There are some heroes no amount of belief can kill

It took me a while at first, as a Rosbif, to get into Charlie Hebdo – which, for those who don’t know it, is a sort of unholy spawn of conjugal relations between Private Eye and The Beano.

There is one abiding glory about Charlie Hebdo: it is cartoon satire which fights élite pyromania with fire….but without anyone ever dying. Comic strip art is hugely celebrated in France under the heading of les BDs – les bandes dessinées. Charlie Hebdo – formed at the height of 1968 Youth revolution when “pavés”, or cobble stones, were thrown at the riot cops – grew into something much bigger over time: it was and is a BD with a scrupulously burning desire to bring down anyone “in charge” in France considered to be un con – a jerk, pillock or arsehole – depending on your version of English.

As an Englishman in a foreign land, the only thing I can offer tonight – as some kind of albeit inadequate support – is an anagram of Charlie Hebdo:

CH – LE A1 BD HÉRO

It’s not much, I’ll grant you that. But it is if nothing else an expression of solidarity.

Earlier at The Slog: The damaged reputation of Alan Dershowitz