I, like most people, have been shocked by what happened in Paris last night.   It is very easy, as some papers have this morning, to suggest that it was only a matter of time because of a or b or c.   This may well be right but it doesn’t make the events last night any more shocking.

Easy is something that we should all reject right now.  We should reject any view that suggest that there is an easy solution to this problem, be it invasion or blaming all muslims or some other nonsensical approach.   The first step must be to ask what exactly are the terrorists trying to do or achieve by such an act?   This in itself isn’t easy but when we have some idea what that might be then we might have an idea as to how to respond to such an outrage.   Recent history has shown that the ‘easy’ option may well turn out to be the  hardest option whilst the hardest the easiest in the long run.

Whatever else we do over the next days, weeks and months please do not fall for the easy answer.

Lets hope that the souls of all those murdered last night rest in peace.