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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

 

On November 13, 2015 the city of Paris was hit by a devastating terrorist attack, which killed more than 120 people and left many more wounded.  People were quick to show their support for the major city and that support continues to this day.  Through social media, blogs and public declarations people have expressed their solidarity, mourning the loss of over 120 innocent lives at the hands of terrorists.  Although the world displayed overwhelming support, there were some who contended the greater publicity for the attacks in Paris over those in Beirut or Ankara as though #PrayforParis devalued or undermined these other tragedies. This issue is political in nature and while it does, rightfully, deserve attention and emphasizes a need for change now is a time for personal mourning. Every person processes trauma and grieves in a different way and who are we to say how he or she should go about it?  Because someone changes their profile picture to the French flag or uses the hashtag #PrayforParis does not mean that they are blatantly disregarding the lives lost during other ISIS attacks. Mourning and healing, following an act of violence, is a personal experience, unique to the individual.  Pray for Paris, Pray for the world, feel your humanity and mourn in whichever way you see fit.  Below are a few links to reactions and tributes following the Friday the 13th attacks, displaying the variety of ways people cope:

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/a-man-describes-what-it-was-like-to-survive-the-paris-terror#.gbwjKoyvN8

http://www.buzzfeed.com/javiermoreno/frenchwoman-facebook-profile-filter#.soKo54P9EL

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/a-father-who-sacrificed-his-life-to-save-hundreds-from-a-sui#.hezaVWxDN6

http://www.buzzfeed.com/scottybryan/john-oliver-paris#.mk020e7MxO

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/this-women-shared-a-terrifying-account-of-pretending-to-be-d#.sxrDMk54Qp

http://www.buzzfeed.com/leticiamiranda/madonna-remembers-paris-victims#.wgmdWwMyY9

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/this-might-be-the-most-beautiful-tribute-about-the-paris-att#.hvZgMZAn4G

 

Brenna is a senior and global studies major at UCSB. Her goal in life is to be a comedy writer and the proud owner of an alpaca farm in South America. She enjoys sarcasm, wine and everything fine.
Kirby is a recent graduate from UCSB currently living in Los Angeles. As a proud Her Campus UCSB alum, she's happy to be back on the HC team covering one of her fave shows: "The Mindy Project." On any given day you can find her with her nose in a book (let's be real - it's a Kindle). In her free time, she likes petting dogs, binge-watching TV, and eating a lot of food. Find her on Instagram: @kirbynicoleb or @GirlBossEats.