#JeSuisCharlie: Washington, DC Rallies for a Free Press
Vive la France. Loin des yeux, près du coeur.
Loin des yeux, près du coeur.
I plugged it in to Google, which promptly spit out, “out of sight, near the heart.” Not the most elegant translation, but I got the point as I walked through the crowd that gathered in Washington, DC to march in solidarity with those attending the National Unity Rally in Paris.
The French Embassy billed the event as a “silent march,” saying that “[t]his march is open to all who would like to join together to honor the memory of the victims of the attacks and engage in solidarity in the fight for freedom of speech and freedom of opinion.” There was very little pomp; the organizers seemed to be more concerned about making a statement than they were about making sure dignitaries had a chance to speak. Before the event began, the crowd mingled happily, taking pictures and talking about maintaining a free press; French flags and copies of Charlie Hebdo were passed around as the crowd spilled off the sidewalks and onto Pennsylvania Avenue.
Lots of smiles, kissing. Stark contrast with the blood and screaming the other side seems to like. #unityrallydc#jesuischarlie
— Amy Marie, Esq. (@amyvrwc) January 11, 2015
Once the group started to move, the mood changed. Those who marched from the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial were oddly silent; I’ve never attended a rally that felt so solemn and reflective.
“Je suis Charlie” was our rallying cry, but some in the crowd took hold of the opportunity to draw attention to other journalists who have been killed or imprisoned for embracing freedom of speech:
No one spoke until the march reached the memorial, when someone started to sing “La Marseillaise.” The quiet dignity of it would break your heart.
Then, it was over. A crowd immediately surrounded French Ambassador Gérard Araud, but he didn’t make the most of the cameras. He spoke to everyone he could, and seemed a little overwhelmed by the international outpouring of support and love for his country.
Today, I had the privilege of joining thousands in taking a stand for freedom of speech and against the violence that ripped through Paris last week. I can’t help but wonder if this will be the time that the idea of “free expression” sticks in the minds of those who have the power to maintain it, or destroy it in favor of the dangerous dogma of political correctness.
Vive la France. Loin des yeux, près du coeur.
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March, for what? What are you demanding with the march? The bloodshed will not stop until you march for death to the murderers and their enablers, the states that sponsor and pay for the terrorists.
Get back to me when you demand the destruction of the terrorists, their networks, and their enablers. Until then it’s just more feel good / ignore the real problem / their not “true” muslim bullshit.
Maybe a march to eliminate, by whatever means necessary, those Muslim “No Go Zones”
La Marseillaise is not a song for wimps. Interesting how something declared the National song in 1795 speaks so clearly to events today.
Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny’s
Bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts
To arms citizens Form your battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows
What do they want this horde of slaves
Of traitors and conspiratorial kings?
For whom these vile chains
These long-prepared irons?
Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
What methods must be taken?
It is us they dare plan
To return to the old slavery!
What! These foreign cohorts!
They would make laws in our courts!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would cut down our warrior sons
Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brow would yield under the yoke
The vile despots would have themselves be
The masters of destiny
Tremble, tyrants and traitors
The shame of all good men
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will receive their just reward
Against you we are all soldiers
If they fall, our young heros
France will bear new ones
Ready to join the fight against you
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
Bear or hold back your blows
Spare these sad victims
That they regret taking up arms against us
But not these bloody despots
These accomplices of Bouillé
All these tigers who pitilessly
Ripped out their mothers’ wombs
We too shall enlist
When our elders’ time has come
To add to the list of deeds
Inscribed upon their tombs
We are much less jealous of surviving them
Than of sharing their coffins
We shall have the sublime pride
Of avenging or joining them
Drive on sacred patriotism
Support our avenging arms
Liberty, cherished liberty
Join the struggle with your defenders
Under our flags, let victory
Hurry to your manly tone
So that in death your enemies
See your triumph and our glory!
Yep, that’s what I had thought originally, until the 200th year celebration of the Storming of the Bastille in 1989. The parade in Paris featured a woman singing the Marseillaise who made it sound like an “Ode to Easter” or “In Praise of tea and crumpets,” totally without a martial air about that brave song.
In that 1989 celebration parade the Marseillaise was not one of proud France unafraid to defend itself, it was more about who would be offended by that martial song.
