Hashtag ‘PrayforParis’ was trending for the past few days on just about every form of social media and while all the uproar was good in a sense that people were banding together in support of those in Paris, it made me feel twinges of sadness — the sources of which I couldn’t quite place.

It wasn’t the obvious sadness over the senseless acts of terror on the French — that was there too — but rather sadness over what the world is becoming. The lack of morality and human compassion that plagues so much of the world frightens me more than any weapon ever could. You can take the knives, guns and bombs from every person on this planet but that doesn’t change who they are inside.

The problem the world faces is nothing more than people. People who have problems rooted deep within themselves. People who will always find pleasure in the corruption of peace and the slaughter of the innocent. No law in the world could change that. Democrats can’t fix this and neither can Republicans.

Laws are what make the changes necessary for a better society but nearly all laws put in place have been broken or have loopholes that allow the laws’ intended purpose to diminish over time. Take the prohibition era for example, when alcohol was outlawed but people still got a hold of it. Or how texting while driving can result in tickets and fines, but now “hands free devices” have been created to make texting while driving all the more possible.

People are sneaky and manipulative. Some people will always do what they want to do, regardless of what laws and policies are put in place. The infamous phrase ‘one rotten apple spoils the entire bunch’ has never held more weight and relevance than it does now.

White people are being pitted against black people. Muslims against Christians. Women against men. Police against the general public. Every aspect of our society is being torn apart.

This, the terrorism, the anger and disrespect, are not new problems. The reason so much more conflict is surfacing is partially due to the fact that everything is being blown out of proportion by illegitimate, slanted sources. Seemingly small events, that decades ago would not have made the nightly news or weekly paper, are now given the opportunity to become volatile because of how fast they spread.

Anyone can report the news because the Internet allows everyone to have a voice, including terrorist groups, like ISIS. Technology is evolving and so is terrorism. Terrorism is not what it used to be. Videos from terrorist groups are posted online announcing impending attacks, graphic videos of beheadings are posted, and photos of dead bodies, bloodied and disrespected are posted. Years ago, this would not have been the case. Everything, good and bad, is at our immediate disposal.

It comes in many forms but the bottom line is if everyone was more tolerant of one another and treated each other with respect, the world wouldn’t be half bad.

Terrorist and extremist groups claim they want to make a change in the world, because they believe they know what is best, but violence isn’t the way to accomplish anything. The world needs desperately to change, the violence needs to end, but it can’t without a change in its people that ultimately is up to us.