(note: the following is reproduced as written by my friend and colleague, Gaël Roulleau, of Provence, Paris and wherever his work on behalf of human dignity takes him. He wrote this in English hoping I could share it with those who do not have French.)
Gaël Roulleau
Chargé de mission
Présidence de la République
Maison Civile du Chef de l’Etat, Kinshasa
Dear Ken,
About 9-11: A word from France.
Excuse me for the language, my English is still poor, but my heart is sincere.
Today is the anniversary and each of us remembers that day like it was yesterday. Everyone remembers exactly what he was doing 9-11-2001. In New York, it was a beautiful morning sun, in France a beautiful afternoon.
On this day I remember the tears of rage and sadness invading the eyes of many friends around me, some others were stunned and said nothing else because they could not believe the media.
In a few moments the whole of American history scrolled through our minds: The American War of Independence and the reasons for the inevitable march of the struggle for freedom. The construction of this great U.S. nation, the guarantor of the free world … The American forces landing in Normandy on D-Day … and the thousands of America’s sons who died for freedom in Europe and the world … The history of my family who suffered as did so many in France and other places from the Nazis….
Since that day in 1944, for European generations,we had life in peace because of the United States. You are not our American cousins but our brothers of America. Since D-Day, European nationalists considered Americans like opponents, our adversaries and our enemies.
That day ten years ago woke up the genes of Washington and Lafayette, asleep in our souls. As the Bible teaches us, the struggle between good and evil seems eternal and our choice to support the U.S. is the choice for the good.
That the United States is strong or injured, we have all learned and will always have a fighting spirit on your side.
With my Kind Regards,
Gael
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