Merci Frances

By Craig

As I am quite sure you are aware, a lot has happened in France over the past two weeks. Massive rioting has taken place throughout the country, and even spilling into neighboring ones. As of the writing of this post, Chirac had ordered a curfew, and order was attempting to be restored. But these events can have a deep impact on the lessons that can be learned from this occurrence. The questions are, what are they, and did we learn them?

From what I have gathered, the riots started concerning the questionable death of a Muslim youth in France. The disenfranchised Muslims began rioting against what they felt was behavior from the French police and government as oppressive. Last year, the French government signed into law that women, mainly Muslim women, could no longer wear scarves. And this event may have just thrown salt on an open wound.

The real problem is not the scarf issue or even the questionable death, but the disenfranchisement of such a large population of people who live in France. Notice I didn't say French people, because the mobs of people who are rioting are not French citizens, but people who are merely living in France. There is nothing wrong with living in France, but when such a large group of likeminded individuals congregate in the same place without any recourse of being on the same page as the rest of the nation's citizens, a guaranteed problem is to arise.

Other countries such as Belgium, Germany, and Great Britain were said to have minor riots take place as well. However, these countries were not as polarized as France and also were said to take precautions earlies. France and other countries may have to reevaluate their policies toward other nationals living in their borders as Kevin Costelloe reports in European Governments May Alter Policies in Wake of French Riots, published with Bloomberg.com.

So let's assume that the disenfranchisement was the problem. How did this disenfranchisement come to pass? Well, some say that the lack of social integration may be to blame. Without assimilating those people who choose to live in your borders, they feel no respect to the country. If you handcuff that to the fact that social insurance programs were handed out as well, not only were they able to breed their contempt of the nation that they lived, but were done so on the countries tab. France kept them fed, clothed and healthy, with absolutely nothing asked for in return.

America must be careful in its handling of social programs. I am not here to give the benefits and draw backs of such programs at this time, but simply point out the amount of immigrants living in the country that have no intention of becoming US citizens. America was founded on immigrants, and to be honest I hope that continues to be a great position of American values, to accept people. But those people who came to America were eager to start a new life, with a new nation and respect the nation for what it could offer. They were happy to assimilate themselves into American culture and help make it strong. To defend it's borders, and to help it become financially strong. But many immigrants today do not seek the same.

Today's war on terror is also a determining factor. France does not support the war in Iraq, their way of appeasement on the Muslims in the Middle East, and the people they had their hand out feeding, bit them, hard! America has been a staunch proponent of war, and although the many Muslims here in America say they are happy and do not seek any retaliation on the government or people living here, what have we done to guarantee their loyalty to this nation? The millions of illegal aliens from place like Mexico, what have we done to guarantee their assimilation.? Why do constantly continue to let these illegals come across the border? These are the questions that must be posed following the French riots.

Just like Katrina made apparent our lack of National Disastor and Recovery preparedness, the riots in France need to make apparent the potential disaster that could be simmering today in other Western Culture nations. So yes, thank you France, for showing us all that simply living next to someone does not mean that person or family thinks the same about the country you live in a you.


Tags: French Riots , Muslims , Social Programs , Bloomberg.com , Political Gateway