Bastille Day

By Ken McCracken on July 14, 2006 at 08:44 am

Allons enfants de la patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé.

- La Marseillaise

Is Bastille Day France's 'birthday', as July 4th is for the United States? Well I don't know, though it is certainly France's national holiday (as of 1880); France has suffered through the Terror, had emperors, twelve constitutions, five republics, and been conquered by the Germans twice since the mob stormed the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789. Hardly an unbroken reign for the democratic ideals of the revolution, but they seem to have sorted it all out for the most part.

I know that France is not exactly the most dependable ally, and that Americans (especially conservatives) like to berate and belittle the French - and the term "cheese eating surrender monkeys" sounds mean and undeserved, but they do eat cheese and they do surrender a lot, so they have themselves to blame for at least a bit of that.

But in the end, they have proven themselves to be lovers of liberty, and who can really hate a nation that gives such wonderful presents?