TOW #10: "A rose place in a bullet hold through a window in Paris"

     Placed in bullet hole through the window of a Paris restaurant attacked during the November 13th terror attacks, the card tied to the rose asks "In the name of what?". The French people have been wounded beyond comprehension, losing over 100 of their citizens to suicide bombings and shootings in just one terrible day. The world has reacted by partaking in the “Pray for Paris” movement through social media, demonstrations, speeches from political leaders, along with shining red, white, and blue tribute lights, but no one is quite sure what to do about the horrific incident. Why did this happen? Why would people do this? In the name of what? Pascal Rossignol captured the essence of these questions in his photograph published in an ABC article. The note, written in average handwriting on a simple piece of paper, utilizes a rhetorical question while evoking pathos. People want answers for why the lives of their innocent fellow citizens where shattered like the cracked window. In addition, the strong metaphor of the rose amongst the tragic destruction spreads a strong message. Despite the ugly scar of terrorism now looming over France and other parts of the world, people will continue to have hope, fight against violence, and live beautiful lives despite the actions of crazed extremists. One does not have to speak French to understand this metaphor, which is why Rossignol addresses his message to the entire world. He intends to make people aware of the tragedy in France, the damage, the loss. But Rossignol also wishes to spread the unbreakable spirit of the French people and other peoples who have suffered similar attacks. The image calls for an end to the meaningless violence while also shouting that, despite the horrors people are facing because of terrorism, they will not let themselves be so consumed by fear that they cannot see the beauty in things anymore. With this simplistic yet powerfully striking photograph, Pascal Rossignol was able to perfectly capture the effects of the Paris attacks.