First off, let me say that my heart goes out to the Parisiens, both those who were injured or slain, and those whose world is now composed of fear. I live near New York City, and I still remember what it was like, and that wasn't close-up, face-to-face killing. I cannot begin to imagine how much worse it is now for them.
That said, I want to reproach many American politicians and pundits who seem intent on using the Parisian attacks to justify their own brand of hateful fear-mongering, pointing to different aspects of Daesh's (see here for why I'm not calling it "ISIS") operation to defend their call to deport undocumented people, to refuse humanitarian aid to refugees, even to fight against any, any, attempt at curbing armed violence in the US, and to call for yet more attacks on Daesh holdings.
DON'T. YOU. GET. IT?! That's what they want! They need an external enemy attacking to hold them together. Their vision of Islam is so narrow, that without someone outside to hate on, they'll turn on each other and destroy themselves.
Also, they need the multiple civilian casualties ("acceptable collateral damage") to justify their rule in their conquered territories. "See?" they cry. "Look at the non-Muslims. They kill us without any care. If we were not here fighting them, they would kill you all."
And, of course, video footage of American (and European) bombs falling all over the Middle East figures into most of their recruitment images and propaganda. That, and the rhetoric spewing from many far-right speakers, denouncing all Muslims as terrorists. Is it really that surprising, with such speech coming from elected leaders, those vying for election, and popular radio and TV personalities, that young Muslims think they have to join Daesh, or Al-Qaeda, or another like them, lest them be hunted down and "detained" or even killed outright?
Does Daesh need to be stopped? Yes, of course they do.
Is a military solution the best one? Honestly, I'm not sure any more.
Most Americans, especially those who served in the Middle East, or know someone who did, are exhausted with endless war. We don't want to spend more American lives and deaths over there. Besides, there are prominent nations right there who could step up and do something. (Saudi Arabia, for one; they have the wealth and the military strength to do something.) We can't traipse through the Middle East, killing and bombing, without myriad enemies springing from the ground like dragons' teeth. Our continued involvement there is only culling the less-capable terrorists and allowing those who survive to replace their lost ranks with new, scared, young people. Scared of bombs dropped from drones; scared of being rounded up and shipped to who knows where for being Muslim.
I know one of the excuses people use to lump all Muslims together. "Why don't you 'good' ones stand up and stop them? Don't you really support them secretly?"
One: the so-called 'good' ones are usually unarmed civilians, dominated by heavily armed and skilled fighters. Trying that will get them killed. Would you yourself stand up in a futile gesture that will get you killed, and your family too, without even making the 'bad guys' stumble?
Two: All you christians out there; do you support the Westboro Baptist Church? They call themselves Christian. How about the KKK? They base their actions on (selected portions of) the Bible.
You don't support them? Then why don't you stop them? They can't even kill you; that's illegal here. Or at least speak out against them; that won't violate their "free speech". You won't even do that? Then you don't get to lump all Muslims together because they won't "stand up" to Daesh and those like them.
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