Our Freaky Friday With France

The following blog was written by Audrey Russo. Audrey's poignant and substantive work on the Middle East can be read at http://www.ediblog.com/--where she is the Managing Editor.


Our Freaky Friday With France


Many of us are familiar with the film Freaky Friday...a mom and daughter, through surreal circumstances, switch bodies...well, before our very eyes, we are seeing a Freaky Friday occur between France...and America...

At one time, America...among other virtues...was known for it's common sense. We knew the difference between right and wrong, good and evil...and we stood on the side of what was right and what was good. But a creeping cowardice made it's way into the recesses of our government and was made manifest with the advent of the 9/11 terror attacks.

And since then, we have become more and more craven in our attempt to avoid 'offending' anyone of the Muslim faith...and avoid being viewed by the gutless EU as mean and unfair. We give Muslim terrorists Miranda Rights, install foot baths in airports for Muslim cabbies and designate prayer rooms for Muslim students in public schools...ad infinitum...

But that was Thursday, and this is Friday...

Now, a country who has been known for it's weakness in the past (i.e. WWII) has now found the spine, we have lost. A conversation begun by French President Sarkozy in June of 2009, in which he told both houses of parliament that veils were "not welcome" in France...that the full veil was "contrary to our values and to the ideals we have of women's dignity" (hey...shouldn't that be heard on every street corner in America?), has now moved forward to a French MPs call for a ban on Afghan-style burqas and other garments that cover a woman's face. AND it has popular support! An opinion poll by Ipsos for the magazine Le Point revealed that 57% of French voters favor a ban. Did you get that? 57% of the French say NO to veils...

Oh My Gosh: THEY ARE US, AND WE ARE THEM!!!!

The country we were so enamored to imitate...with their brie and broadmindedness...has gained common sense, just as ours took flight...

Perhaps we'll get it as things come back around...that is, of course, if we're still here to 'get it'.

Shalom through strength...