http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_the_Bastille
130 years ago the people of France stormed the Bastille to end the rule and the abuses of a rich, ruling minority. Like the millions of unemployed in the U.S. today, they had no means of supporting themselves, no way to buy food or clothes, much less homes. The indifference of the ignoble nobility, their obsession with fashion and the splendors of Versailles, were too much to bear. The excesses of the revolution that followed were a backlash against the suffering and poverty and starvation the people of France endured for centuries.
What we can learn form the French Revolution, from our own revolution, and from Bastille Day is that compassion creates a society that succeeds, not tax breaks for the rich, not war, not corporate abuse of man and nature. We have an election coming soon and the message we need to send is that we want compassion for our fellow human beings and for the beauty of the natural world around us. We don't want a return to the Bush/Cheney decade of war, corporate greed, and economic disaster for everyone but the banks, big oil, and big business. We want progressive representatives who will fight for clean energy, benefits for average citizens, not corporations, and regulations to protect our planet.
In the nation with the highest percentage of jailed citizens in the world, we should take Bastille Day very seriously.
Jack
14 July 2010
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