I’d like to take a moment to pay a short tribute and my respects to all of the victims of last week’s horrific and senseless terrorist attacks. Without a doubt we all heard about last Friday’s attacks in Paris, which left over 130 people dead and more than 300 casualties. These were not the only acts of terror perpetrated last week, however. A few hours before the deadly attacks in Paris, Beirut also experienced a series of attacks that killed 43 and left hundreds more injured. Let’s also not forget about the Russian airplane brought down killing all 224 passengers on-board.

Watching and hearing the stories of the victims during the weekend was heartbreaking. So many innocent individuals were violently killed while doing things we all take for granted. They were simply going about their lives on what they thought would be a typical day of work and fun. Others only wanted to relax after a long day by going out to eat, watching a soccer game or attending a rock concert.

Hearing about these horrific events makes us all wonder if we are really safe and creates fear for the well being of ourselves and others. Truth is that with all the violence and crime taking place nowadays no one is sure anymore. The reality is that war and terrorist attacks are constantly happening in countries like Syria, Kenya and Iraq, but unfortunately most of us go about our lives without even realizing it. This, in my opinion, is very ironic given that the Internet and social media give us more access to information than ever before. Could it be that we are becoming desensitized to all the violence and crime that goes on around us?

My heart goes out to all of the victims of war and terrorist attacks. I also want to express my sincere condolences to the friends and families of these individuals. Truth is that acts of terror are senseless and tragic for everyone regardless of where they are in the world. When we really stop to think about it, all of humanity is a victim of terror and violence in one way or another.

Although we might be inclined to be paralyzed by grief and fear immediately after hearing about these and other acts of violence, we can’t let radical groups like ISIS control our lives and freedom. The best way to honor all of the victims of terrorist attacks is to never forget them and to keep fighting for our ideals of life, liberty and happiness. These are basic rights that all of us regardless of our race, gender or religion deserve.