NaJoPoMo Highlight: Living with Uncertainty
Created | Updated Nov 29, 2015
Spotted around the site: signs of NaJoPoMo. We stole them.
Living with Uncertainty
Back to work today, and the atmosphere was tense and worried. I kept the live feed of a newspaper open at all times in my browser. Nothing much new happened, but they updated it with bits and pieces of what the President and others were saying at the big Congress meeting in Versailles (Senators and MPs, plus the government).
Mid-morning, we were informed by email that there would be a minute's silence, and that those who wished to could meet up in the big meeting room for it.
There were about 50 of us (out of some 80 people working today). It was quiet and reflexive. It was intense and sad and united.
One colleague cried. She's a Muslim, her parents are Algerian, and the past few days have been a mix of guilt at what people have done in the name of her religion and sadness at the life loss, as well as worrying at what will happen next.
There have already been a few "retaliation" attacks against mosques or muslim-owned businesses.
Some people are calling for stripping potential terrorists from their French nationality, or for "sending them back to where they came from". Except they came from here. Except you can't punish someone who hasn't done anything yet. You can't imprison people for their ideas. Not in a free country.
Several colleagues had meetings in Paris planned in the next few days. Some are going. Some have cancelled. I'm supposed to go next week and I don't know what to do.
