How I reacted to the image of this troubled, darker, and noticeably cynical looking depiction of Charlie Brown was mostly confusion. What did Charlie Brown have to do with this whole “Je Suis Charlie” movement other than his name being Charlie? During my walk back to my dorm from class I thought this and let the ideas bounce around in my head until I came to my own conclusion or theory. Just like how Charlie Hebdo is a magazine that features cartoons, Charlie Brown (Peanuts to be specific) is a cartoon featured in newspapers and magazines. In Peanuts cartoons, Charlie Brown and friends often talk about current events, life, and philosophy, through a child’s perspective. Charlie Hebdo would do the same with their cartoons. Sometimes with a child’s perspective or not it all depends on the situation or topic they are talking about.

With the recent terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo building it leads people to think things such as:

“Wow, they really bombed a magazine publisher. For a cartoon. You know…something that is just meant for a little chuckle and to be slightly thought provoking. So what, are cartoons not safe anymore?”

Here enters the image of the cynical and troubled Charlie Brown accompanied by the phrase “Je Suis Charlie” in the header. If we could look through it from the drawing’s perspective so to speak. It is more saddened by the fact that freedom of speech can easily be taken away from somebody if it does not agree with their ideas. This Charlie looks to not feel safe and has a more “Am I next?” kind of disposition. I feel like this theory is, in a way, supported by the je suis Charlie (I am Charlie) text.

I wouldn’t say that I am offended by this image. In the spirit of Charlie Hebdo cartoons, the artist did the same thing they do. Made a cartoon and added text. The image was meant to get a little laugh from the viewer, and to also get them to think and look deeper into its hidden message. The artist got what they wanted. Because here we are discussing the image. We’re talking about it. We’re looking for deeper meaning in it. With that, I feel that also justifies the Je Suis/I Am Charlie text.

We all have freedom of speech. It’s our right as American citizens. Nobody can take that away from us. However, just because you have freedom of speech that does not automatically protect you from the consequences. Yes, by all means, you are allowed to spew racial slurs. It’s a disgusting and horrible thing to do, but it is your freedom of speech. Thing is, just because it is your freedom of speech, that’s not going to stop people who were offended by what you said or wrote from kicking your ass to put it bluntly.

In comes the terrorist attack. These terrorists/extremists have had history of people creating and using images of their prophet Muhammad. It happened with animated cartoon series, South Park. In one episode they decided to make Muhammad a super hero apart of Jesus’ “League of Religious Super Friends”. Of course the creators of South Park did not mean to offend anyone with this, because they new they would be skating on thin ice. Yet, it still offended the group of terrorists, next thing you know Comedy Central and its parent networks are receiving terrorist threats. To rectify this, while still attempting to keep freedom of speech intact, they censored the Muhammad character.

Now I am not saying that Charlie Hebdo deserved what happened to them. They absolutely did not. It’s just an unfortunate circumstance that occurred because a group of extremists overreacted to an image, and their first response was to cause harm to a group of people. Do I care about what happened? Yes. It affects me, it affects you, it affects everybody with this right of freedom of speech. All I am saying is, do not play with fire. Stop and think ahead and ask yourself before you say or write something: “Is it really worth possibly being harmed over my work?”