Au Contre- A Personal View on the recent French Riots
Janna Fennell Contributing Writer
From the history behind the Eiffel Tower, to the delicacy of escargot, to the
country’s motto, French language and culture has always been an interest
of mine. Up to the present time, I wondered if this motto was even put into practice.
I know that no matter where I go there is always going to be inequality and racism.
Yet, how does France fare? Recent events opened my eyes to the long, sought out
truth about the country that boasts “Liberte. Egalite, Fraternite!”
The trouble started October 27 when two teenagers of Maurita-nian and Tunisian
decent were electrocuted while trying to hide from the police. Since some people
saw their death as a racial thing, rioting soon broke out in the suburbs and
spread across the nation. Ofce buildings, schools, cars, and trash cans were
torched. Streets full of non-French protest-ers called for change in the social
class. They wanted to be heard; they wanted jobs; they wanted equality. The ongoing
street violence led French ofcials to declare a 12-day state of emergency. In
the end some provinces, such as Normandy, established curfews for minors. Far-right
leader Jean-Marier LePen, in an interview with the Associated Press, said French
nationals for immigrant backgrounds-not just foreigners-should be stripped of
their citizenship and sent “back to their country of origin,” if
they committed crimes.
This is were I start to think France can’t be a “perfect” as
I would have liked to believe. Certain comments that some made about France feel-ing
they’re better, or how snobbish and rude they are toward outsiders, may
prove acceptable. The French are only egalitarian for Frenchmen. They want to
preserve their country’s culture for themselves. The at-titude is that
the people are “In France, if you aren’t French you have no chance
in life.” That’s not very brotherly. France expects immigrants to
assimilate and become French. For those who prefer to hold onto their culture,
being accepted proves difcult.
I do not agree with the way the demonstrators handled the situation. Burning
schools and other people’s cars doesn’t erase the problem. In fact,
that may just be a shot in the foot to what they’re trying to achieve.
As my French friend, Caroline wrote: “I nd that really no one has cars
to put to re. [Especially] the poor people, [who] did not do anything. They
are victims and certainly do not have much money...[it is] really unjust to inict
that one them!” The truth is the rioters were out of or-der, yet the government
is even more in the wrong. Yes, France has a high immigrant population that wants
to stand by their culture, but that doesn’t mean they need to be ignored
and referred to as “scum.”
It is time for the administration to x the matter at hand. They have a responsibility
to get with the times; accept new people; and try to work together whether there
is acculturate difculty or not. They have the power to decide whether they want
to appear unstable to the world, or change their ways. Their motto shouldn’t
be the re for culture clash, instead of prevention of them.
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St.
Paul Public School System, District #625