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Something, or things, we are proud of.

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isabelle:
As some of you may have noticed, I have on occasions bitched about France (I'm French), saying it is by and large a homophobic, racist country... And it is. But something is happening here of which I am proud, and proud to be part of it.

Roughly 75% of the people here are more and more openly racist and xenophobic; our government, whose head (Chirac) is a clown, and a corrupt one, is right wing veering to the extreme. So they are naturally prone to heeding the people's growing sympathy for the National Front, our own neo-nazi party. To the point of advocating what that party has been advocating since it appeared on the political scene in the 1980's, ie, massive deportations of "non-French", understand mostly "non-whites". So the Minister of Interior has been speeding up deportations of immigrants who have not been granted asylum here when they risk being killed or jailed once they return to their countries of origin. They are deported even when they have children who were born in France, including when the partner/spouse is French.

Now, I am ashamed of this. BUT, an association was created last year, initiated by teachers but now made up of people from all walks of life. It has launched a nationwide petition stating that those who sign it promise to protect those people and their children who risk deportation and their lives. We are fully aware that it is against the law, and that we may be jailed for it.

24,000 have signed this petition in just ONE week! I am proud of all those people, and those who are to sign yet. I have signed the petition; this country is well-known for having had more collaborators with the nazis than resistants during WWII, so this might be a drop in the ocean, but I am hoping it will turn into a tidal wave. Just to show we've moved on since the 40's.

What are you proud of?

YaadPyar:
Simply this - being a part of this place.  I am always touched by the sincerity of each one on whatever journey they are taking to keep moving forward with humor, wit, insight and honesty.  We are all so different, but all trying.

slayers_creek_oth:

--- Quote ---What are you proud of?
--- End quote ---

My family!  My son, my wife, my mom, my siblings, and YOU ALL!   ;D

vkm91941:

--- Quote from: isabelle on June 06, 2006, 08:11:57 am ---What are you proud of?

--- End quote ---

I am proud of:

* Being a survivor of life's tempests with my heart and my integrity intact
* of having know the love of two good men
* of my boys, that they are smart, compassionate, and caring people
* of my family, my brothers are the greatest, my neices and nephews are all stellar folks
* to live in a country where we are free to publically speak our minds and hold our own counsel without fear of     governmental reprisals, where the standard of living even for the poorest citizen is higher than it is in MANY other parts of the world

and I am proud to call many on this forum my friends
 

isabelle:
Sorry, I did not mention this forum, and being proud to be part of it, because for me it goes without saying. But it might still sound good to hear it.

Vick, even in France we are (still) allowed to speak our minds without fear of reprisal  ;)

Update on my OP: the Minister of Interior has obviously been impressed by the number of signatures of that petition; he announced yesterday that 2000 people would be granted citizenship when they have kids who were born in France, have always been to school in France, and cannot speak their parents' language (extremely mean, that last one, if you ask me). But still, it shows you can do things that count, out there! I would have lost all human dignity in my own opinion, had I not signed. May sound pompous, but it's very important to me to "act as I wish every single person would act" (Montaigne, 16th century French philosopher).

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