Of course, not speaking French, what could I tell about those words that were so lovingly hummed. Yet, the sound was as just described above.
Ou est Obama?
This person has shamed the United States now for 6 years.
According to one leftist discussion forum, Obama is just too damned important to mingle with other world leaders. His “person” is so critical to the universe, it would be unwise for him to appear with the hoi polloi.
Now that we have a hashtag the terrorists are really screwed.
I would feel more hopeful of real change if people were carrying this sign instead.
I had to look that one up. 🙂 “Je Suis Charlie Martel” means: French far-right activists, including Generation Identity and National Front MEP Jean-Marie Le Pen, adopted the slogan “Je suis Charlie Martel”, in reference to the Frankish king who defeated an Islamic invasion in 732 AD. [Wikipedia] I agree Amy.
The French version of the TEA Party.
Yup.
And in that same vein: “Je Suis Vlad Tepes!”
This reminds me of the Love Ins back in the sixties.
Everyone got to together to “protest” or show support but mostly they just get high, get drunk, chase girls/guys, act stupid and go home tired feeling proud that you DID something that day.
Having accomplished exactly NOTHING substantial or meaningful.
Look at the people in the front. Some of the most socialism, free borders/immigrationists in Europe.
They don’t care if some folks get killed because of their policies. They’re not in danger.
But oh boy are they hot to shut down any of the peons who don’t like to see their taxes go for people who disrespect them, speak a foreign tongue, curse them in the street and riot all while claiming their peace loving peoples.
No those folks have to get shut down toot sweet, schnell.
I have a relative who put on Facebook the other day that she had found out about a protest she could attend and still make it to her spandex-clad group bike ride. In Portland, of course. At 32, she’s old enough to know better…alas.
Wuzza matta u? Getting high, getting drunk, chasing girls and acting stupid was the essence of the 60’s and if you remember any of it, you were not really a part of it.
Demonstrations in the United States are an anachronism. Only very young, and very stupid people do that, here. The rest of us write our Congresscritters, knowing full well we, in large enough numbers, can have an effect. We also have a vote every 2 years, and we know there will be another election, shortly. This lets off a lot of pressure that the voters feel.
Egypt had effective demonstrations, when 25% of the entire country turned out to politely ask for the Morsi administration (Muslim Brotherhood) to be deposed. They did that because the Morsi administration, which was supported by the Muslim Brotherhood, showed itself to be repressive and murderous.
France has just had the largest demonstrations in his history, including even the end of WWII, not just in Paris, but in all its cities. The government there will pay attention, just as the Egyptian government did.
Ou est Obama?
Loin des yeux
BTW, “Loin des yeux, loin du coeur” is a French saying meaning, “far from the eyes, far from the heart”. Obviously the marcher was making a play on words that is suitable for the occasion.
Sadly, obama is too fixated on his putter to worry about islamic mass murder.
No one displaying the MoToons. What a surprise.
Charlie was an acolyte or joker in the liberal Church. He promoted the Church’s DRAT (Displace, Replace, Abort, and Tax) policy. They wanted and do silence you, every day, by your choice. History teaches us that while external threats exist, robust civilizations are usually victims of a degenerate religion (i.e. libertinism) and narcissistic leaders. Stop deferring to mortal gods. Don’t consume their opiates. They’re not “free”.
#CharlieEtaitProchoix
As reported at Yahoo (http://news.yahoo.com/live-together-defiant-parisians-mass-rally-185053249.html):
Daniel, a hip young Jewish singer and Riad a 60-year-old Muslim shopkeeper swapped views on the country’s ordeal as the crowd gathered.
“We can live together,” said Daniel Benisty, 30, who is Jewish like the four men killed when Islamist gunman Amedy Coulibaly stormed a kosher supermarket in the French capital on Friday.
“It’s the idea of living together because we share the same values, liberty, fraternity, equality, to live in peace and respect each other despite our differences.”
“Exactly!” agreed Riad, the 60-year-old shopkeeper. “I don’t recognise these Islamists, they’re not Muslims.”
Unfortunately, there are people who still don’t get it.
“engage in solidarity in the fight for freedom of speech and freedom of opinion.”
No wonder Obama wasn’t there.