WORDS, SYMBOLS AND... KNIVES

In the aftermath of the January, 2017 murder of six men at a Quebec City mosque -- and with reference to arguments and counter-arguments between adherents to rival religions -- the Premier of Quebec, Philippe Couillard, stated, among others:  "Words can be knives slashing at people's consciousness."  To the Premier's statement, we can add, in my opinion, that religious symbols of rival religions -- such as Christian crucifixes, Muslim niqabs / burkas, Sikh turbans etc. -- can also be knives "slashing at people's consciousness."  And the wounds caused by "sacred" beliefs and religious symbols in people's consciousness can, in turn, become themselves murderous knives slashing at people's... human flesh -- or, for that matter, machine-guns and bombs shedding human blood...   Thus, I suggest we start behaving like adults and not like children -- or like religious fanatics...  Let's keep our symbols in our... pockets.  A. C.