Written by Stevie
Reading time: 2 minutes
Song: Do You Hear the People Sing?
May 2024
In the forms of beige coats and buildings and dogs, the French love their wheat-brown.
The second color they love most is black. Every native who does not own a brown coat owns a black one, and often with black pantyhose or cargo pants and black shoes to match. Decorative black iron bars line the windows and overhang the doors. There is so much art all around; I suppose the French have been refining their craft for over thirty thousand years considering the ancient cave paintings like Lascaux.
Driving is chaotic like it is in New York City, but the roads are seemingly lawless and twice as narrow. A single block’s crowd appears to equal the entire population of Manhatten. Vélos (bikes), motorized and non-motorized, are the main method of local commute and for good reason. When traffic lines and lights hardly apply, it is much faster to get around in a vehicle that can slide between cars and pedestrians.
Somehow, we are all still alive, and we have not witnessed an accident.
We have witnessed a protest however, announced by a speaker shouting angry French over a megaphone. The loud mob is surrounded by red and yellow flags and a police barricade. But there is no hint of violence, only passion. Many people in the crowd seem to be smiling and laughing as they unite with their community in one cause.
February 2025
The French people safely proclaim their opposition in the form of strikes and protests. Through these processes, they enact change efficiently and refute injustice as they have since 1789.
I envy not only their freedom of speech but also the impact their voice has on their society. While the First Amendment protects the American right to peacefully protest, the Anti-Riot Act (1968) and the Supreme Court limits protesting so much that it can be impossible to organize a swift, even peaceful movement. The government doesn’t define protests, only the restrictions that can be placed on them.
Ordinary Americans can and do take action on the issues that matter to them, and they are sometimes successful in ensuring important legislation is passed. But the process of political change in the United States takes so long that many citizens seem discouraged from activism even when they feel passionate about an issue.
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I hope you enjoyed the second article of my 3-part series: FINDING FRANCE, featuring 3 key moments of my early journey to France. In the upcoming week, look for FINDING FRANCE 3: Musée d’Orsay, a tribute to my mother.
Links:
https://guides.loc.gov/women-in-the-french-revolution/revolutions-rebellions/1789-1830-1848