Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th's Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.Although the Bastille only held seven prisoners at the time of its capture, the storming of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the Tricolore flag, it symbolized the Republic's three ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all French citizens. It marked the end of absolute monarchy, the birth of the sovereign Nation, and, eventually, the creation of the (First) Republic, in 1792.
I realize that most American’s could give a flip about the French and their independence day, but think about it. If they didn’t storm that barely guarded prison with only 7 prisoners in it, we might not have a lot of the things we love today. For example; French fries, croissants, French bread, le tour de France (I am probably the only one who loves the tour!), and of course, those fabulous French wines. So even though the French aren’t really known for the military prowess, if they didn’t storm that prison on this day 219 years ago, who knows what would be going on over there today.
Speaking of the Tour de France, they just moved into the mountains this weekend and this is where the real racing takes place. Some of those climbs are absolutely brutal and this is where the top riders come to the top of the pack. The French riders usually give a little more effort on Bastille Day and try to get a stage win for their country. It has been a pretty boring tour up until now, but I am looking forward to watching the rest of the stages in the Pyrenees. I am glad to report that the two American owned teams are doing very well in the tour this year and the current yellow jersey wearer is from Team Columbia, one of the American owned teams.
Anyway, to all of my French friends, enjoy Bastille day and we will toast to you guys tonight with a French Cote de Rhone!
2 comments:
I'll toast them with some Tennessee Whiskey! Congrats on your independence as you are being eaten alive by your socialist policies.
What was the name of the UGA player with the French connection? He was pretty fun to watch--Thanks!
Of course the “Blitz from Biarritz (France)”! Richard Tardits set a school record for career sacks with 29 in 1988! By far the best player from France in UGA history!
Post a Comment