, and agonize over the loss of life in Paris. But if there is one thing that I can say is that these terrorist attacks in Paris don't change my life or my world view at all. I live in Newark, NJ; one of the most violent cities in America. This past year my neighbor alone (who grew up here) had four of his friends killed, including a pillar of our community who was murdered early in the morning walking to work this summer. As many people as died in the Paris attacks will be killed this year in Newark alone (city of 277,000 people). Violence is a part of every day life here, just as anywhere through the country (and world) really. There will be over 30,000 deaths by firearm in the US alone this year, and have already been over 1000 people killed by police officers country wide since last January. And this is to say nothing of the post 9/11 world... revolutions, drones, protests, fear... etc.
Obviously I appreciate her sympathies, and agonize over the loss of life in Paris. But if there is one thing that I can say is that these terrorist attacks in Paris don't change my life or my world view at all. I live in Newark, NJ; one of the most violent cities in America. This past year my neighbor alone (who grew up here) had four of his friends killed, including a pillar of our community who was murdered early in the morning walking to work this summer. As many people as died in the Paris attacks will be killed this year in Newark alone (city of 277,000 people). Violence is a part of every day life here, just as anywhere through the country (and world) really. There will be over 30,000 deaths by firearm in the US alone this year, and have already been over 1000 people killed by police officers country wide since last January. And this is to say nothing of the post 9/11 world... revolutions, drones, protests, fear... etc.
