Some of you may have heard of the rioting that has taken place in the Northern Suburbs of Paris and for those who don't know, we live in a suburb that borders northern Paris that is well known for its immigrant population called St. Denis. These riots started due to a traffic incident involving two teenage boys who crashed into a police car and where killed. All of this happened and is still happening two cities north of where we live, roughly 20-30 minute trip by public transport, 10 minutes (maybe) by car.
Last night we saw for the first time "rioters" on our street. They walked very casually (followed by a few police officers) down our street with big signs and posters and a bull horn that neither one of us could make out what the guy was saying through it. Nothing scary, nothing that made me afraid for my life, but really kind of annoyed me because they were being loud and it was late.
Furthermore, if the riots continue and continue to spread, I have no doubt that we have not seen the last of the protesting. However, we are not afraid for our lives and do not feel that we are in any kind of immediate danger. Except for over-crowdness, dirty streets, and funky smells we have, for the most part, enjoyed living in St. Denis. We've never been physically attacked, robbed, or abused in any physical way (we have both been hit on by really creepy guys before, that's another story).
Rioters in France are not out to kill random people, or anyone for that matter. They really just want to make a statement and burn stuff. What guy doesn't want to do that.
I do think that there seems to be, for the most part, among the french and others here (immigrant), a lack of personal responsibility. They don't really want to take responsibility to work and provide for themselves and they don't really want to take responsibility for wrong past actions. They really think that the government is designed to take responsibility for them, provide for them, and make sure nothing bad happens to them. This is why government spending here is the highest in Europe and the economy is also declining/has declined. The unemployment rate is crazy high and the government, traditionally, is more concerned with the dispersing of wealth and not the creation of it. So when anything goes wrong, something bad happens, the government gets the blame. (economical rant) There is some hope with the actions of the new president Sarkozy who is all about work and change. So we'll see...
But for the french, the immigrants, and the government to change their views on how government works and social understanding is not why we're here.
It's just a weird place that really needs Jesus.
currents status: this post was also supposed to say that we are safe and appreciate your prayers.
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4 comments:
great to hear that things are okay amigo...miss you guys...love you and am praying for you and Paris. in the meantime...get a bullhorn...but instead of yelling riot propoganda, read them Derrick Brown...see what happens.
I would actually love get the poem where he denounces Paris as the 'City of Love'
do you know what the name of that poem is? You know he has two records on iTunes.
if the recorded version of "A finger, two dots, then me" doesn't make you weep like it does me, then son you aren't alive. how are you homie and homie-ette?
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