By Matt Koper/ne news editor

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” This cliché holds true even after al-Qaida terrorists attacked the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for its depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.

Not only did the attack fail, it had the opposite effect. It started a movement, built around those killed as martyrs for freedom of speech and expression.

The employees did not die for nothing. Those who gathered in Paris following the attack reinforced this. And they were holding up pens, not swords.

What separates us as human beings from animals is the ability to express ourselves whether through our thoughts, drawings, writing or any other creative medium. Clearly, the men who attacked Charlie Hebdo forgot this.

They also forgot that the ability to freely express oneself will not discontinue or be stopped because of some cowards with guns. They attacked a satirical magazine. What were they expecting? As someone who is training to be a journalist, they just added fuel to our fire.

We now have more of a reason to speak out than before. We now have an even greater cause to show the world our ability to express our opinions will not be swayed. Nor will we be intimidated either. And anyone else with a creative idea should have no fear either.

No attack, regardless of the size, will ever stop people from expressing ideas. Bullies like al-Qaida do not have a place in influencing what can or cannot be said.

People at the end of the day have every right to speak out and express ideas, even if some view it as out of turn.

It’s just truly unfortunate that it took the killing of 14 people to remind the world of its ability to freely express itself.