Dear Citizens of France,

2015 has been a rough year for you.

With the influx of refugees from the Middle East, wolves in sheep’s wool have made their way into France with a grave intention: To undermine you.

The Islamic State has torn many of your families apart in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris last week, and in earlier acts of terrorism, including the Charlie Hebdo shootings earlier in January.

However, even with this onslaught of violence against innocent French citizens, I must say one thing.

Fear not, people of France. Things will look up for you all.

The French people time and time again have been met with an uncertain future at the hands of enemies of the French Republic.

History has shown that even though France may fall into chaos, her people emerge from the rubble and ashes like a phoenix.

In 1914, as German troops under Kaiser Wilhelm II marched toward Paris, the people banded together to stop the enemy. Frenchmen piled into 1,400 taxi cabs to meet the Germans at the Marne River, with France’s fate hanging by a thread.

Although it came with a heavy cost of French lives, the Kaiser was stopped, and no German troops set foot in Paris. The French people held and refused to stand down to the grave threat.

The threat of the Islamic State looms high over France and the rest of Europe, but with time good will overcome evil as it did in 1918 and 1945.

So do not fret people of the French Republic. The road ahead will be rough and dangerous for France, but I know you will prevail.

As an American citizen, I am proud to have you as one of our greatest allies. Your country helped free us from British colonial rule, and for that we thank you.

Now, in your time of need, we stand with you. No amount of desire for revenge or wallowing in sorrow will bring back 130 innocent lives lost at the time I write this letter, but if we stand united, those innocent people will not have died in vain.

We shall meet the Islamic State with pride in our hearts, and we shall stand together, under both French and American flags.

Now, as your people’s anthem says, let us march on, under our banners of victory.

Sincerely,

An American citizen