Amendment I to the Constitution Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are the foundations of any liberal democracy. They protect our right to think and to speak. Without those freedoms the others become moot. If rights are being violated , without a free press, there will be no one to report it.

Attacks on people for having the temerity to think and speak for themselves is a threat to every citizen since it is an attack on our form of government. Paris, France is thousands of miles away. By this time we all know acts of terrorism undertaken by religious vigilantes can happen anywhere.

We are all "Je Suis Charlie" today.