On Nov. 15, Paris, France witnessed tragedy. While students in America were sitting in school, unaffected by what was transpiring across the sea, Paris was being attacked by terrorists. The constant vibrations and dings on phones provided the public with relentless updates of the worsening news, but the shock of it all was meaningless compared the detrimental waves felt in France. Mass shootings, suicide bombings and hostage takings ravaged Paris, with the terrorist groups hitting landmarks and streets where many people were gathered. The incident left 129 dead and 352 seriously injured. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has since claimed responsibility for these attacks.

What was meant to be an entertaining soccer game quickly turned into an infamous moment in history. France was eagerly watching the friendly soccer match between Germany, the recent World Cup Champions, and the French team. The stadium turned from celebratory to disastrous when terrorists detonated suicide bombs outside the Stade de France. The events following that night left a dark stain on history, one that will impact the entire world.

While there is no immediate threat to the United States, there is still a question of what is to be done in order to insure safety. Just one day before on Nov. 14, a Democratic Presidential Debate took place. Among the topics of economy and immigration, there also came foreign policy. Interesting ideas were brought up that just so happened to apply to the situation that occurred the next day in France. Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley seemed to agree that the need to take action against the terrorist groups infecting the Middle East was necessary and part of the U.S fight; however, they contended that the U.S. would need help. Not only is it interesting that just a day after this discussion did something so applicable and so devastating occur, but it also makes one wonder: does this mean anything for the future of America’s foreign policy and military endeavors?

This isn’t the first time this year that France has been the victim of a terrorist attack. It also suffered casualties on Jan. 7 when the newspaper office for a satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, was gunned down. France was flooded with widespread support from other countries, with slogans that helped to promote peace. The phrase “Je suis Charlie” was used to express freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Very soon, social media and the internet were bombarded with images originating from the Charlie Hebdo attack plastered with the battle cry “Je suis Charlie.” The more recent attack is following the same pattern. Hours after the attack, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and other internet sources exploded with images of Paris stamped with “Des Prières pour Paris” or “Pray for Paris.” The use of technology to spread a message so quickly is fairly new due to the influx of social media recently. The immediate access to information has made the world better connected and, in many ways, more unified when days of tragedy come.

The tragedy that happened is undoubtedly horrible, and there must be some form of action that is to take place. While the world continues to seemingly get darker, people continue to fight back with new ways to bring hope back into the world. The issues are impacting not only single countries, but now the entire world with the increase in connectivity that has occurred in recent years. Tonight, when the world’s lights go out, a faint whisper may be heard: “Des perières pour Paris!”