A touching gesture from France

Originally posted by Melusine: This shows me how little you know of the matter. It has been my experience in my own country and throughout European countries where my family or friends live, that "the days" are remembered by most of us, not just "a handful of really old people". I've had discussions before about the difference in remembering the Second World War in Europe and in America, but apparently that was a bit of a sore spot. Actually sore for you maybe...if you noticed I used one of those ? thingies that mean I was asking a question not making an assertion. Anyway, since you don't live here, you are a bit quick to throw doubts upon the number of people attending. Over here it's pretty normal to have yearly ceremonies to remember the war and all the allied soldiers and civilians who died in it. My own birthday falls on the same day of our annual remembrance day, and in the two minutes silence we observe, I always spare a thought for all who died or were injured in that war: the Dutch, the French, the English, the Americans, and the Germans (there were innocent deaths in Germany too, after all) - and so does anyone with me on my birthday. So you see it's much more common for people to remember than not. [img]smile.gif[/img]

In any case I hope you had a nice rememberance of "the days" over the weekend.
I having reletives still in both Germany and Poland do know that there were innocent deaths on all sides and that while it is easy to blame the fascists for everything, there were accidents and wrong doings on all sides. I mourn the loss of the children from those years. Probably more than you would believe of me.

[johnny]

Originally posted by WillowIX: quote: Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Yeah, Melusine, it's difficult not to remember the World War when in Europe. Merely 6 decades ago, the whole continent was leveled by war. Those occurrences leave signs that are just too visible for too long.

And the subject is actually taught in their schools.

Cerek, I applaud you. [img]smile.gif[/img] I don't know where you stood in the US-France debate but if all people thought like you there wouldn't be a problem now. [img]smile.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]Not just in school, some of us hear it first hand, from people who lived under the Nazi yoke, like my grandfather, and his brothers. They were all POW's during the war, deployed all over Europe to work on assembly lines. The stories they used to tell were both horrific and "fun" to listen to. Stories about their efforts of sabotaging a German tank, but also about the beatings they sometimes had to take.

The town were i was born still honors the liberators every year. They were mostly Welsh infantrymen, and every year there's a big reunion in my old hometown, where the current inhabitants try to give them the warmest welcome imaginable. Eventually there will be noone left alive from those days, but i think this is a great tradition, which should always remain intact.

[Moiraine]

Originally posted by MagiK: quote: Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: Yes, I saw that thread Chewbacca. Very embarassing. [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

I don't see anything embarresing about American home owners sending the French Government a message by closing their homes to French people. It is after all one of the few ways a simple American citizen can actually make any message heard by another government. I also believe that in so doing they are NOT comitting racism..since the French do not make up a race.
[/QUOTE]MagiK, I wish people made the distinction between the people and the government. IF those American people had wanted to send a message to the French government, they could have sent a letter or signed a petition. What they are doing instead is send a message of defiance to some French people.

Cerek, no need to feel embarrassed ! [img]smile.gif[/img] These people don't represent all America - they certainly don't represent you, for one. And about the remembrance of WWII and the U.S. soldiers who came to France to help us, it is again a matter of not confusing the government and the people. We all are very grateful to the people, the soldiers who came here prepared to possibly give their life for our freedom. We can't be grateful towards a government that tells us we have to do what it says because we are ordered to show gratitude to it ! [img]smile.gif[/img]

MagiK's mention of 'race' brings a thought to me : certainly there are now a number of French people who are unknowingly half-American or quarter-American by blood ...