A24 - Civil War

Yesterday was Bastille Day in France. The day marking the start of the French Revolution. On July 14, 1789 the poor starving people of Paris’ lower and middle class stormed the Bastille Prison, which was seen as a symbol of the king’s tyrant and oppression. There is a really great blog post on Bastille Day’s history by France Channel* that I recommend reading. Take note of the interesting similarities to present day in the “United” States.

[Interesting side note: As an illustration of how word choice can change how something is viewed…the blog post (which is French mind you) talks about those who stormed the Bastille as poor and starving, but Wikipedia’s page** on the storming of the Bastille calls them “political insurgents” which puts a negative spin on the people of Paris.]

Anyhow…on to the purpose of this post. I watched A24’s Civil War for the second time last night. I found it interesting that the movie shows California aligning with Texas when they are politically misaligned. I think California would align themselves with Washington and Oregon.

All this is really to say that as the 250th anniversary of the declaration of Independence gets closer I fear we are headed toward another civil war. The tensions and atmosphere in the United States can be felt everywhere you go. Every time I turn on the news, there’s some new thing causing disruption and discontent. I hope that one day this country can be founded on principles of common decency, kindness, and equality for all. May congress remember that this is the great American melting pot. Lady liberty stands in New York Harbor ready to welcome those who need a home to shelter them from tyranny. The tyranny should not be coming from within.

Stay safe out there. Remember to radiate kindness and be a light in the dark.

*https://www.francechannel.tv/Blog/FrenchCulture/History/The-History-of-Bastille-Day-Celebrating-French-Independence

**https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_the_Bastille