Nigerian Lives Don't Matter, Apparently

CNN reports that:

Kano, Nigeria (CNN)—The attackers sped into a Nigerian town with grenade launchers -- their gunfire and explosions shattering the early morning calm.

As terrified residents scattered into bushes in Baga town and surrounding villages, the gunmen unloaded motorcycles from their trucks and followed in hot pursuit.

Residents hid under scant brush. Bullets pierced them.

Some sought refuge in their homes. They were burned alive.

Many who tried to cross into neighboring Chad drowned while trying to swim through Lake Chad.

By the time the weapons went quiet, local officials reported death tolls ranging from hundreds to as many as 2,000 people...

Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria regularly since 2009, attacking police, schools, churches and civilians, and bombing government buildings. The Islamist group has said its aim is to impose a stricter form of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.

The group's brutal tactics have shocked and stunned the world.

It has kidnapped students, including more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted in April -- and remain missing.

On Saturday, explosives strapped to a girl detonated at a crowded marketplace in Nigeria, killing at least 20 people. Although no one has claimed responsibility, Boko Haram militants are the main suspects.

In France, fanatics kill 17 civilians. The world mourns. The media coverage is non-stop. Hundreds of thousands people march in solidarity against terrorism. Dignitaries from around the world participate.

On the other hand, in Nigeria, another group of fanatics destroy an entire town and kill up to 2,000 children, women and men. The world barely notices. The media coverage is scant and sporatic. Compared to the France story, Nigeria is a footnote, an afterthought. 200 Nigeria girls remain missing. Despite last year's popularity, the slogan #BringBackOurGirls has been tossed in the wind and forgotten. Sadly, we are reminded again that black lives don't matter.