Today is Bastille Day, an incredibly important day in French history. Much like the 4th of July in America – July 14th is celebrated and honored in France, yet many Americans know little about it.
Back in 1789, the people of France were tired of an
unequal system so they revolted in a bloody clash. The now iconic line from Marie Antoinette “Let
them eat cake” was not only considered a rallying cry for the revolution, it is
often used as a reflection of the disparity between the rich and the poor. Whether she said the famed line or not, it
was actually only part of a comment, which began with “Well if they don’t have
bread, then let them eat cake”.
Taken out of context, the comment may not seem that
incendiary, but peasants were literally starving in the streets while the
wealthy threw lavish parties, not unlike some of the conversations of the past
few years in this country. Conversations
about the 1%, disparaging comments about individuals who are poor, on food
stamps or welfare, and implying somehow that those people are not as
worthy. This type of thinking is very
dangerous – divisions in society, unequal social classes without hope of
escape, these were all significant ingredients in one of the bloodiest
revolutions in history.
Understanding the implications of history can help
us to prevent similar struggles – but only if we listen...
Hi Laurie! Happy Bastille Day to you too! Thanks for the history reminder. We can be so myopic here in the U.S. that we forget that many of the challenges we face have been faced before by others...it would be nice to learn them before they show up again and again, right? ~Kathy
ReplyDeleteI remember Bastille Day only because it was also my father's birthday. I agree with Kathy - we can be quite centered here in the States, and not learn the lessons of history that other countries have learned (the hard way).
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