Throughout the world, this keeps happening. It’s infuriating. It’s heartbreaking. It’s terrifying.

A bit over a week ago it was a hotel in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. On Saturday it was a popular shopping district in Istanbul, Turkey. Today, an airport and a metro station in Brussels, Belgium. 16 were left dead after a sweeping attack on beach resorts in Grand Bassam. 4 were killed in Istanbul, and 31 have been confirmed dead so far in Brussels.

This is slowly becoming the new reality. Soft targets becoming fertile battlegrounds. Innocent people becoming casualties in a war they did not choose. It’s like we’re moving backward.

We cannot let fear paralyze us, however. Recall the brave defiance of the French citizens taking to their parks and cafes immediately after the attacks in November, sending a robust message that they will not allow terror to impact their way of life.

Our hearts break for all the victims of terror and violence in Ivory Coast, Turkey, Belgium and across the globe. We cannot allow this to become the new normal.